The Sixty-Minute Altar: Kissing His Best Friend to Survive

I targeted the wrong man.

By the time I discovered the truth, I was already standing at the altar, about to marry Gavin Sterling.

Inside the bridal suite, a girl was wearing my custom wedding dress, preening in front of the mirror.

Gavin, she purred, her voice dripping with sweet poison. Do I look beautiful in her dress?

Gavins voice was low, raspy. "Hideous."

"If its so hideous, why do you look at me likeah"

Her words were instantly shattered into breathless gasps.

Today was supposed to be my wedding day.

But the moment his toxic childhood friend, Scarlett Rose, heard the news, she flew back across the Atlantic overnight.

Now, she was curled into Gavins arms, explicitly planning to ruin my wedding.

A suffocating chill washed over my entire body.

If this wedding fell through, my mission would be marked as an absolute failure. And the penalty for failure was immediate system elimination.

Inside the room, Scarlett was panting, her voice laced with triumphant arrogance. "See? You still love me."

Gavins face was dark, but his hands didn't stop. "Don't flatter yourself."

Scarlett began to cry, her tears sounding practiced and delicate. "Gavin, please. Don't marry that pathetic clinger. Run away with me. Leave her at the altar."

"Beg me."

"I am begging you. Please."

Gavin leaned down and covered her mouth with his.

The pain in my chest was so sharp I could barely draw breath.

I raised my hand, fully prepared to push the door open and unleash hell.

But right then, the Systemwhich had been radio silent for monthssuddenly screamed inside my brain.

AAAAAHHHHHHHH!

I flinched so hard I nearly dropped my bouquet.

The Systems voice was pure, unadulterated panic. Host! Wipe your tears right now! You spent the last six months simping for the wrong guy!!!! The mission deadline is expiring in an hour, oh my god, oh my god...

It felt like a bolt of lightning struck my spine. "The... the wrong guy?!"

The System wept inside my head. We glitched! Your actual romantic target isn't Gavin Sterlingits his best friend, Adrian Belmont... You have exactly sixty minutes left before permanent deletion.

My legs turned to jelly. Black spots danced across my vision.

I nearly fainted right there on the pristine marble floor.

For the past half-year, I had played the role of Gavin's devoted, submissive doormat perfectly.

I was at his beck and call, enduring his cold shoulder, swallowing my pride. All of it, just to get him to lead me down the aisle and complete the mission.

And now you're telling me I barked up the wrong tree?

I had one hour. Where on earth was I supposed to find Adrian Belmont and convince him to marry me?

I might as well just lie down and wait for death.

"What do I do?" I asked, my soul completely leaving my body.

The System's voice was weak, running on fumes. Physical intimacy extends the mission countdown! The higher the level of intimacy, the more time we buy. My official recommendation: skip the talking and go straight for a forced kiss!

The survival instinct is a powerful thing. I instantly surged back to life, lifting the heavy layers of my satin gown with pure survival fury. "Where is he?!"

The ceremony entrance! Right now!

A few minutes later, I was standing at the end of the aisle.

Gavin stood across from me, looking completely detached. My eyes were brimming with tears, threatening to spill over.

But I wasn't crying for him. I was crying because if I couldn't get my lips on Adrian Belmont within the next few minutes, I was a dead woman.

Gavin looked down at me, his expression flat and unbothered.

"Elena," he murmured, his voice lacking any real warmth. "You're finally marrying me. Aren't you excited?"

He was baiting me. He was clearly anticipating the look on my face when he publicly jilted me for Scarlett in front of hundreds of high-society guests.

But I didn't have the time or the energy to give a damn about his ego.

The Systems countdown was echoing frantically in my skull.

Host! Adrian Belmont has just entered the building! Counting down from ten, nine, eight...

I slowly gathered the train of my wedding dress, crouching slightly into a runner's stance.

The minister beamed, his voice booming through the microphone. "Do you, Gavin Sterling, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to cherish and to hold, for as long as you both shall live?"

Down in the front row, Scarlett sat with a flushed, ecstatic face, waiting for the climax.

Gavin lifted his microphone, the corner of his lips curling into a cruel, mocking smirk. "I do no"

HOST, CHARGE!!!!!!!!!!

Before the word could leave his mouth, under the collective gaze of the entire venue, my expression turned feral.

I bolted.

I launched myself forward like a literal missile, tearing down the aisle with an aggressive velocity that left a trail of white tulle in my wake.

