Chapter 1
Michael Hawthorne had been in a coma for ten years. I sat beside his bed all that time, letting my own youth slip away while I waited for him to wake up.
On the day he finally opened his eyes, I learned he had called in a secretary to arrange a share transfer. Hidden behind a folding screen, I listened as Michael, eerily calm, announced his decision.
"All my company shares shall be inherited, without condition, by Jessica Monroe and her son, Lucas Monroe," he declared.
His former flame Jessica stood by the bed, a little boy beside her, tears running down her face.
I stood clutching the doctor's report, my eyes stinging, as I watched that intimate "family" of three.
Nothing was more hollow than a heart that had given up.
I gathered my courage and asked the system, "What penalty will I face if I abandon the quest now?"
A casual voice replied, "Oh, I forgot to mention: if the mission fails, the one who gets erased is Michael."
*****
I stood at the door of the VIP ward, clutching the thin notification of his awakening. The door was half open.
The man who'd been asleep for ten years was now sitting up in bed.
His face was pale, but his eyes were clear and sharp, carrying an icy, commanding look. Gone was any sign of him being a vegetable.
Jessica clung to his hand.
The little boy, probably five or six, chubby-cheeked and full of energy, was sprawled across Michael's lap, calling out, "Daddy."
Michael reached out and ruffled the boy's hair. His movements were a bit stiff, but there was a gentle warmth in his touch.
That was the scene I'd imagined countless times in the dead of night during those ten years he was in a coma.
But the woman in that picture wasn't me. And the child wasn't mine.
A lawyer stood nearby, respectfully taking down notes.
Michael's voice was steady, still a bit hoarse from his long illness, but every word was sharp as a blade. "All thirty percent of my shares in Hawthorne Group are to be transferred to Jessica.
"And change the beneficiary of my three properties and those two trust funds to Lucas. Get it done right away."
The lawyer hesitated, glancing instinctively toward the door.
"Mr. Hawthorne, shouldn't we inform Mrs. Hawthorne? After all, she's been running the company and taking care of you for the past ten years," the lawyer said.
Michael's brows knitted together.
At the mention of "Mrs. Hawthorne," a flicker of irritation flashed in Michael's eyes.
"I was in a coma, not dead. I give my stuff to whoever I damn well please," Michael said, his tone icy.
"As for her..." He paused, his tone almost dismissive, as if he was doing me a favor. "Give her a check for 1.5 million dollars. That's her fee for ten years as a caretaker.
"She's sticking around the Hawthorne family. Everyone knows what she's really here for. Give her the money, and she'll know when to quit."
Jessica wiped her tears and leaned against his shoulder, looking utterly fragile. "Michael, don't be like this. Charlotte has been through so much these ten years. If it wasn't for me and Lucas, she wouldn't have stuck around."
Michael patted her hand, his gaze softening. "Jessica, you're too kind. If she hadn't wormed her way in when I was vulnerable, she never would've set foot in the Hawthorne family. Now that I'm awake, it's time to put everything back in order."
Standing outside the door, I felt my blood run cold.
Ten years, over three thousand days. To conquer this man and to finish the system's mission, I'd waited on him like a live-in nurse, taking care of his every need, day in and day out.
To keep his company afloat, I spent countless sleepless nights dealing with those cunning old men, drinking with them until my stomach bled.
From wiping his body and turning him over, my hands had become rough and calloused, like the hands of a forty-year-old housewife.
In the end, I was only worth 1.5 million dollars, and now I was being branded a gold-digger.
So this was what it felt like when all hope was gone. This was how the mission ended.
The progress bar had been stuck at 99% for ten years. I thought that once he woke up, everything would finally be complete. But now, I realize it was nothing but a cruel joke.
I took a deep breath and called out to the system that had been pretending to be dead for ages.
"System, if I give up on the mission and terminate it now, what kind of punishment will I get?" I asked.
My voice was so calm that it was almost chilling. I was already prepared to be erased.
Honestly, I'd rather be wiped out than keep watching those two shameless lovers flaunt their happiness right in front of me.
The system's lazy voice, crackling with static, echoed in my mind. [Give up on the mission? Are you sure about that, Host?]
"Yeah, I mean it," I said, watching that picture-perfect family in the ward, a bitter smile tugging at my lips. "I'm tired. I'm done playing this game."
The system went quiet for a few seconds. Then, its lazy voice came back, sounding almost smug. [Oh, I forgot to tell you. Since you've done an outstanding job these past ten years, and your target has some major moral issues, the rules have changed.
[From now on, if you fail or give up, you won't get punished.]
I was stunned for a second. "So what about the erasure thing?"
The system yawned. [Oh, that? If the mission fails, the one who gets erased is Michael.
[After all, he's the one who wasted your ten years, and that means he squandered my premium energy. Ever heard of the law of conservation of energy?]
I snapped my head up, staring at that arrogant man in the ward.
The world that had been nothing but gray suddenly blazed with light, like the flames in hell.