Chapter 1

I had once believed that as long as I tried hard enough, I could warm Derek Vance's icy heart.

For a vague and intangible system mission, I stayed by his side for twenty years. I watched him grow from a brooding teenager into a titan of the business world, pulling him bit by bit out of the abyss and back among the living.

On the day the mission was completed, the system notification sounded. [Congratulations, Ms. Fairfax. Your target Derek's affection level has reached 100%. Mission complete.]

I thought that was the ending, but it turned out to be only the beginning of another lie.

Five years later, his first crush, Iris Hawthorne, returned. The way he looked at her carried a burning intensity I had never seen before.

At a high-profile gala attended by countless guests, Iris nearly stumbled. As he rushed to steady her, he instinctively shook off my hand.

My palm suddenly felt empty, and so did my heart.

I watched him hold Iris tightly, his expression tense, before he cast me an impatient glance. Somehow, I suddenly laughed.

Calmly, I withdrew my hand and leaned close to his ear. "Derek, let's get a divorce."

He froze for a moment, then let out a scornful laugh. Those deep eyes of his were filled with contempt and absolute certainty. "Cordelia, don't play such a boring trick."

He thought I would behave just like before—throw a little tantrum and then obediently return to his side.

But he didn't know that the system mission had already been completed. I no longer needed to depend on him to survive.

When I made a name for myself, when another gentle man held an umbrella over me in the rain, and when my world no longer included him, the man who had always stood above all finally felt panic.

With reddened eyes, he begged again and again. "Cordelia, come back. I can't live without you."

*****

The ballroom was awash in golden light, crystal chandeliers scattering a thousand reflections across elegant yet insincere faces. The air carried the mingled scent of champagne and designer perfume, while the graceful notes of a violin floated through the crowd.

I quietly held onto Derek Vance's arm, standing by his side. He was laughing and chatting with a group of industry leaders, his tailored suit accentuating his tall frame. His handsome, flawless face was set in a perfectly aloof smile.

He was born to be the center of attention, effortlessly drawing every gaze wherever he went. And as his wife, I'd gotten used to being the quiet, perfect background.

"Derek, it's been a while." The gentle female voice carried the right touch of surprise.

I turned toward the sound and saw a woman in a white chiffon dress standing nearby, her long hair softly curled, her eyes crinkling with a gentle smile. It was Iris Hawthorne, the rising star painter everyone had been talking about lately.

She was also the one Derek kept closest to his heart and had longed for all these years.

Derek froze for a split second. His smile faded, and his gaze cut through the crowd, landing squarely on Iris. The look in his eyes was something I'd never seen before, a wild joy of reunion tangled with years of hidden heartache.

In that moment, the noise around us faded into nothing, as if someone had pressed mute. My world narrowed until all I could see was the shifting emotion in his eyes.

Iris gathered her dress and glided toward us with effortless grace. Her heels clicked crisply on the marble floor, each sound echoing in my chest like a tiny blow to my heart.

As she drew near, she stumbled, feigning alarm, as she leaned toward Derek.

Almost by reflex, Derek released my hand abruptly and reached out, steadying Iris in his arms.

My hand hung in the air, still holding onto the warmth and pressure from his grip. That warmth faded fast, replaced by a chill that seeped from my fingertips into the depths of my heart.

All around me, people gasped quietly. Everyone stared at me with curiosity, pity, or even smug satisfaction. My cheeks felt hot, like I'd been slapped in front of the whole room.

"Are you okay?" Derek asked, his voice low and urgent, all his worry aimed at the woman in his arms.

"I'm fine, thank you, Derek," Iris said softly, shaking her head as she leaned into him. Her voice was sweet and shaky, still carrying a trace of fear.

Then she looked up, her eyes sliding past Derek's shoulder to meet mine. For a second, I caught a flash of smugness and challenge in her gaze.

I watched them quietly. He was handsome, and she was delicate. They looked like a perfect pair. And me, the actual Mrs. Vance, felt like I didn't belong at all.

It had been twenty years since I first landed in this world at sixteen, when I was handed a task: save the villain.

Like a sunflower, I was always drawn to Derek. He was my only sun. I watched him transform from a troubled, gloomy teen into the business king he is today.

Five years ago, on his thirtieth birthday, the notification chimed in my head, telling me the task was done.

[Congratulations, Ms. Fairfax. Your target, Derek, now has 100% affection for you. Task complete. Reward: Your health is permanently locked, and you are free to live in this world.]

I thought I'd finally succeeded. I thought twenty years of devotion had won his heart at last. But that so-called 100% affection was so easily shattered when Iris appeared before him.

Once Derek had calmed Iris and helped her steady herself, he turned to me, his brow tightly knit. There was a flicker of impatience and blame in his eyes, like he expected me to know my place and step aside for her.

Derek started, "Cordelia, you—"

But before he could finish, I let out a soft laugh.

Twenty years of devotion were gone in an instant, the moment he let go. It turned out that giving up on someone only took a single moment of clarity.

I reached up and gently smoothed his rumpled tie, my touch still tender, as it always had been. Then I leaned in, close enough that only he could hear, and whispered, "Derek, let's get a divorce."

His body stiffened, his eyes widening in shock.

I didn't even glance back at him. Instead, I straightened up, offered his stunned business partners a graceful nod and a practiced smile. "Sorry, I'm not feeling well. Please excuse me."

After that, I turned and walked out of the suffocating ballroom, my steps calm and unhurried.

My heels were silent on the carpet, but I could feel his scorching gaze trailing after me, like a shadow.

As I stepped out of the hotel, the cool evening breeze washed over me, carrying away the last traces of warmth inside me. I took a deep breath and flagged down a taxi.

"Willowbrook, thanks," I told the driver.