The Manual of Strategic Surrender

The eighth time I got dropped into a billionaire romance novel, the story was already halfway through.
I dutifully played my part as the villainous CEO’s fiancée—devoted, graceful, and oh-so-frugal.
But that son of a bitch's affection level for me was still stuck at a measly 20, right where it started.
To put that in perspective, a stray dog I’d pet on the street would probably hit an affinity level of 30.
If he wasn't going to give a damn, then neither was I. Screw it.

1
The eighth time I found myself in this world, the main plot was already in full swing. I was the long-suffering fiancée of the story's villain, playing the role of a perfect, penny-pinching partner. And yet, his affection level for me remained frozen at 20.
Honestly, a stray dog would like me more after a single pat.
"What do we do, Host? If we don't succeed soon, my performance bonus is going to get docked," the System’s tinny voice buzzed in my ear, grating on my last nerve.
"Let it get docked! Worst case, I'll cover it for you!"
I stormed down the stairs, my face a mask of ice, and nearly collided with the villain himself, Hans Thorne, who had just returned home.
His expression was dark, radiating a foul mood. Based on my last seven attempts, I knew this was the part of the story where the hero and heroine just got engaged.
I crossed my arms, a smirk playing on my lips. "Well, well, look at that thundercloud on your face, Mr. Thorne. Did the lovely Miss Meadows turn you down again?"
The moment the words left my mouth, Hans's glacial gaze snapped to me.
The System audibly gasped in my head. "Host, are you insane?! Our mission is to win him over, win him over!"
Win him over? My ass.
I rolled my eyes so hard I nearly saw my brain. Seven times. Seven goddamn times I’d thrown myself at this mission. The only thing I’d ever tried that hard for was my SATs.
So what if the mission fails? I wasn't desperate for the points. All the frustration I’d swallowed in the past seven lives? I was cashing it all in, right here, right now.
"Was I wrong?" I arched an eyebrow, dancing gleefully on the landmine of his ego. "You know, you're actually kind of pathetic, Mr. Thorne. You've been her backup option for years, and you still can't compete with the guy who just showed up out of nowhere."
Hans’s eyes grew colder, sharper. He strode towards me, his god-like handsome face etched with frost. Raw, murderous intent glittered in his dark eyes as he cornered me against the wall. "Diana Vance, what did you just say?"
"Are you deaf?" I shot back, raising my voice. "I said you're a simp! You've got a gorgeous, devoted, incredible fiancée right here, but you'd rather chase after another man's woman."
System: "Ping! Villain's affection level has increased by 5."
Me: "?"
Holy crap. Was this guy a masochist?

2
I took a moment for some serious self-reflection.
When I was nothing but sweet and accommodating, his affection level either stagnated or dropped. But the second I trash-talked him, it went up.
Could it be? Did Hans Thorne have a thing for this?
No, that couldn’t be right. The heroine, Erica Meadows, was the epitome of a gentle, innocent little flower.
Hans himself seemed stunned. He looked at me as if he couldn't comprehend how the woman who was always as placid as still water had suddenly turned into a raging storm.
I couldn't be bothered to explain. I shoved him aside. "From now on, Hans, you can go on being her pathetic simp, and I'll go on living my fabulous life."
I walked straight out of the Thorne mansion and hailed a cab to the most exclusive shopping district in the city.
In the car, the System asked timidly, "Host… are you trying a new strategy to win him over?"
I was silent for a few seconds. "Honestly? Do you really think that asshole is winnable? Can't we just switch targets?"
System: "Well, this one was always rated as high-difficulty. But don't worry, Host, our next mission is super easy!"
"Great," I muttered, rubbing my temples. The whole thing was just… exhausting. Imagine failing the same exam seven times in a row. You'd want to just walk out of the testing center too. Even with that tiny bump in his affection level, I had zero motivation to continue. Going from a zero to a five is still a spectacular fail.
Once I reached the mall, I picked the most expensive steakhouse I could find, filled my stomach, and then embarked on a shopping spree of epic proportions.
The heroine of this world was a poor, innocent girl who preached the virtues of frugality. To make Hans fall for me, I had forced myself to abandon my own heiress-level spending habits and mimic her.
But now, with Hans's no-limit black card in my hand, my steps felt light as air. Today, I'd start by casually blowing through a cool million.
To hell with being frugal. I was born to spend money.

