Eavesdropping on My Fiances Secret System

My boyfriend has been acting incredibly strange lately.

It isnt just that hes been remarkably attentive in the bedroom every night. Its the way he looks at me when he thinks Im not watchinga gaze full of a dark, brooding resentment, as if hes mourning me while Im still standing right there.

I was beginning to think he was having some sort of mid-life crisis at thirty, until I heard the Voice.

I was lounging on the sofa, half-dreading the next page of my script, when a mechanical, digitized voice cut through the silence of the room. It was talking to him.

[Host, the female leads "First Great Love"the one who got awayis returning tomorrow. This isn't a drill. History is about to repeat itself.]

[This is a "Second Chance Romance" story. You? Youre just the placeholder. The cannon fodder. The guy who keeps the seat warm until the hero comes home.]

[I know it hurts, but you have to accept reality. You aren't the man she loves. You're just the man shes with.]

[Walk away now. If you leave today, you can at least keep your dignity.]

I froze. My heart hammered against my ribs. I looked around the penthouse, but Roman was in the kitchen. Then, his voice drifted through the doorwaylow, cold, and dripping with a quiet, terrifying malice.

"So what?" he whispered, his voice like a blade dragged over ice.

"I don't care if the glass is shattered. I don't care about their 'history.' If shes going to be whole again, Im the only one who gets to glue the pieces back together."

The sound of his voiceand that other voicewas so sudden I jumped, the heavy script slipping from my hands and smacking me right in the face.

I scrambled into a sitting position, eyes darting around. The room was empty. Just me and the mid-afternoon sun filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

But the conversation hadn't stopped.

[How do you not get it? She doesn't love you, Roman!]The Voice sounded frustrated now, like a glitchy Siri with an attitude.[She only agreed to the engagement because of the family merger. It was a business deal for her.]

Romans response was a bored, indifferent hum. "Mhm. Tell me something I dont know."

The System: [...]

[Sebastian is coming back specifically to win her back. Youre the obstacle in a best-seller, Roman. Give it up while youre ahead.]

[Lest you forget, they only broke up because of you in the first place! If she ever finds out what you did, do you really think shell stay? The 'Main Character Energy' is with him. You cant fight the narrative.]

There was a long, suffocating silence. Then, Romans voice came back, freezing the air in my lungs.

"Then let's see the narrative try to stop me."

...

From the fragments of that bizarre exchange, a localized reality began to settle in my mind.

I was living in a trope. My life was a "Second Chance" novel.

I was the Leading Lady, destined to reunite with my tragic ex. And my current fianc, Roman Blackwood? He was just the guy in the way. The temporary fix.

I wanted to hear more, to understand how I was hearing a 'System' inside Romans head, but the bathroom door swung open.

I turned and collided with Romans sharp, piercing gaze.

Steam still clung to his skin, making his features look even more severe, more angular. His silk robe was tied loosely, droplets of water tracing the hard lines of his chest and disappearing into the shadows of his abdomen.

We had been togetherintimatelymany times since the engagement. But every time he looked at me like this, my face still burned.

I quickly looked away, my pulse tripping.

And then, that electronic buzz returned.

[See? Total lack of interest. She won't even look at you.]

The temperature in the room plummeted. I could feel Romans eyes on the back of my head, a gaze so intense it felt like it could pierce skin.

[Our heroine is a one-man woman, Roman. You could stand in front of her completely naked and shed still be thinking about the guy who left.]

I: ...

Excuse me? I wasn't being a saint; Id looked, Id touched, and Id definitely enjoyed it.

[I don't know where you get the audacity. Once Sebastian shows up, youre getting the pink slip. Just watch.]

I felt like I was sitting on a bed of nails. The script in my lap felt like a hot coal. I couldn't stand the tension, so I forced myself to turn back and look at him.

I searched my brain for somethinganythingto say.

"Um... do you want me to dry your hair?"

Before Roman could even open his mouth, the System shrieked in my ear.

[Are you kidding me?! Is this how you treat her? Like shes your maid?]

[Where is your sense of service? Being near her is a privilege, you arrogant prick!]

[When Sebastian was around, she never had to lift a finger. He used to peel her shrimp for her, for god's sake!]

[Just step down, Roman. Make way for the real couple.]

I was genuinely floored. Id known Roman for years, and he was usually the one doing the chewing out. Id never heard anyoneor any thingspeak to him with such utter contempt.