The guests' jaws dropped in unison.

The heavy double doors of the chapel slammed open. I locked eyes with a tall, imposing man who had just stepped inside, grabbed him by the lapels of his midnight-black tuxedo, and dragged him fiercely out into the blinding sunlight.

Behind us, Gavin and the minister stood frozen at the altar, looking utterly stupid.

A long, agonizing silence descended upon the chapel.

Finally, the ministers voice cracked through the speakers, completely breaking protocol as he turned to look at the groom.

"Did the... did the bride just leave you at the altar? Like, she ran away from you?"

Inside the dim, cramped janitor's closet, Adrian Belmont was leaning lazily against the wall.

His crisp white shirt was completely disheveled.

He radiated the dark, messy beauty of a man who had just been thoroughly ravaged.

"Done kissing me?"

Adrians tone was smooth, dripping with an indifferent, dangerous amusement. It was as if he didn't care in the slightest that a crazed bride had just violently stolen his virtue in a broom closet.

The System exhaled a massive sigh of relief. Whew! The forced kiss worked! Congratulations, Host, you have successfully bought us an extra thirty minutes of survival time.

Honestly, it would be way faster if you just slept with him. One night with a guy like him could buy us days.

A fierce, passionate kiss only bought me thirty minutes?

As expected of Adrian Belmont. The most notoriously difficult man to deal with in the entire city.

As the youngest billionaire heir to the Belmont empire, Adrian was known for being unpredictable, ruthless, and terrifyingly cold. People usually cleared the room the moment he walked in.

Who would ever dare to seduce a man like him?

The System's digital interface suddenly warped, aggressively flashing a banned adult romance novel across my mental screen titled The Cruel Billionaire's Captive Submissive.

Host, trust me! Copy the plot directly. You will break him in no time!

A few minutes later, I found myself wearing a crimson, thigh-slit silk slip dresscourtesy of a quick emergency changesitting directly on Adrian's lap, my face burning with embarrassment.

My pale skin formed a stark, scandalous contrast against the dark fabric of his tailored suit trousers.

The System whispered in my head, Wow, this book plays dirty. You've had a rough day, Host. Keep it up.

My day wasn't just rough. It was cursed.

I pinched my own thigh to force out a wave of tears, looking up at him with wide, trembling eyes. "Adrian... if I told you that Ive actually loved you all along, and that I only used your best friend to get closer to you, would you believe me?"

The bright afternoon sun filtered through the small closet window, casting a warm glow over my bare shoulders. Adrian narrowed his eyes, the dark depths of his pupils clouding with a dangerous intensity.

"You little sociopath," he murmured, his deep, velvety voice making my knees go weak. "Are you addicted to playing games?"

Suddenly, Gavins furious, booming voice echoed from the courtyard outside the window.

"Search every inch of this property! When you find Elena Lockhart, I am going to personally break her legs!"

Adrian tilted his head down, his gaze raking over the shredded remains of my wedding dress discarded on the floor. A mocking, dark smirk played on his lips.

"Sit closer, sweetheart."

The System suddenly shrieked: Host! If Gavin catches you cheating on him right now, your survival time will be severely penalized and deducted!!!!

Panic seized me. I immediately tried to scramble off his lap to lock the door.

But Adrian's large hand suddenly clamped around my waist, violently pulling me back against his chest.

The crisp, intoxicating scent of winter mint instantly flooded my senses. He smelled so clean. So entirely untouchable.

Adrian's fingers slid slowly down the curve of my waist, giving me a sharp, firm squeeze.

I couldn't help ita soft, breathless gasp escaped my lips.

In the exact same second, the closet door was violently rattled, and the window blinds were kicked open from the outside.

The bright sunlight poured in.

A rolling rack of heavy coats partially obscured Adrians upper body. But Gavin, peering through the glass, saw me perfectly.

He saw me flushed, breathless, and straddling a pair of long legs clad in an expensive black suit, my face twisted in utter panic.

The System wailed, Survival time is dropping rapidly! Counting down from ten, nine...

Oh my god, Host, stop kissing him! Seduce him! Strip him! Its faster!

In a frantic bid to survive, my hands flew to Adrian's waist, desperately trying to unbuckle his leather belt.

The next second, Gavins primal roar rattled the entire courtyard.

"Elena Lockhart, take your hands off him right now!"

"If you and that bastard walk out of this estate with your limbs intact today, I'll change my damn name!"