3
Hans caught up with me after I finished watching a movie.
He practically threw me into his car, his face a grim mask. "What have you been doing all day?"
I flashed the new diamond ring and bracelet on my hand. "Didn't you get the text alerts? I've been shopping."
"Right. Diana Vance, you've got some nerve!" he seethed, his face darkening even further.
I nodded in agreement. I certainly did. It takes nerve to burn through a million dollars in a single afternoon. And damn, did it feel better than completing some stupid mission.
I held the black card out to him. "Here."
He didn't take it.
I waved it again. "Just so you know, I plan on doing this every day for the foreseeable future." The unspoken threat was clear: take it back, or prepare for an avalanche of transaction alerts.
But Hans remained motionless. "I'll have the alerts turned off."
That wasn't really the point, was it?
Well, if he wasn't taking it back, I was more than happy to keep using it. Spending someone else's money is a uniquely thrilling experience.
Hans just kept staring at me, his dark eyes cold and intense. I straightened my spine, ready for a fight.
Putting aside his personality, Hans Thorne was undeniably gorgeous, easily on par with the novel's hero. But to me, he was just an impossible test paper. And who falls in love with a test you can never, ever pass?
He was silent for so long my eyes started to burn from the staring contest.
"What are you looking at? Did you suddenly realize how devastatingly beautiful I am and fall head over heels?"
A muscle in Hans's jaw twitched. "Are you possessed?"
"Possessed my ass!" I shot back, then spotted a lively street food market nearby. "Stop the car!"
Hans got out with me. I picked a bustling barbecue joint and was about to sit when I noticed Hans’s gaze lock onto something, his eyes turning to ice.

4
The world really isn't fair.
A short distance away, the hero, Leo, had his arm wrapped around the heroine, Erica. They looked like a picture-perfect couple, basking in the glow of their love.
Then I looked at the villain beside me. His face was a thunderous mask of rage, looking like he was about to burn the whole world down.
I shrugged, casually twisting the knife in his heart. "Tsk, tsk. They look so perfect together, don't they? A match made in heaven."
Hans shot me a look that screamed, Shut your mouth.
I pressed on, relentless. "You know, Mr. Thorne, at this point, if you try to interfere, you’re not the other man. You’re the other woman."
"Diana, would it kill you to be quiet?" Hans’s voice was laced with venom.
I smiled sweetly. "Hans, would it kill you to not be in love with Erica Meadows?"
A complex emotion flickered across his face. He stared at me but said nothing more.
I ignored him, happily devouring a massive amount of barbecue before we got back in the car. Just as I was about to close the door, a soft voice called out from behind us.
"Hans? Can we talk?"

5
It was the heroine, Erica.
She looked as gentle and lovely as ever, her eyes holding a heartbreaking vulnerability.
I waved a hand dismissively and stepped aside, making myself scarce. I bought a boba tea and squatted under a streetlight, waiting.
The System piped up, disgusted by my lack of ambition. "Host, you can't just give up! We have to get back in the game!"
"Oh, System, just let it go," I sighed. "The sky is gonna rain, my mom’s gonna get married, and the villain is hopelessly in love with the heroine. What can I do?"
A shadow fell over me. I looked up.
Hans was standing there, his tall frame silhouetted against the light, his handsome features cast in sharp, unforgiving lines.
"You two done?" I asked, slowly getting to my feet. My legs had gone numb.
Hans grunted a soft, "Yeah."
Seeing him like that, I knew. Another rejection. For the Nth time.
A rare wave of pity washed over me. I patted his shoulder. "You know, sometimes in life, you just have to learn to let go. It makes sense she didn't choose you. I mean, who would choose a guy who's blind?"
Hans's mouth twitched. He roughly pulled me into the car. "Who are you calling blind?"
I rolled my eyes. "You, obviously. You have a woman this beautiful, this graceful, this perfect, and you don't even see her. If that's not blind, what is?"
System: "Ping! Villain's affection level has increased by 5."
Me: "…"
Son of a bitch. He really is a masochist.

