Chapter 2

Emily, in a pure white dress, looked like a white rose blooming in the spotlight, nestled close to William.

The moment we stepped into the party hall, Charles froze.

When I glanced at him, I caught the look in his eyes—resentment mixed with jealousy.

Emily's gaze swept the room and locked onto his. Immediately, Charles dropped my hand like it burned him.

The irony hit me hard. He'd risked his life for her countless times, but after every reset, she forgot him all over again.

To Emily, Charles was just another acquaintance.

She lifted her skirt slightly and walked toward us, every step graceful.

"Charles," she said with a charming smile. "I've been waiting for you."

"Waiting for me?" Charles looked startled but thrilled, completely forgetting I was standing beside him.

Emily's voice dropped to a whisper. "Last night... I had a dream. My heart was failing, and you came to save me."

Charles' expression changed in a flash, his excitement hard to hide. "You really dreamed that?"

Before she could answer, the chandelier above us came crashing down without warning.

Emily and I were directly beneath it.

Just moments ago, Charles had sworn he'd protect me. But when it mattered, his instincts kicked in. He grabbed Emily and pulled her to safety.

I was a second too late.

Screams erupted as the chandelier slammed into my leg.

"Host! You were supposed to save the supporting female character, not screw up again," the Rescue System shrieked. "How many times do I have to say it? Emily won't die!"

Pain shot through me like fire, blinding me white. Through the haze, I saw Charles gently comforting a trembling Emily.

I managed a bitter smile before the world went dark.

When I came to, I was in a hospital bed.

Two nurses were tending to my leg, whispering as they worked. "Ouch, that's a nasty cut. She'll have a scar for sure," one remarked.

"Wasn't Mr. Reed supposed to be crazy about Ms. Grant? Why'd he go save someone else?" the other asked.

"Who knows? Ms. Lane's fine, and Mr. Hart's right by her side. Meanwhile, poor Ms. Grant got left behind," said the first nurse.

They walked out still gossiping, and as the anesthesia faded, the pain hit hard enough to make me break into a cold sweat.

After what felt like forever, Charles finally walked in.

"Soph, does it hurt a lot?" he asked, eyes full of guilt when he saw how pale I was. "This is my fault. I only had time to pull Em away. You got hurt because of me."

The Rescue System sneered, "Well, looks like the supporting female character was lucky. She dodged death again. Otherwise, you'd be done for good."

Lucky? Not a chance. The second that chandelier fell, I'd moved on instinct. That was the only reason I survived.

After so many deaths, I'd stopped believing in Charles a long time ago.

"Enough," Charles snapped at the Rescue System. "Soph's just a little hurt, but Em's traumatized!"

Suddenly, my strength left me. Before I knew it, tears slipped down my cheeks. I knew I'd never be his first choice, but I still couldn't stop hoping, like a fool.

Charles wiped my tears and pulled me close. "I'm sorry. I'll take care of you from now on."

There was a rapid knock at the door—Emily stood in the doorway, looking a bit flustered.

Her face was flushed as she said, "Charles, I... just came to thank you."

Charles quickly released me and stood up. "E-Em!"

They stepped out into the hallway, but their hushed voices still floated back to me, every word crystal clear.

"You saved me again," Emily murmured. "If I count all the dreams where you saved me, that makes nine times."

Charles looked stunned. "Wait... You dreamed all that?"

Emily sounded a bit lost. "Yeah, I've had so many dreams about you saving me, I can't tell what's real anymore. And in my dreams, I never call you Charles. I call you Charlie."

Charles' voice trembled. "If you want, those dreams can be real. You can call me Charlie."

They were so wrapped up in each other, Charles didn't even notice my IV had run dry.

Gritting my teeth against the searing pain, I forced myself to sit up and reach for the call button.

But I slipped, and before I knew it, I tumbled right off the bed.

By the time the nurse rushed in, my freshly bandaged wound had split open again. Blood was everywhere, the sight of it raw and brutal.

Emily, trailing after Charles, took one look at all the blood and instantly fainted.

Charles didn't even hesitate. He scooped Emily into his arms, panic in his voice. "Nurse! Hurry! Em fainted!"

The nurse glanced over at me, clearly torn. "But Ms. Grant's injury is worse—"

"Get over here, now. Or I swear you'll be fired," Charles barked.

With no other option, the nurse rushed after Charles, abandoning me in my misery.

My heart felt just like my wound—split open again and again, bleeding until there was nothing left to heal.