Chapter 1

In my past life, I spent ten years turning Alexander from a broke nobody into a billionaire.

In return, he teamed up with my adopted sister, drove my parents to their deaths, and threw me into the fire with his own hands.

As I lay dying, a cold mechanical voice echoed in my mind: "Congratulations, Host, on completing the early angst arc. After rebirth, please use a gentler love to redeem him."

When I opened my eyes again, I was back — back to the day Alexander was pinned down in an underground casino, about to lose a hand.

The system told me to step in and take the blade for him. I smiled and said yes. I grabbed the knife right out of the man's hand — and brought it down myself. Alexander's blood splattered all over my face.

The underground casino reeked of cheap cigarettes and blood.

"Hold him down! You think you can cheat at my table and walk away with both hands?!"

The scarred man's roar shook the walls.

I stood in a dim corner, watching Alexander get slammed onto the gambling table with cold, detached eyes.

That sharp, arrogant face of his was smeared with dust and cold sweat.

His eyes — wild, like a cornered animal — were locked straight onto me.

Beneath the surface churned desperation, humiliation, and the faintest flicker of a plea for help.

This exact moment, in my past life, was when those eyes fooled me.

I had thrown myself forward like a madwoman, taking that rusted cleaver for him.

The tendon in my right hand was severed. I never held a paintbrush again.

And he — he gave me one cold glance, then calmly reached over and took the check I'd brought to pay off his debt.

【Host! Step forward immediately and take the blade for the male lead!】

【Current blackening level: 90%. Redemption progress: 0%.】

【Please follow the original script and warm his cold heart with your selfless love!】

The sharp mechanical voice screeched inside my head.

I picked up a half-finished glass of red wine from the bar and gave it a slow swirl.

The deep crimson liquid spun inside the glass — just like the blood pooling around my parents when they died.

My dear little sister Chloe had been curled up in Alexander's arms at the time, smiling — sweet and cruel all at once.

A tearing pain radiated from somewhere deep in my chest.

I lowered my eyes, buried every emotion, and swallowed down the bitterness and hatred rising in my throat. Then I took a quiet sip of wine.

【Warning! Host behavior has critically deviated from the main storyline!】

The system blared an alarm.

I ignored it.

"Victoria! What are you doing standing all the way over there?! You here to watch me suffer?!"

Alexander finally snapped. He ground his teeth, his voice rough and low as he snarled at me.

He was always like this — demanding things from me like it was his birthright.

As if I had been put on this earth to give him everything.

I let out a soft laugh and drained the rest of my wine.

"Yeah," I said. My voice was quiet, but it carried clearly to his ears. "I'm here to watch you lose that hand."

Alexander's pupils shrank.

He stared at me like he didn't recognize me anymore.

"You think playing hard to get is going to make me grateful?" He let out a cold laugh. "Victoria, you're disgusting."

I looked at his smug, superior expression — even now, with a blade about to come down on him — and thought: the version of me from my past life was a complete and utter fool.

"What are you waiting for?" I glanced over at the scarred man. "Looks like he doesn't want that hand anyway."

The scarred man blinked — then broke into a vicious grin.

The blade came down.

"AAAGH—!"

A raw, agonized scream tore through the entire underground casino.

Blood splattered across the green felt of the gambling table. It was a brutal sight.

Alexander crumpled to the floor, clutching his bleeding right hand, his eyes burning into me — filled with hatred.

I set the empty wine glass back on the bar and walked out.

This time, I was going to watch him — every step of the way — as he fell into the abyss.

The early autumn night breeze carried a faint chill.

I pushed open the front door of the Astor family villa.

The living room was bright and warm.

Mom was arranging flowers. Dad sat in his reading glasses, watching the financial news.

When they saw me walk in, Mom immediately set down her scissors and came toward me.

"Vicky, why are you home so late? It's windy out — are you cold?"

Dad looked up too. He didn't say anything, but the worry in his eyes was impossible to hide.

The moment I saw their faces — alive, real, right in front of me — my eyes filled with tears.

I stepped forward and pulled Mom into a tight hug.

"Mom… Dad…"

I breathed them in, almost desperately, like I was trying to hold onto the feeling forever.