The Glitch in Her Heart

The moment I won her over—the moment I finally conquered the heart of that dark, damaged girl—I chose to leave the world for good.

I didn’t hesitate for a second, not even when she begged me, her voice small and broken, to stay.

Life back in the real world was… not good. I was drowning. So when the System found me again, offering five million dollars to go back into the book and win her over one more time, I was ready to say yes.

But just as the word formed on my lips, a shimmering text feed flickered across my vision, like a phantom television crawl.

> OMG, the Ex is back.

> LMAO, does she seriously think the heroine is still in love with her?

> The second Strategist not only got the heroine’s darkness rating down to negative one hundred, he voluntarily stayed. Gave her a real home.

> The happy couple is about to get married. Can the Ex please have some shame and not bother them?

1

It took me a long moment to process it.

The Ex they were talking about… was me.

Beside me, the System was still buzzing, giving me the hard sell. “All you have to do is make Aria Sterling fall in love with you one more time, and you get five million dollars. Even if you fail, you get fifty thousand for your trouble. How about it? It’s a great deal.”

It was a great deal. And right now, I desperately needed the money.

But the words from the feed echoed in my head.

I was silent for a moment, then told the System I needed to think about it.

So, it sent me back into the book first. To be precise, it sent me back to the home Aria and I once shared.

The small, sub-one-thousand-square-foot apartment was old but cozy, exactly as it had been three years ago.

Aria hadn't moved a single one of my things.

Even the silk blouse I’d accidentally stained just before I left… it was hanging in the closet, perfectly clean. I remembered that blouse. It was from Theory, a brand that was everywhere at the time. When Aria had secretly bought it for me, I’d gotten angry about the price, insisting we return it.

She never argued. She would just lower her gaze, those long lashes of hers casting shadows on her cheeks, and wait for my anger to cool. Then, in a soft voice, she’d coax me into trying it on.

I ran the smooth fabric between my fingers.

Took a deep breath.

If Aria had truly forgotten me…

Then why was this apartment still here, preserved like a museum?

I looked up again, my eyes scanning the small space. They snagged on a white piece of paper taped to the inside of the window.

Through the glass, I could make out a few large, hastily scrawled words.

FOR SALE. PRICE NEGOTIABLE. URGENT.

The strokes were sharp, decisive. It was Aria’s handwriting.

2

The text feed materialized in front of me again, a cascade of tiny, mocking words.

> Hahaha, the Ex is stunned. The heroine wasn't holding on to their past; she just hadn't gotten around to selling the place yet.

> The Ex really thought the heroine still loved her like before. Plot twist: with her new golden retriever boyfriend, the heroine won't even give her a second glance.

> The only reason the System brought her back is to create some drama for the main couple. The Ex is just here to humiliate herself.

I pressed my lips together.

So that was it.

The System was offering five million because it was certain I would fail. My real purpose wasn't to win Aria back; it was to be the villain, the obstacle thrown in the path of the main characters' love story.

It was buying my labor—my humiliation—for a measly fifty thousand.

Fifty grand.

A bitter laugh escaped me. To play the fool for fifty thousand dollars… it wasn’t nothing.

It was one week of ICU bills for—

I called out to the System and briskly accepted the deal.

The System, practically beaming, deposited a large sum of money into my account for expenses—usable only within the book, of course.

Since Aria was so eager to sell this place, I might as well be the one to buy it.

I held my phone, my fingers dialing a number that was still etched into my memory. It rang for a full thirty seconds before someone picked up.

A bright, boyish voice came through the line. "Hello?"

I froze for a second.

Glancing down, I confirmed it was Aria’s number.

"Hi, I was passing by and saw the for-sale sign in the window…"

"You want to buy the apartment?" the voice on the other end exclaimed with surprise. "That's great! It's about time someone took it."

I asked, cautiously, "Are you the owner?"

"I'm the owner's boyfriend. You can call me Leo."

So this was him. The second Strategist.

As I hesitated, a brief muffle of noise came from the other end, like two people whispering.

A long moment passed.

Then, someone else took the phone.

Aria’s cool, detached voice came through the line, crystal clear. "Hello. Is it convenient to meet and discuss this in person?"

3

I waited in the coffee shop, a low thrum of unease vibrating through me.

Finally, a sleek, understated luxury car—an Audi—purred to the curb. The doors opened, and a striking couple emerged.

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