Years Later, My Second-Chance Romance Novel Went Viral. The Male Lead Was Him.

Years Later, My Second-Chance Romance Novel Went Viral. The Male Lead Was Him.

At my new book launch, he sat in the audience as the lead investor.

His girlfriend smiled and said, We're getting engaged soon. I hope certain people don't flatter themselves.

The reporters didn't give up. Mr. Sterling, if you hate the author, why did you buy the copyright?

Noah Sterling didn't even glance at me, answering with cool indifference, "The plot is atrocious. I don't want to see it ever again."

"Did you hear? In the novel, the main characters didn't actually get back together. The female lead dumped the guy."

"Why?"

"Because he was broke."

"Later, when Noah became the heir to the Sterling family, she went crawling back to him, but he turned her down."

"How does she still have the nerve to write a book?"

The AC at the New York book launch was set to a freezing 64 degrees.

Insults and jeers from the readers echoed through the room.

I kept my head down, carefully signing my name on the title page of the hardcover books.

I wrote this novel the year I graduated from college.

I never expected it to blow up on Amazon.

The crazier the readers shipped the characters back then, the more viciously they cursed me now that my past with Noah Sterling had been dug up.

But I couldn't afford to be upset.

Even if I had to smile while being verbally abused, I had to finish this launch event.

Because it was what the investors demanded.

Noah was currently sitting in the audience.

Dressed in a tailored bespoke suit, he sat poised and composed, watching the girl next to him accept media interviews.

"We're getting engaged soon, so please, some people shouldn't flatter themselves."

The girl smiled sweetly.

"If someone ruined another person's entire life, it would be absurd to think they could just get back together."

I knew this girl.

Stella Montgomery, our college classmate.

Her family and the Sterlings were both old-money elites in New York, with ties going back generations.

Back in college when I was dating Noah, she went out of her way to be my best friend.

After graduation, we became strangers.

The reporter then handed the microphone to Noah.

"Mr. Sterling, rumor has it that the story between you and the author has gone viral online. How did you two break up back then?"

Noah didn't even look at me. "I suggest you ask the author."

That frigid, icy tone only further confirmed the rumors.

It confirmed that I had overestimated myself and abandoned Noah.

Laughter erupted all around me.

"Some say your first choice wasn't Wall Street, but rather going to MIT to become a physicist."

"Could you tell us why you came back to inherit the business empire instead?"

Noah's gaze pierced through the layers of people, staring at me expressionlessly for a moment.

Then, he looked away.

"I was young and didn't know what I wanted."

"Facts have proven that people should return to the social class and field where they belong."

"Instead of... compounding a mistake."

After finishing his sentence, he asked blankly, "What do you think, Miss Evans?"

Facing the cameras, my mind went completely blank.

Just as I was about to say something, Noah lowered his eyes and turned to converse with a Wall Street executive next to him, seemingly unconcerned with how I would answer.

The giant screen in the venue switched to an exclusive interview Noah had done previously.

"What was your reason for purchasing the film rights to this book?"

Noah's tone was cold. "The plot is atrocious. I never want to see it again."

I actually only found out today that Noah was my investor.

Very few fans showed up to the new book launch.

Instead, I received an industry blacklist order.

My website was about to take down the novel, and physical copies were being pulled from shelves.

"Lily, the Hollywood adaptation probably isn't going to happen."

After the launch event, my literary agent, Arthur, stopped me.

I stood by the door, feeling somewhat dazed.

His gaze fell on my ears, and he hesitated for a moment.

He asked, "Your... ears?"

I touched the hearing aids hidden beneath my hair, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Yeah... The doctor said there's a new experimental treatment at Johns Hopkins. I want to give it a try."

Over the past few years, my hearing had been deteriorating.

If I didn't stare at people's lips, I often couldn't decipher what they were saying at all.

The medical bills for the treatment would be 0-050,000. Without the advance royalties from this book, I couldn't possibly afford it.

Arthur sighed. "I'm sorry, I can't help you."

I knew he was in a tough spot too. We were just a small independent publisher, trying to make a living.

Who would have known we'd suddenly be targeted by major capital?

The work I wrote right after graduation a few years ago had been dug up and hyped into a viral sensation.

And I had been pushed into the eye of the storm.

"It's okay. I'll figure something else out."

He patted my shoulder.

Before he could finish speaking, someone suddenly bumped into me. I stumbled, and my hearing aid went flying.