Romans expression didn't flicker. His lips didn't move. But his internal retort echoed in my skull with its usual mocking bite:

"She hates shrimp. Your 'hero' didn't even know that."

The System paused, then sputtered: [Impossible! She always looked happy when he did it!]

"Idiot."

I wasn't sure who he was calling an idiotthe System or the ex.

While I was lost in a daze, Roman had walked over to me. He took the hairdryer from my hand and said in a clipped, neutral tone: "I have some files to go over. Go to sleep first."

He turned toward the study.

The System started up again, relentless.

[Look at you. You know she likes the 'Golden Boy' typewarm, sunny, gentle. And here you are, acting like a human ice cube.]

[No wonder youve been pining for eight years and haven't made a dent. You're a fraud. I despise you!]

Eight years?

Finding out my life was a plot point in a commercial novel was surreal enough.

Finding out that Roman Blackwood had been secretly in love with me for eight years? That was bordering on the impossible.

Im two years older than Roman. If the System was right, hed been pining for me since he was eighteen.

But we barely had a history before the merger. Wed seen each other at galas, traded maybe ten sentences in a decade. Even when our families brought up the alliance, I wasn't the first choice.

The offer was originally for my younger sister, Beatrice. She was his age, the "perfect" socialite, the polished heir. But Beatrice had thrown a fit, refusing to be "sold off," and so the burden fell to methe quiet daughter who lived in scripts and film sets.

I had always assumed I was the consolation prize. The runner-up.

When Roman suggested we skip the wedding for a while and just stay engaged to "get to know each other," I didn't object. For eighteen months, wed gone through the motions of a modern power couple. Our bodies were intimately acquainted, but our hearts remained at a polite, lukewarm distance.

Roman was cold. He didn't laugh. He barely talked.

And his temper? It was legendary.

Shortly after the engagement, my father sent me to his office to deliver some papers. Id stopped outside his door, paralyzed by the sound of him obliterating his senior staff.

"Is this a report or a ransom note? The only thing correct in this entire pile is the page numbers."

"Does your job description involve anything other than keeping your chair warm?"

"I don't pay you this much to see how smooth you can keep your cerebral cortex."

The employees had filed out looking like theyd been through a war zone. It terrified me. From that day on, I made sure never to poke the bear. I stayed out of his way, handled my own problems, and tried to be the "low-maintenance" fiance.

It had worked. Hed never yelled at me. But he certainly didn't seem like a man in love.

Maybe the System was glitching. Or maybe I was just hallucinating from the stress of my upcoming shoot. Yes, I told myself, pulling the duvet over my head. A good night's sleep and the voices will disappear.

I was wrong.

The next morning, I was jolted awake by a digitized snark-fest.

[Youve been staring at her for thirty minutes. Are you trying to be late for work?]

Romans voice was lazy, heavy with morning grit. "Im the boss."

The System went silent for a beat.

[God, I hate the 1%. I really do.]

[So what if youre the boss? She still doesn't love you. Hehehe...]

This time, it was Roman who fell silent.

"If you can't say something useful, go bark at a wall."

The System: [...]

[So mean. No wonder she's indifferent.]

I used every ounce of my acting training to pretend I was still asleep. It was the performance of my life.

By the time I finally "woke up," Roman had already made breakfast.

Exactly one portion.

He sat there, eating a few bites, then habitually pushed the rest toward me.

[Aha! I knew it! You only make one portion so you can have the 'honor' of eating her leftovers!]

[Youre a sick, twisted second-lead, aren't you? This is your kink!]

Roman bit into his toast. "If youre that bored, go lick a frozen pole."

The System: [...]

I choked on my water, coughing violently. Roman was up in a second, his hand firm but surprisingly gentle as he patted my back.

"Slow down," he said, his voice as calm as a deep lake. "No ones taking it from you."

My face flushed a deep crimson.

At the start of our engagement, he did make two portions. But as an actress, I was constantly on a strict diet for roles, and I could never finish. Eventually, he started making one "mega-plate"nutrient-dense, beautifully plated. Id eat what I needed, and hed finish the rest so nothing went to waste.

Id always thought it was just practical. Now, thanks to the System, it felt intimate. Charged.

After breakfast, my assistant, Jade, arrived to take me to the studio. I had a cover shoot for a major fashion magazinea long-scheduled event.

I certainly didn't expect to run into my ex, Sebastian Hart.

He wasn't the broke, struggling musician Id dated years ago. He was a global icon now. He was wearing a vintage leather jacket, his dark hair swept back, his eyes sharper, harder than I remembered.