Adrian remained entirely unbothered. He reached up, casually stroking the back of my hair.

"Put your hands behind your back," he whispered.

"What?"

Outside, a massive crowd of wedding guests and relatives was rapidly gathering to witness the scandal.

Adrian calmly unknotted his silk tie, wrapping it firmly around my wrists until they were bound together. He flashed me a terrifyingly handsome, gentle smile.

"Didn't you say you wanted to sleep with me?"

"Where's all that energy gone? How are you going to ravage me in front of an audience if you're unpinned?"

Wait a minute...

The crowd outside... did he call them over?!

My hard-earned survival time was ticking down at an alarming rate. Bound and helpless, tears of sheer frustration finally leaked from my eyes. "Untie me!" I sobbed. "I can't save myself if you keep playing around!"

The amused, mocking look on Adrian's face vanished instantly.

He lifted an eyebrow, his eyes darkening to a frosty chill. "You really want this?"

"Do I look like I'm joking?!"

Under the absolute terror of impending death, my body went entirely limp, and I collapsed sobbing into Adrian's chest.

This was likely the first time in Adrian Belmont's life that a woman had wept inconsolably simply because she couldn't strip him fast enough.

The shouting outside grew louder as the crowd breached the hallway.

Suddenly, a heavy black suit jacket was thrown over my head, completely enveloping my body from view right before the lock clicked.

The lethal countdown abruptly halted.

Adrian let out a dark, raspy chuckle beneath the fabric. "Crying like you've been diagnosed with a terminal illness. You're pathetic, Elena."

Right before Gavin could smash the door open, Adrian scooped me up into his arms. He carried me through a back exit, navigating a labyrinth of wardrobe racks, and threw me straight into the back seat of his armored Maybach.

Inside the car, I was still reeling from the adrenaline, weeping and trembling into the leather seats.

Adrian sat beside me, his expression dark and unreadable. "What are you still crying for? Just because you didn't get to sleep with me?"

I nodded aggressively, latching onto his torso like an absolute parasite, silently watching my digital survival timer slowly crawl back into the safe zone as our proximity remained locked.

Adrians face twisted into an expression of cold disgust, and he turned to look out the window, completely ignoring my clinginess.

The car smoothly glided into a ultra-exclusive gated estate.

"Get out," Adrian commanded coldly.

"Aren't you coming?"

"I have a corporate empire to run."

If he left, I was dead meat.

The System started buzzing frantically in my ear again. Host! Kiss him until we're maxed out!!! I don't want to be wiped from the server!

I cautiously crept across the leather seats, cornering him. "Can I... can I please kiss you again?"

Adrian didn't say a word. He just stared at my wet, tear-stained eyelashes with an intense, unblinking gaze. After what felt like an eternity, his large hand clamped around my jaw, tilting my head up as he permitted me to shamelessly claim his lips once more.

His mouth was incredibly cool.

The rough pad of his thumb stroked the delicate skin of my throat, sending an electric, intoxicating jolt straight down my spine. It felt entirely too good.

Suddenly, a violent knock shattered the intimacy.

I snapped my eyes open and looked out the tinted window. Gavins furious, enlarged face was pressed flat against the glass. I shrieked in terror, my heart nearly stopping.

"You've got to be kidding me"

Host! Maintain the innocent sweetheart persona! Do not break character!

I quickly clamped my hands over my mouth and dove directly under the dashboard, hiding beneath Adrians long legs, staring up at him with begging, desperate eyes.

Fortunately, the heavy tint kept the interior completely invisible from the outside.

Gavins face remained pressed to the glass, his voice muffled but sharp as he continued to knock. "Man, open up. I need a favor."

Adrian looked down at me hiding between his knees, a dangerous glimmer in his eyes. He pressed his palm firmly onto the top of my head, pushing me down further. "Stay down, sweetheart. Lower, or he'll see you."

Due to this incredibly scandalous posture, the intoxicating scent of winter mint radiating from him became completely overwhelming.

Adrian rolled the window down a tiny fraction of an inch.

"What is it?" Adrian asked, his tone flat and icy.

"Elena ran away from the altar."

Adrian raised an eyebrow, a subtle, dark amusement playing on his features. "Oh? Then she really is... actively seeking death."

Gavin pulled out a cigarette, his hands shaking with rage as he lit it. "Do me a favor. A guy carried her out through the back exit. I know your security detail handles that perimeter, so they must have caught it on camera. Help me trace the license plate. Im going to ruin him."

