Chapter 1
In my previous life, I was a loyal, obedient pup.
I spent my whole life waiting for my owner, but he never came back.
Right before I died, I made a secret vow. If I ever found him again, I wouldn't be so forgiving and I would bite him hard the moment I saw him.
Then the system showed up. It told me that if I could redeem the brooding villain, Victor Payne, I would finally get my owner back.
It said in my mind, "Host, you're now a three-year-old girl. As per the storyline, your dad's the villain."
The villain was cold and merciless, never hesitating to deal with anyone who crossed him or tried to use him. They ended up as shark bait in the ocean.
But when it came to the heroine, Daisy Lane, he kept breaking his own rules for her, even going behind the scenes to help out the guy she had a crush on.
I couldn't take it anymore. Huffing and puffing, I grabbed my bowl and kicked open Victor's office door.
I said, "Hey, villain. Your pup has arrived.
"Come on, let's become the kings of this world together!"
*****
The system blared out a piercing alarm.
It said in my mind, "What nonsense are you talking about? Victor is the real villain. You're just a baby, a total runt. Figure out who you are already!"
I didn't bother listening to whatever the system was yapping about.
I was busy marking my territory all over the office with my dog bowl.
This was the start of my conquest of the world.
When my owner finally came back and saw how badass I was now, he would be shaking in his boots, regretting ever leaving me behind.
Just thinking about it made me cackle to myself.
Victor, sitting at the head of the room, frowned slightly.
"Looks like someone forgot to clean up; did a rat sneak in?" Victor said.
Victor's assistant, Simon Grant, forced himself to speak, "Mr. Payne, there's a grubby little kid out here who says she wants to be... uh, kids? With you."
Victor narrowed his eyes, his voice icy.
He asked, "You can't even stop a kid from barging in? Is this job too much for you?
"Get her out of my sight."
Simon hurriedly waved for the bodyguards to snatch me up.
I kicked and squirmed with all my puppy might.
"Ugh! Victor, you sneaky little punk, how dare you try to catch me?" I shouted.
Simon's face turned ghostly white.
He quickly slapped his hand over my mouth.
"Oh my god, please don't say crazy things," Simon said.
The system shrieked, "That's your dad. How can you just call him by his name?
"And you call yourself a good dog? More like a total rascal."
They just didn't understand me at all.
It was like the sun would never know what it was like to be the night.
Just as I was about to sink my teeth into someone, Victor's signature ringtone cut through the chaos.
His frown melted away in a flash, and suddenly his voice was all soft and warm.
He said, "Yeah, I'll be there soon.
"Relax, I've got everything handled for you."
He snatched up his car keys and strode out, a barely-there smirk flickering at the edge of his lips.
The system was practically wailing in despair.
It said, "We're doomed, you dumb mutt. I busted my circuits saving up enough points just to get you into Victor's office and let you meet him, but we totally showed up at the wrong time.
"Right now, Victor's so obsessed with Daisy. In three months, he's gonna go full dark mode and end it all, blowing his entire fortune just to make sure she and her boyfriend live happily ever after.
"If we don't stop him from heading straight for that tragic ending, we're screwed."
The system kept rambling on and on.
But all I really heard was that he was just going to give away what was supposed to be mine.
How did this big simp even qualify as a villain?
I slipped away like a stubborn fish, wriggling right out of the bodyguards' grasp, and clung to Victor's leg.
"You can't go. I'm your daughter. I came here to conquer the world with you!" I shouted.
Everyone fell silent.
The bodyguards chasing me froze in their tracks.
Right then, the call ended.
Victor's expression turned stormy, almost sinister.
He cast me a chilly glance over his shoulder.
He said, "Kid, I'm in a good mood today, so I won't bother asking how you got in.
"But if you try anything else, whoever's backing you won't have it so easy."
Backer? What backer?
I glanced over my shoulder.
There was no one behind me at all.
As I moved, Simon noticed a file slip out of my pocket and quickly picked it up.
He hesitated for a moment before handing it over to Victor.
"Mr. Payne, uh... maybe you should check this out," Simon said.
It was a DNA test. It confirmed I was Victor's kid.
Victor, who was always stone-faced, finally let his mask slip.