Orson froze for a moment, then waved his hand impatiently.
"Just have it altered. Willow's so slim—taking in the waist is nothing."
He shrugged. "Besides, you bought that dress with my money. I have every right to decide what happens to it."
I didn't get angry. I laughed.
"Your money?"
Back then, Orson Gilbert had been a nobody who couldn't afford his next meal.
I was the one who'd crossed over with the System. To save him, I'd poured every ounce of my fortune into him.
I was the one who'd built this empire beside him—sleeping in basements, surviving on instant noodles, pushing him step by step until he sat at the top.
And now he called it his money.
"Fine." I kept my voice light. "Since you think Willow absolutely must be saved, give it to her."
Orson exhaled, relief flooding his eyes.
"That's my girl. I knew you'd understand, Renata. You've always been the generous one."
"Once Willow completes her mission and breaks free from her system, everything will come back to you anyway."
In his arms, Willow turned her face toward me. Her smile was pure triumph.
I glanced at the System interface in my mind. The stripping protocol had reached five percent.
Enjoy your generosity while it lasts, Orson.
The next morning, my phone rang before dawn. The company.
Orson was calling an emergency board meeting.
By the time I reached the conference room, every seat was taken.
Orson sat at the head of the table. Willow was right beside him.
When I walked in, he gestured toward a chair near the far end.
"Sit."
I raised an eyebrow. That seat was usually reserved for the Vice President. As co-CEO, my place had always been next to his.
Now that spot belonged to Willow.
"I've called everyone here for an important announcement." Orson swept his gaze across the room, his tone brooking no argument.
"I've decided to transfer five percent of the shares under Renata Fox's name to Miss Willow Pruitt. Free of charge."
The room erupted.
Shareholders exchanged stunned glances. Whispers hissed between them.
"Five percent? That's worth billions!"
"Who even is this woman? What gives her the right?"
I sat back in my chair, spinning a pen between my fingers. Silent.
Right on cue, Willow rose to her feet. She bowed deeply to the room, her voice trembling.
"I'm so sorry, everyone. I don't want this either..."
"But if I don't accept these shares, my system will judge my mission a failure. It will punish me..."
Her body convulsed. She crumpled into Orson's arms like a broken doll.
Orson's face twisted with anguish. He stroked her back with one hand while his voice cracked like a whip across the room.
"Enough! What matters more—money or a life?"
"Willow is doing this to survive! Have you all gone so blind with greed you can't see that?"
The shareholders fell silent, stunned into submission.
One of them turned to me. "Ms. Fox, what do you..."
Orson's eyes cut to mine. The pressure in them was unmistakable.
"Renata. Say something."
"You know what Willow's going through. Consider this five percent a charitable donation."
"The company belongs to our family anyway—what difference does it make who holds the shares? Once Willow finishes her mission, she'll return them."
I studied him.
The same man who'd once sprinted across the entire city to save a few dollars on materials during our startup days.
Now, for the sake of a pathetic lie, he was ready to hand over billions without blinking.
I smiled and tossed my pen onto the table.
"Mr. Gilbert makes an excellent point."
"If this is truly a matter of life and death, we shouldn't waste another second."
"But shares alone?" I tilted my head. "That hardly seems enough. If this is a conquest mission, the System must value sincerity above all else."
