Chapter 1

After waking up from the car accident, I could see a death countdown right above everyone's head.

The hot dog vendor on the street had 30 years left, and my neighbor had 50.

But my billionaire fiancé, Wayne Todd, who had just proposed to me, had a glaring five seconds left.

I freaked out, pushed him aside, and yelled, "There's a bomb. Run!"

But nothing happened.

Five seconds went by. The timer hit zero, and then, just like that, it jumped right back to five seconds.

I didn't buy it. Every time I got close to him, the countdown would go haywire, ticking down like crazy.

Later, I realized that whenever he had murderous intent toward me, the countdown would drop.

But whenever he felt something for me, the countdown would go up.

To survive, I had to become a full-on flirting maniac, bombarding Wayne with corny lines, cringe-worthy compliments, and smothering him with hugs and kisses every day.

Until one day, the time above his head transformed into endless.

*****

"Natasha, are you done with your drama yet?" Wayne, my so-called fiancé, shot me a look like I was a total lunatic.

His stare was icy, cold enough to send shivers down my spine.

I couldn't blame him for looking at me like I was nuts.

Just a second ago, he was down on one knee, holding out a diamond ring the size of a pigeon egg, gazing at me with deep love.

In the blink of an eye, I went crazy, shoving him aside and dropping to the floor, sniffing around like a police dog on a mission.

"Don't move!" I barked at Wayne, my tone sharp and urgent.

"I'm searching for a bomb!" I yelled, crouching and sniffing around with the kind of intensity you'd expect from a freshly trained police dog.

Wayne's expression turned stormy, his chiseled, almost divine features shadowed with a cold, brooding gloom.

Behind him, his squad of bodyguards in black were barely holding back their snickers, shoulders twitching as they tried not to burst out laughing.

I couldn't be bothered with their ridicule. I had bigger things to worry about.

My eyes were locked onto the top of Wayne's head, fixated and unblinking.

That row of red numbers, as if dripping with blood, was all I could focus on. It was five seconds.

Five, four, three, two, one. And then, just like that, it snapped right back to five.

It was a perfectly timed, five-second loop, as if it were programmed into his life.

That was crazy.

Ever since I woke up from the car crash, I could see a death countdown right above every living creature's head.

The dog messing around by the curb had 12 years, three months, and five days over its head.

The sparrows chattering outside the window had two years, one month, and ten days above their heads.

Even the doctor who had just examined me had thirty-five years, six months, and twenty-one days clearly marked right above his head.

All of them were uncannily accurate.

But when it came to Wayne, the vibe totally changed.

Would Wayne really die in five seconds? I was not about to gamble with that.

What if this wasn't just a glitch, but some secret power he got?

Wayne's patience was gone.

He stood up, looming over me, his shadow swallowing me whole.

The tension in the air was almost unbearable.

"You've got three seconds to explain yourself," Wayne said, his voice cold as ice, stabbing into my ears like a shard.

My skin prickled with fear.

I looked up, and my gaze collided with his eyes, so dark and deep that it felt like I could get lost in them.

Right then, I saw it clear as day that the number above Wayne's head suddenly dropped.

It instantly shifted to three seconds.

My pupils dilated in disbelief.

Holy crap! He had murder in his eyes.

Wayne was really trying to off me.

Survival instinct took over, and I shot up from the floor like a rocket.

I launched myself at him, grabbing onto his leg without a second thought.

My cheek smushed right up against the pricey fabric of his suit pants.

Tears burst out of nowhere, streaming down my face.

I bawled, "Babe, I'm so sorry.

"I swear I didn't mean to push you. I just got way too excited. I was literally blinded by happiness.

"That ring is so bright. It dazzled me. I honestly thought it was the flash from a bomb going off."

As I wailed, I desperately tried to steal glances at the numbers above his head out of the corner of my eye.

It showed four seconds left.

It was working.

It went up a second.

My spirits soared, and I doubled down, rubbing my cheek against his pant leg like a needy kitten, letting out little whimpers.

I cried, "Babe, you're my light, my spark, my only miracle.

"I love you, like a mouse loves cheese."

It went up to five seconds.

It was back.

He was safe at last.

I went limp, like a puppet with its strings cut, my back drenched in cold sweat.

Wayne looked down at me, hanging onto his leg like a koala, his brows knitted so tightly.

"Natasha, did that car accident mess up your brain?" he said, his tone cold and impatient.

I clung to his leg, nodding frantically like a little chick pecking at grains.

I wailed, "I'm afraid so. The doctor said I've got this super rare disease. If I don't get my daily dose of cuddles, I'll drop dead.

"Babe, please, let me hug you, or I'll seriously die!"

I buried my face in his leg, my voice sweet and pitiful, with a crying tone.

Wayne's face twisted, as if he'd just swallowed a fly.

He didn't say a word for a whole ten seconds.

Those ten seconds dragged on forever. I stared at the timer above his head, barely breathing.

Five seconds, four seconds, five seconds... The numbers kept jumping around, but thankfully, they never dropped below three seconds again.