"Oh, sorry about that..."

The UberEats delivery guy quickly disappeared into the elevator.

I crouched down and found my hearing aid cracked.

The ambient noise around me was suddenly muffled by a layer of fog, buzzing unintelligibly.

That was, until the light above my head was blocked out.

A pair of polished black dress shoes stopped in front of me.

I looked up.

Noah was in his sharp suit.

His gaze cut through the cool metallic frames of his glasses, scrutinizing me without an ounce of warmth.

His hand rested lightly on a stack of cargo boxes that had almost tipped over. His slightly furrowed brows revealed a hint of impatience.

"Are you deaf?"

I read his lips clearly.

I also saw a terrified delivery worker next to him, apologizing to me profusely.

It turned out I had crouched right in the middle of the hallway, blocking his path, and hadn't heard his warning.

He had been pushing a tall stack of boxes and couldn't see me.

Which was why I had almost been crushed.

"I'm sorry for the trouble."

I hurriedly hid the broken hearing aid in my purse, stood up, and apologized to the worker.

Noah withdrew his hand, and the boxes crashed down right next to my feet.

"This is my corporate building. I don't want any accidents happening here, that's all."

After saying that, he turned and walked away without looking back.

I had been busy all day and hadn't even eaten yet.

I received an iMessage from my best friend and briefly explained the situation to her.

"Stella is with Noah?!"

My best friend exploded the moment she saw my text.

"Does he know what kind of person Stella is? If she hadn't abandoned you back then, would you have ended up like this?"

I paused, then replied: "People naturally want to run when they encounter danger. You can't... blame others for that."

The weather in New York in June was always unpredictable.

A massive downpour started without warning.

Just across the street, a massive LED billboard in Times Square displayed the new Manhattan real estate project jointly invested in by the Sterling and Montgomery families.

It was in full swing.

I remembered the analysis I'd seen on Twitter.

Marriages between old-money families were historically unbreakable.

In the years since graduation, I occasionally heard news about Noah from old classmates.

Everyone used to think he came from a poor background.

He had excellent grades and even won first place in the National Science Bowl.

When we broke up, Noah was negotiating a full-ride scholarship to MIT.

But later, his grades suddenly plummeted.

He missed the Ivy League cut-off.

When he reappeared, it was as the heir to the Sterling empire, suddenly exposed to the media.

He was a completely different person.

Ruthless and decisive.

I knew who caused these changes.

Which was why I couldn't say a single word to offset the past.

Rain drifted under my umbrella with the wind.

My face and clothes were soaked.

I touched my ear, hailed a yellow cab on the side of the street, and went to find someone to repair my hearing aid.

Muffled thunder, like cotton-wrapped thuds, drifted into my ears.

Arthur was a good guy.

Unwilling to let my hard work go to waste, he pulled a lot of strings to connect me with an independent film studio.

They were willing to risk offending Noah to support me.

Arthur set up a dinner meeting.

If we struck a deal, I could get the check by next week.

Unfortunately, on the night of the meeting, he got stuck in Manhattan rush-hour traffic.

Leaving me sitting with a group of strangers in a VIP room at a high-end club.

To make matters worse, Stella was there too.

My hearing aid still hadn't been fixed, so all night long, I had to carefully watch people's lips to decipher what they were saying.

Stella crossed her legs, swirling her martini. "Gentlemen, please don't hold back with Miss Evans. She'd do absolutely anything for money."

A producer immediately chimed in, "Life is so hard, Miss Evans. Don't you want an easier way out?"

The remark drew a chorus of laughter.

I kept my head down, picked up my wine glass, took a small sip, and remained silent.

Arthur had gone to great lengths to arrange this meeting. His wife had just had a baby, their mortgage was high, and I couldn't bear to let his hard work go to waste.

As long as I waited for him to arrive, everything would be fine.

Who knew their comments would only get more outrageous.

"Spend the night with me, and I'll"

A figure suddenly wedged himself between me and the producer, blocking my view.

"You want her to spend the night doing what?"

I looked up to see Noah throwing an icy remark across the table.

Under the overhead lights, his features looked exceptionally cold and sharp.

Why was he here?

Stella's smile vanished as she stood up. "Noah, what are you doing here?"

The producer fell completely silent, forgetting how to even smile.

"Mr... Mr. Sterling..."

Noah grabbed my arm and started walking.

Before I could even react, I was dragged out of the room.

