Chapter 1
The icy mechanical voice of the system rang in my mind.
"Emily, splash it on him, with the red wine in your hand. Right in front of everyone. Ruin his reputation."
My knuckles whitened around the stem of the wineglass, tendons taut and bones almost creaking.
Across the room stood Alex Carter—Westbridge University's golden boy, cool and untouchable, a god among men, haloed by admirers.
And I was the villainess about to drag him down from his pedestal.
*****
"Mission: Humiliate Alex Carter. Method: Splash red wine in his face. Reward: Three extra days of life. Penalty for failure: Immediate termination."
The system's icy voice echoed in my mind like a death sentence on repeat.
My heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might burst out of my throat.
Sweat soaked my back, and the expensive dress clung to my skin, cold and sticky.
Termination? Kidding me? I just wanted to stay alive—I was literally a wage slave!
My name was Emily Grant. Three minutes ago, I was just a corporate drone, lying in bed binge-reading novels. In the blink of an eye, I got sucked into this old-school romance called "The CEO's Pure Ideal," and now I'm the villainess with the same name.
My job, according to the system, was to keep digging my own grave—hurting, humiliating, and betraying Alex, the male lead, until he finally threw me in jail and my life ended in misery.
All so he and Sophie, the heroine, could have their picture-perfect love story.
Right now, we were at the first big plot twist: Alex just scored the Morning Star Award, the top honor in the field, thanks to his revolutionary AI research.
At the celebration party, Emily Grant—the villainess who pined for Alex but could never win his heart—was driven by jealousy and resentment. She splashed red wine all over him in front of everyone, leaving him utterly disgraced.
And now, I had to recreate that moment.
I watched Alex's tall, striking figure from not far away, surrounded by industry big shots. His gaze was aloof, yet he was still the star of the show.
His face was even more stunning than the novel described: smooth skin, a high-bridged nose, and lips pressed in a slight line, giving him an aura that warned strangers to keep their distance.
Man, with a face this handsome, my conscience was going to kill me if I splashed wine on him.
"Warning! Detected host slacking—OOC alert triggered! Ten seconds before termination protocol initiates!"
A jolt of electricity raced through my limbs, making me jerk in agony. I nearly dropped the wine glass.
Shit, the system was serious.
"Ten. Nine..." The icy countdown began.
With no other choices, I took a deep breath, gripped the wine glass, and made my way toward him in my five-inch heels.
The air around me seemed to freeze. All eyes locked onto me.
Alex glanced over, his eyes emotionless—like an icy, bottomless abyss.
I walked right up to him, my heart thundering, ready to burst.
Sorry, handsome! I was being forced into this—blame the damn storyline, not me.
Three seconds left on the countdown.
Bracing myself, I shut my eyes tight and snapped my wrist forward.
The scarlet wine traced a dramatic arc through the air.
A collective gasp rippled through the crowd.
I didn't dare open my eyes—all I could hear was the system's icy voice in my ear.
"Mission complete. Assessing humiliation. Damage Points +10. Reward: Three days of life credited."
Relief washed over me, so intense my knees nearly buckled.
Finally, I survived.
But in the very next moment, the system chimed in again, its tone carrying a trace of confusion I almost missed.
"Warning. Warning. Target's emotions are acting strangely. Favorability... increased by 20 points?"