In my sudden spike of nerves, my head accidentally bumped hard against a very sensitive area between his thighs.

Adrian let out a sharp, low hiss. He narrowed his eyes, looking down at me with a dangerous, hooded gaze. "Careful, sweetheart. Are you trying to ruin me too?"

I clamped my mouth shut, not daring to make a sound.

Gavin, hearing the muffled rustle, tried to peer deeper through the tiny gap in the window. He froze, his eyes widening slightly.

"Since when do you keep a girl in your car? She looks incredibly flexible."

"Just started seeing her," Adrian replied smoothly, his voice deep and steady. "She tends to bite."

Gavin narrowed his eyes, practically trying to squeeze his head through the crack. "She looks soft. Why don't you introduce her to your boys?"

As he spoke, Gavin reached down to yank the door handle.

The automatic locks clicked shut instantly, courtesy of the driver.

Adrian smiled, a cold, humorless expression. "Shes timid. Easily frightened. Maybe next time."

With that, under Gavin's deeply suspicious glare, Adrian rolled the window all the way up, blocking him out entirely. He reached down and pulled me up by my chin.

He noticed that my red lipstick was now completely smeared across the fabric of his dark suit trousers.

With agonizing patience, his thumb brushed against my lips, wiping away the smudged makeup. "Look at that. Your ex-fianc is suddenly getting very interested in you again."

"Which means... I have no choice but to lock you away where no one can find you."

"Adrian Belmont is a literal psychopath."

I lay spread-eagled across Adrians massive King-sized bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

The psycho had locked me inside his private estate and vanished into thin air.

In his place, his executive secretary arrived with a small army of delivery drivers, loading the walk-in closet with luxury goods. Silk nightgowns, designer shoes, and high-end handbags filled the space.

The System was eating up the drama. Wow, Host, his keeping-a-mistress ritual is incredibly fancy.

But was I short on cash? No!

I was short on skinship!

Adrian was playing a dangerous game of cat and mouseletting me see him, but keeping himself entirely out of reach.

Watching my survival timer slowly deplete to critical levels, I paced the room like a caged animal.

Host, look out the window! There's a high-society gala happening at the estate clubhouse down the road. Adrian is attending right now. If we sneak out, we can intercept him before the timer hits zero.

So, I broke out.

The second my feet hit the perimeter, the estates advanced security grid began to wail like a banshee.

A moment later, my phone vibrated with a call from an unknown number.

I picked it up, only to hear Adrian's cool, amused voice on the other end. "Sweetheart, is this how you show your devotion? You better pray I don't catch you."

I aggressively hung up the phone.

Staring at the digital overlay showing exactly ten minutes left of my life, I ran faster, sprinting toward the grand ballroom.

The gala was packed with elites.

I pushed through the crowd, looking frantically for that familiar tall silhouette. But before I could find him, a violent grip caught the back of my hair, slamming me hard against the neoclassical stone wall.

A sharp, white-hot pain shot from the back of my skull straight down my spine.

I groaned, my teeth grinding together from the agony.

"Elena. Where have you been hiding these past few days?"

Gavin Sterling stepped out from the shadows, his face twisted into a dark, venomous scowl.

My breath caught in my throat, every muscle in my body locking tight. If Gavin and Adrian ended up in the same room right now, the sheer narrative chaos would obliterate me.

"Gavin," I whispered, trying to keep my voice steady. "Let go of me."

"Let you go? So you can run back to whatever bastard you've been sleeping with?"

His grip tightened, viciously ripping at my hair. "Tell me his name, Elena."

"I need to teach him a lesson. I need him to know that you don't just pick up the trash I throw away."

I had almost forgotten what an absolute monster Gavin was.

Whenever Scarlett ignored his texts, Gavin would use me as a literal proxy. He used to force me to go on extreme diets, ordering me to lose weight until I was as fragile and frail as Scarlett.

But the moment Scarlett threw him a bone, hed find my presence offensive, ordering me to gain weight because he couldn't stand me looking like her. Half a year of his psychological torture had left me with chronic stomach ulcers and a broken constitution.

"System, can I please call him a worthless piece of shit?"

The System sighed. Your character template is the Innocent Sweetheart. You cannot break character or break the rules of engagement.

As I was struggling to breathe beneath his chokehold, Scarlett emerged from the VIP lounge.

She clamped her manicured hands over her mouth, her eyes instantly brimming with dramatic tears. "Gavin... why are you letting her filthy hands touch your suit?"