For a second, I didn't recognize the man who had once written songs for me in a cramped studio apartment.

Then he spoke, and the years melted away. "Nora. It's been a long time."

Remembering what the System said about "Second Chance Romances," I felt a spike of anxiety. I nodded with cold professionalism.

"Sebastian. Good to see you."

His smile faltered. His eyes darkened with a familiar, wounded look.

I had no intention of catching up, so I tried to walk past him. But he wasn't having it. He caught my wrist, his grip firm.

"Nora, please. Don't talk to me like Im a stranger."

I frowned, trying to pull away. "Let go, Sebastian."

He was stubborn. He always had been. "We need to talk. Five minutes."

"There's nothing to say. Let go."

[Oh my god! Touching already? The plot is moving so fast!]The Voice was practically squealing.[Thats my hero! So much more chemistry than the Ice King!]

I stiffened.

A second later, a voice like a sub-zero wind echoed down the hallway.

"She told you to let go. Are you deaf, or just stupid?"

Roman was standing at the end of the corridor in a charcoal suit, looking like hed stepped out of a nightmare.

While Sebastian was distracted, I yanked my arm free and practically ran to Romans side.

Only when I reached him did I realize his gaze was fixed entirely on Sebastian. Their eyes met, and the air between them practically hummed with lethal intent.

The System was vibrating with excitement.

[YES! The 'Aggressive Competition' trope! Fight for her! Tear each other apart! I live for this!]

[The hero has arrived! Time for the redemption arc!]

[Wait look at her wrist. Its red. Sebastian, you brute, youre losing points for being too rough!]

Roman looked down, his eyes landing on my wrist where Sebastian had gripped me. He reached out, his thumb grazing the reddened skin with a touch so light it was almost a ghost.

When he looked back at Sebastian, his voice was terrifyingly calm.

"Mr. Hart. I realize youve been out of the country, but let me refresh you on the local customs."

"In this city, grabbing my fiance like that is considered harassment. With the right lawyer, its a quick way to spend five to ten days in a cell."

He hit the word fiance with the weight of a sledgehammer.

Sebastians face paled for a fraction of a second, but he recovered with a smug, easy grin. He stepped closer, acting as if they were just chatting over drinks.

"Congratulations are in order then, Mr. Blackwood."

"But an engagement is just a promise, isn't it? Its not a contract."

"And even contracts can be voided. People change their minds every day. Don't you think?"

The air turned to lead. I stared at Sebastian, shocked by his blatant audacity.

The System was pouring gas on the fire.

[The reunion! From this moment on, the countdown to the 'Broken Mirror Reunited' begins!]

[True love never truly dies. Even if they strayed, theyre destined to find their way back.]

[You can use a ring to tie her down, Roman, but you cant make her love you.]

[Look at Sebastian declaring war for love! So dreamy!]

Romans face was turning a shade of pale that usually preceded someone getting firedor worse. I stepped in before he could do something wed both regret.

"My fianc and I are very happy, Sebastian. You don't need to concern yourself with my life."

I grabbed Romans hand and pulled him toward the exit.

We got to the car in silence. Roman gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles white.

"What are you doing here?" I asked softly.

He stared straight ahead. "I was in the neighborhood. Thought Id check in."

The System chimed in gloomily:

['In the neighborhood' my ass. You heard they were meeting and you cancelled three board meetings to fly down here in a panic.]

[Youre such a fraud, Roman. An insecure, villainous fraud.]

[Look at you. Your heart is probably in eighty-eight pieces right now. Sucks to be the second lead, doesn't it?]

I swallowed hard and tried to explain. "I didn't know he was going to be at the shoot. Theres nothing between us, Roman."

Roman turned his head. His expression had returned to its usual, unreadable mask of stone.

"I know."

"Hes the past. The past doesn't matter."

After a short break, I was scheduled for a cameo in a new indie film. It was supposed to be a low-key ten-day shoot.

The night before I was set to start, I got word that one of the leads had been dropped due to a scandal. His replacement? Sebastian Hart.

Given his current superstar status, a role this small was beneath him. The only reason hed take it was to be near me.

I really didn't understand the "System's" obsession with us getting back together. Based on what I knew about myself, I wasn't the type to look back. If a mirror breaks, you don't try to glue it back together and risk cutting your hands; you buy a new one.

I hesitated, wondering if I should tell Roman.