6
Hans really must have gone blind.
He was scrutinizing me, his gaze intense, as if trying to see straight through to my soul.
I paid him no mind. As soon as we got back to the mansion, I started packing.
The System was practically vibrating with excitement. "Host, I get it now! This is reverse psychology! You're pulling back to draw him in!"
Reverse psychology my ass. I was genuinely done.
To solidify my new, checked-out lifestyle, I moved out of Hans's mansion. A million dollars doesn't last forever, but it’s more than enough to buy a nice condo.
Once I was settled in my fabulous new home, I sent a text to my best partner-in-crime in this world.
"Got any cute boy toys? Send a few my way."
Her reply came instantly: "Diana, are you possessed?"
"Possessed my ass. I've turned over a new leaf. Can't a girl start fresh?"
She was ecstatic. "Yes! Yes, you can! Welcome to the bad girls' club!"
She was fast. Within minutes, she'd sent me profiles for three different guys. I added them all. With my lightning-fast texting skills, juggling three conversations at once was a piece of cake.
That evening, Hans finally noticed I was gone. His call came through.
"Where are you?" His voice on the other end was as clipped and cold as ever.
I was in the middle of a DIY manicure, one hand elegantly poised. "I moved out," I replied cheerfully.
There was a two-second pause. "Diana, what the hell are you playing at?"
I smiled. "I already told you. We go our separate ways."
"Fine. Do whatever you want."
He hung up.
I admired my freshly painted nails and blew on them gently. To be honest, even though Hans eventually became the ultimate villain who destroyed the hero and took over half the corporate world, he had never treated me, his fiancée, poorly. Maybe it was guilt, maybe something else.
The next day, Hans showed up at Erica’s place, a pink gift box in hand.
And how did I know this with such certainty?
Because the condo I'd just bought was right next door to the heroine's.

7
I found the perfect vantage point.
From my balcony, I could see the coy reluctance on the heroine's face and the mole on the tip of Hans’s nose with crystal clarity.
"Hey, System," I mused, "how can a guy with a personality like Hans's be such a simp for the heroine?" It was a question that had always baffled me.
The System didn't know either. "Maybe… because she's the heroine?"
That was as logical an explanation as any. As the female lead, every important man was contractually obligated to fall for her, no questions asked.
I watched for a bit before heading back inside. I was about to crawl into bed for a glorious nap when a text from Hans came through.
Hans: "Open the door."
I shot up in bed like I'd been electrocuted.
Had he seen me earlier?
I peeked out from the balcony again. The yard next door was empty. I leaned over the railing, a position that gave me a clear view of the street below my building.
The moment I did, my eyes locked with a pair of intense, dark ones.
He was looking up at me, the afternoon sun casting a golden halo around him, making him look even more devastatingly handsome.
"Diana Vance. Come down and open the door."
I slipped on my slides and went downstairs to let him in.
He got straight to the point. "You used my card to buy a condo here?"
"Didn't you say I could spend it on whatever I wanted?" I shot back, completely unrepentant.
Hans's gaze swept across the first floor before settling on my face. "Why here?"
I paused for a few seconds, then asked him seriously, "Do you want the honest truth, or the real truth?"
Since it was his money, I figured I should at least pretend to care about the feelings of my sugar daddy.
Hans didn't hesitate. "The real truth."
"To get a front-row seat to watch you simp for another woman, of course."

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