Stella's face flushed with anxiety as she called out, "Noah... don't be impulsive..."

Her voice was quickly left behind.

We walked unimpeded until I was thrown into the backseat of Noah's Maybach.

"How much do you want?"

The icy words hit my ears like blocks of ice.

The veins on the back of Noah's hand, gripping the leather seat, bulged, betraying his rage.

I stared at him blankly. "What?"

He laughed out of pure anger, pulled a Centurion Black Card from his suit pocket, and threw it in front of me.

"Tens of thousands? Hundreds of thousands? Millions? Swipe as much as you want. There's absolutely no need for you to go begging to other people like a dog."

My heart felt like it was being pricked by needles. I wanted to explain.

But how could I?

I was definitely desperate for money.

My life these past few years had ground away too much of my pride.

In this country, there is nothing more terrifying than medical bills and poverty.

"Didn't you want money?" Noah gritted his teeth. "Is my money too dirty for you?"

I picked up the black card, gripped it tightly, and futilely said:

"I'm borrowing a hundred and fifty thousand dollars. I'll pay you back."

I knew his black card held far more than 0-050,000; it was likely limitless.

Noah's face was stony. "Really? Remember your words."

"From now on, I expect to see money wired into my account every single month. If not, my legal team will contact you."

"So, you'd better not play hide-and-seek with me."

I clenched my jaw. "I'm not that kind of person."

"No?"

Noah pressed closer. "Lily Evans, you have a criminal record with me."

The words stuck in my throat.

I wanted to get out of the car, but Noah wouldn't move.

He leaned against the car door, cupped the side of my face with one hand, and forced me to look up.

Forcing me to meet his eyes.

"Now, let's discuss the price."

I was stunned. "What price?"

"Did you think I'd willingly let you use me again?"

His freezing fingertips traced my cheek like a ruthless blade of ice.

"Lily, you brought this on yourself. You didn't show a single ounce of mercy back then."

"So, strictly business"

Noah's final words were veiled in a layer of fog, pouring into my ears in a blurry hum.

"Sign the prenuptial and marriage agreements, and I'll give it to you."

The Maybach cruised silently down Fifth Avenue.

Noah didn't let me out of the car.

Because ten minutes ago, I had blurted out a lie on the spot.

"I'm getting married."

Noah's expression had turned exceedingly grim. He stared out the window at the gloomy sky without saying a word.

It took him a long time to finally ask, "To whom?"

I didn't catch it clearly, so I looked up and stared at his lips. "Hmm? What?"

Noah raised his eyes. "I asked you, who are you getting married to?"

I opened my mouth but couldn't formulate a coherent answer for a long time.

A seasoned Wall Street shark, Noah possessed a ruthless eye. He asked calmly and coldly, "Time? Location? Do our college alumni know?"

I couldn't answer a single one of those questions.

Noah's eyelids twitched. "Lily, to hide from me, you don't even bother rehearsing your lies?"

"It's none of your business."

"Sign this."

He suddenly tossed over a legal document.

Printed boldly on the letter-sized paper were the words "Marriage Agreement."

My heart tightened as I read the clauses below.

Did he... really not care?

Almost all the clauses were in my favor. I wouldn't even have to assume any marital debt.

"I'm sorry, I can't agree to this."

"Reason."

I pushed the contract back to him. "You and Stella"

Before I could finish, I saw a profoundly meaningful scrutiny on Noah's face.

"I thought you didn't care?"

"You disappeared completely all these years. Not a single word, not a single message on Twitter or Facebook to check up on me, right?"

"So who I get engaged to, or what I think, why does that matter to you?"

Actually, I really wanted to say that I had asked about him...

But explaining it now would just be futile.

Noah said, "Marrying Stella is the board of directors' decision. I have no personal relationship with her."

"Lily, think this through."

His gaze was piercing. "Marry me, and you'll get everything you want."

"Including hitting the New York Times Best Seller list, getting your novel adapted in Hollywood, and"

"Money."

At that moment, I finally understood why Noah had blacklisted me.

When someone is pushed into a corner, they're easier to control.

He had always been a successful hunter.

He simply wanted to force me out of hiding.

"But what do you want to get out of this?"

"You."

Noah's tone was detached.

"Don't imagine the days ahead will be wonderful."

"The pain I experienced, I will return to you exactly as it was."

Actually, I had no reason to refuse.

I desperately needed the money for my medical bills.

I was willing to do it.