"System, I don't want to win over Leonard anymore," Thea called out to the system in her mind while wiping her tears.
The usual instant mechanical voice hesitated this time.
"Thea, unbinding will return him to who he was, and you'll also suffer heavy damage."
"That's fine." Thea's tone was firm. "As long as I'm breathing, I'm willing to pay any price to leave Leonard."
"Thea, wait. Let me think of a way," the system said.
The first time Thea met Leonard, both were at their lowest points.
After being brought back to the Storme family, she had a brief stretch of better days.
Her parents felt guilty that she had been kidnapped by a nanny and ended up in an orphanage. Even if they didn't love her deeply, they tried to make it up to her.
But Thea could clearly feel that her whole family favored Clara, the adopted daughter they raised themselves.
Clara's room was the biggest and brightest.
When she had a mild allergy, Thea wasn't allowed to stay on that floor because Clara said Thea smelled strange and made her sneeze.
Thea never thought to compete with her until Clara challenged her to a bet.
She claimed she could steal away Thea's most precious things—not just once, but nine times over.
If she succeeded, Thea had to leave the Storme family willingly. Otherwise, she'd only bring shame to herself.
Thea agreed because she wanted to know if her blood relatives really did not care about her at all.
The first time, Clara took Thea's spot at an international high school, even though Thea had worked hard to get in.
The second time, she took the cat Thea had raised for three years. After three months, she returned it cold and lifeless.
The third time, she stole Thea's first crush. He openly humiliated Thea, calling her a hick who couldn't compare to Clara.
But within a week, she dumped him.
Time after time, anything Thea cared about or liked was easily taken by Clara.
What was worse, Thea slowly realized that her family was growing colder toward her.
Her father told her, "You're the older sister. You need to yield to Clara."
Her mother pulled her aside one day. "Clara is adopted, so she has no sense of security. Don't always clash with her."
Jeremy was harsher. He locked Thea in the school warehouse overnight. "You think just because you're my real sister, you can steal Clara's things? Kids from orphanages really have no manners. You're nothing compared to Clara."
Every time Thea tried to defend herself, Clara's few tears stole everyone's attention.
By the ninth time, when Clara announced her intention to seize Thea's fiancé, she had already given up.
She packed her things, waiting for the bet to end so she could leave the Storme family.
It was at this time that she found Leonard in an alley.
He was lying in the rain with multiple bullet holes in his stomach. The torrent of blood he bled out stained the soles of her shoes crimson.
She wanted to run, but he grabbed her ankle. Yet, she didn't dare take a man like that to a hospital.
Just then, she heard the system's voice.
It said that if she could win Leonard's heart, not only could he be healed, but she could also get three wishes granted.
With that power, Leonard survived. His broken legs showed no sign of damage, and he became someone Thea couldn't let go of.
And so, Leonard replaced her original fiance and became Clara's new target.
That was their ninth bet.
As she stood in a standoff with Clara, Jeremy stood behind Clara, his chilling gaze wordlessly threatening her to surrender.
But in the silence, Leonard took Thea's hand and said, "Thea is the only one I love. I will only become a live-in son-in-law for her."
At that moment, Thea cried. She finally won once.
But when Clara agreed to marry into the Larkin family to bring them good luck, Thea's last hope was shattered.
She overheard Leonard casually order his men, "When the Larkins come to pick Clara up, tie Thea up and send her to the car. But keep my identity a secret. I'll tell Clara after she gives in to me."
One of his men asked, "What about Ms. Thea? You humbled yourself to join the Storme family as a live-in son-in-law for her sake. Are you really just going to leave her with the Larkin family?"
Leonard pondered briefly. "She's a compliant woman. I promised to treat her well. Let's do this. When the Larkins no longer care about her, find the right time to rescue her and lock her up in my villa in Northia. If she escapes, I'll break your legs."
As it turned out, the man she had saved was none other than the underworld's most enigmatic figure.
He was a big shot the Storme family dared not offend and the living nightmare she could never escape, even after marrying into the Larkin family.
Thea couldn't stand being tied to him through the system any longer.
Just when she was overcome by a cold emptiness, the system's mechanical voice sounded almost excited.
"Thea, I detected a better target. Dylan Larkin, heir to the Larkin family. He nearly sacrificed his life during a mission at the border and is now brain-dead. I can heal him. Once you win him over, you can also get your three wishes. So, what do you say? Want to take a gamble?"
Her heart skipped a beat.
Among all the system's words, the weight of "sacrifice" was clear.
She didn't hesitate long before replying, "Yes, change the target. Healing him might be far more valuable than saving Leonard."