Gavins head snapped around, panic flashing across his features the moment he saw her.

"Scarlett, it's not what it looks like"

"You liar!" Scarlett sobbed, her voice echoing through the corridor. "Don't touch me! You've been near her... you smell disgusting!"

Taking advantage of his distraction, I wrenched myself free from his grip and bolted down the long hallway.

But Scarlett suddenly extended her designer heel, tripping me up. I lost my balance, smashing into a rolling cart of champagne towers, crashing heavily onto the marble floor.

Shard of broken glass sliced deep into my palms.

Scarlett continued to wail at the top of her lungs.

Gavin rushed over, pulling her into his arms before executing a vicious kick straight into my ribs. "Hey! You made my girl cry. Apologize to her right now."

I gritted my teeth, staring at the flashing red countdown: Ten minutes remaining. The primitive urge to survive forced me to start crawling forward through the glass.

A flash of pure malice crossed Scarlett's eyes, and she raised her sharp, stiletto heel, aiming it directly at my bleeding hand.

In a blind panic, I grabbed a jagged shard of green glass from the floor and drove it violently into her ankle.

A blood-curdling shriek pierced the air.

Instantly, a cold, mechanical voice echoed in my mind: CRITICAL VIOLATION: Host has assaulted a core narrative NPC. Deducting five minutes from survival time.

It was the Chief Arbitratorthe supreme system code that governed all sub-servers. Its rulings were absolute and unappealable.

The timer over my head instantly slashed in half.

The System screamed in terror, Host! Adrian Belmont is right ahead! Forget everything else and get to him!

I forced myself up, dripping blood as I pushed open the grand double doors of the ballroom.

There, surrounded by a massive entourage of older executives, Adrian Belmont was walking slowly down the main corridor.

Host! Drag him away from Gavin's line of sight! Sleep with him right now!

That was exactly my plan.

Adrian paused, murmuring something to his secretary before turning his dark eyes directly toward me.

My face was deathly pale, my heart hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird. I bolted down the side corridor, looking for any empty room to commit the crime.

Adrians lazy, deep voice drifted from behind me. "Elena, don't tell me you broke out of my house just to turn yourself into a bleeding mess."

His stride was massive; one of his steps easily matched three of mine. He followed behind me with a slow, predatory leisure, like a wolf letting its prey run itself ragged.

The ticking countdown in my head felt like a heavy iron bell shattering my nerves.

Seeing me speed up in a frenzy, Adrians voice dropped into a dark, dangerous octave.

"Keep running if you think youre fast enough. But if I catch you, you already know what the punishment is."

At the end of the hall, I spotted an open conference room.

The timer was flashing its final seconds.

I abruptly whirled around, and before Adrian could even react, I grabbed him by his tie and violently dragged him into the room.

I slammed him hard into the leather sofa, threw myself over him, and began to kiss him with a feral, manic desperation.

The bleeding countdown instantly froze, slowly creeping back up.

Adrians entire body went rigid. The cold, murderous arrogance in his eyes slowly dissolved into utter bewilderment.

His lips were completely occupied by mine, rendering him speechless.

His massive hand slid down my bare back, grabbing my collar and firmly pulling me back an inch to force some space between us.

His handsome face was dark with irritation. "Elena Lockhart, take a breath"

"Shut up! Just let me kiss you!"

Like a starving animal, I threw myself back over him, biting, bruising, and shamelessly devouring his lips. The scent of winter mint mixed with the rich, expensive aroma of aged whiskey, completely intoxicating me.

But it wasn't fast enough. The timer was rising too slowly.

Breathless and completely out of my mind, I yanked at Adrians silk tie. "Adrian, lets sleep together. Right now. On this couch."

It turns out that when faced with literal annihilation, human beings completely lose all sanity.

I was so consumed by survival that I failed to notice a glaring detail.

We weren't alone. Far from it.

"P-please... unhand our Chief Executive Officer!"

A trembling, elderly voice echoed from the dark corner of the room.

I froze, slowly turning my head.

Sixteen elderly, high-ranking board members of the Belmont Group were sitting around the mahogany conference table, staring in absolute, petrified silence at my handswhich were currently unbuckling Adrian's belt.

The silence was deafening.

Adrian suddenly let out a low, deeply wicked laugh.

"Congratulations, sweetheart. You just told my entire Board of Directors that you're going to ravage me."