He noticed my hesitation immediately. He set down his tablet and looked at me. "Something on your mind?"

I told him about the casting change.

He looked at me for a long beat. "And?"

I blinked. "Does it bother you?"

Roman was quiet for a moment. "A little."

"But Im not going to sabotage your career because of a man. Im not going to ask you to quit just to make myself feel secure."

His eyes were incredibly sincere.

It reminded me of a time early in our engagement. I was filming in a remote mountain range when a flash flood hit. The signals were down, the roads were washed out. I still don't know how he did it, but Roman found me.

I remember the sound of the helicopters cutting through the storm. Roman had stepped out into the biting wind, his dark coat whipping around him. He looked like a solid, immovable mountain in the middle of the chaos.

That image had stayed with me for a long time.

He had always respected my work. Even when my own father tried to force me to "retire" and become a full-time socialite after the engagement, Roman had been the one to shut him down. He was the one who adjusted his schedule to visit me on set, even if it meant working through the night on his private jet.

My heart swelled with a sudden, sharp heat.

I was about to say somethingmaybe something bravewhen the System piped up.

[Exactly! Love should be loud! Tell her how you feel, you idiot!]

[Wait hang on. Youre the villain. Why am I starting to root for you? No, focus! Team Sebastian!]

Roman: "..."

I bit my lip to keep from laughing and hurried out of the room.

On set, I was a ghost. I spent every second glued to Jade, terrified Sebastian would corner me again.

But it didn't happen. We were both busy, our schedules barely overlapping.

Instead, Romans "casual" visits became strangely frequent. Five times in one week.

Every time, his excuse was the same: "I had a meeting nearby."

The System was a relentless fact-checker.

[Nearby? You went from New York to LA via a 'stopover' in Seattle? Thats some creative geography, Roman.]

[Just admit you want to be her backpack. Youre obsessed. Its pathetic.]

Roman: ...

The last time he came, however, he actually was on his way to Australia and had a layover in the city. Hed brought me some of my favorite takeout.

I was stuck in a scene and couldn't get back to the hotel. I was planning to call him during the break, but Jade sent me a video first.

It was filmed from a hidden angle in the hotel lobby.

Roman and Sebastian were standing face-to-face.

Roman was in his usual armora bespoke suit, back straight as a spear. Sebastian was still in his costumea period piecelooking every bit the dashing hero.

Sebastian spoke first.

"Youre here a lot, Roman. What are you so afraid of?"

Roman smileda thin, dangerous thing.

"They say you only need to guard against thieves, not gentlemen. What does that tell you?"

Sebastian didn't flinch. Hed clearly grown a thicker skin during his years abroad.

"Ive heard youre good with words, Roman. Im not here to play games."

He took a step forward, closing the gap.

"Years ago, one word from you ruined three years of my life. I was nobody then. I had to take it."

"But Im standing here now to tell you: its a fair fight now. And Im going to win."

The lobby lights were warm, but the atmosphere in the video was freezing. Roman, holding a thermal bag of food, didn't even blink.

"A 'fair fight' with a ghost? Youre a memory, Sebastian. Nothing more."

Sebastians eyes flashed. "A memory? If shes really over me, why was she so desperate to push me away the other day? You know the truth, Roman. She never loved you. She loved the version of herself she was with me."

Roman didn't move. But I could see his knuckles whitening around the handle of the bag.

When he spoke, his voice was as steady as a heartbeat.

"So what?"

"She is my fiance now."

"I am the first person she sees when she wakes up, and the last person she sees before she sleeps."

"She eats the food I cook. She wears the rings I buy. She lives in the life we built."

"And you? Youre just a guy she used to know."

Sebastians mask slipped. The smugness vanished, replaced by a raw, suppressed rage.

"If you were that confident, you wouldn't be hovering over her like a vulture," Sebastian hissed. "You just caught her at a weak moment. I beat you once, and Ill beat you again."

Roman actually laughed. It was a soft, pitying sound.

"I don't view her as a prize to be won, Sebastian. She isn't a trophy. She isn't a 'win.'"

With that, he walked right past a stunned Sebastian and out of the frame.

The video ended. My phone was vibrating with a million exclamation points from Jade.

JADE: IS THIS REAL LIFE? THE TENSION! THE DRAMA!

JADE: Roman is a KING. That 'So what?' gave me chills! Im officially a stan.

JADE: But waitwhat did Sebastian mean about Roman ruining his life for three years? What happened?