The Conquest System’s Deadliest Target

A new intern joined James's company last month.

Armed with a so-called System, she quickly wrapped everyone around me around her little finger.

My older brother turned into her loyal lapdog.

My in-laws basically adopted her as their own.

Even my husband, James, started taking her on secret business trips.

She stood in front of me, her lips curling into a sneer of pure disdain.

"Give it three months. James will divorce you for me. A useless woman like you deserves to be wiped out by the System."

She expected me to scream. She wanted jealousy, twisted rage, a desperate vow of revenge.

Instead, I slowly folded the terminal illness notification in my hand and tucked it away.

I looked at her, my eyes filled with nothing but genuine pity. "Run. This is your last chance."

James and I were childhood sweethearts. Our families had been close for three generations. We were each other's first loves.

Married for two years, we never had a single argument.

That was, until the new intern showed up at his corporate headquarters.

Lindsay.

The first time I saw her was at the cemetery on the outskirts of the city. She was young, dressed in a flowing white sundress, her hair tied in a simple ponytail. Her eyes were wide and innocent as she timidly hid behind my father.

My father led her to my mother's gravestone and offered a bouquet of white roses. His voice was heavy with grief.

"Sylvia, your mother has passed, and you've moved out to start your own family. The estate feels too empty. I've decided to bring Lindsay home to live with us."

I gave him a sharp, incredulous look. "You're a grown man, Dad. Have you not figured out how to sleep in an empty house yet? Mom hasn't even been gone a year, and you're already replacing her?"

My father faltered, his mouth opening and closing without a sound.

It was Lindsay who stepped forward.

"Sylvia, I am the illegitimate daughter of the Sinclair family. I know you look down on me. But we are all born equal. In the eyes of the law, we share the exact same inheritance rights."

I let out a dry laugh.

Before I could even formulate a reply, a strange, echoing voice filled my head.

[System, are you absolutely sure my identity as the illegitimate daughter is flawless?]

A robotic chime responded.

[Affirmative, Host. I have directly replicated the female lead's DNA. No matter what tests they run, you are a blood-relative of the Sinclair family.]

Lindsay's inner voice dripped with mockery. [Tsk. And here I thought her parents had this grand, epic romance. Turns out, all it takes is a single piece of paper from a DNA lab to make Arthur's affection for me skyrocket from zero to one hundred percent.]

The System replied. [Congratulations, Host! As long as you successfully conquer everyone close to the female lead, you will perfectly replace her.]

Female lead?

Me?

I kept my face completely blank, quietly lowering my gaze to the grass.

Lindsay's confident thoughts continued. [Aside from being born lucky, the female lead is utterly useless. Are you sure that once I replace her, everyone's memories of her will be completely erased?]

[Guaranteed. You have my word.]

Under the sleeve of my black coat, my thumb brushed against the plastic of my hospital wristband. My heart pounded a slow, heavy rhythm against my ribs.

Just then, Lindsay's gaze shifted to someone standing a few yards away. My older brother.

"He's my next target," she whispered under her breath.

[Host, scanning target Tristan. Current affection level is negative two hundred percent.]

A faint smile touched the corners of my mouth.

My brother was a man of rigid principles. An Ivy League law graduate with a moral compass made of iron. If there was one thing he despised, it was the exact kind of scandal Lindsay represented.

Later that evening, back at the Sinclair estate.

Lindsay immediately demanded my old bedroom. "Sylvia doesn't even live here anymore. It's a waste to leave it empty."

I flat-out refused.

We exchanged a few heated words at the top of the staircase. Suddenly, she threw herself backward, tumbling down the carpeted steps with a dramatic cry.

Tristan happened to be walking through the foyer. He paused, his cold, sharp eyes sweeping over her. A look of profound disgust crossed his face.

Lindsay scrambled to her feet, looking perfectly pathetic. A scrape on her forehead beaded with fresh, bright red blood.

She looked up at my father with tear-filled eyes. "I know Sylvia didn't push me on purpose. And I know I don't deserve such a beautiful room. It's just... before I found you, Dad, I spent nights sleeping in my car. I used to dream of having a real canopy bed of my own."

Tristan stared at her in dead silence for three agonizing seconds.

His lips barely moved. "Get lost."

The robotic voice chimed in my head again. [Host, Tristan's affection level has dropped by another one hundred points. Current level is negative three hundred percent.]

Lindsay bit her lip, her hands clenching into fists at her sides.

Her acting was incredibly sloppy. Did she really think she could fool a top-tier corporate litigator like my brother?

Tristan took the stairs two at a time and grabbed my hands. His brow furrowed in genuine concern.

"Sylvia, you look terrible. You're so pale. Is James not taking care of you? If that bastard is neglecting you, tell me right now. I'll break his jaw."

I gently shook my head. "James is in Paris on business. He won't be back until tonight."

Whenever James traveled, he called me at least ten times a day. If I took longer than five minutes to text back, he would panic. Just to make sure I got to eat the fresh croissants from my favorite bakery in Montmartre, he was flying back on his private jet tonight.

Night fell.

James's Maybach pulled up to the driveway of the Sinclair estate. The heavy door swung open, and he stepped out. His tailored suit clung perfectly to his frame, and the moment his eyes found me, a hopelessly indulgent smile broke across his handsome face.

Standing nearby, Lindsay was mentally screaming.

[System, is this the male lead?! He is gorgeous! He is exactly my type! I hate to admit it, but the female lead really hit the jackpot.]

[Do not underestimate the male lead, Host,] the System warned. [His mind is dark and incredibly complex. He is not what he seems.]

Lindsay scoffed internally. [What is there to be afraid of? Look at Sylvia. She's a spineless coward who doesn't even have the guts to tell her own husband she's dying. All I need to do is plant a tiny seed of misunderstanding, and they'll tear each other apart.]

James walked straight past her and stopped in front of me.

He handed me a beautifully wrapped bakery box. "Baby, the pastry isn't as warm as it was out of the oven. Promise me you'll come with me next time?"

Tristan glared at him from the porch. "Flying across the Atlantic just to drag my sister to your boring meetings? Leave her alone."

James ignored him, wrapping his arms securely around my waist. He ducked his head, burying his face in the crook of my neck, inhaling deeply.

He shot Tristan a provocative look over my shoulder. "I missed my wife. I can't sleep when she's not in my bed."

Tristan gritted his teeth, utterly helpless against James's shamelessness. He looked at me. "Don't listen to him, Sylvia. He's been clingy since he was ten years old. He has no boundaries."

James smirked. "Sylvia and I are actual family. You, brother-in-law, are just an extended relative at this point."

They had hated each other since childhood. Tristan guarded me from James like he was fending off a thief. On my wedding day, my tough, stoic brother locked himself in the bathroom and cried until he hyperventilated. He hated James even more after that.

I tugged on James's sleeve, silently pleading with him to dial it back.

But as I did, I noticed his eyes drift. He was looking at Lindsay.

Lindsay's inner voice shrieked with joy.

[System! He looked at me! Oh my god, those eyes could make anyone melt. Is he interested?!]

[Apologies, Host. Current scan shows the male lead's affection for you is negative one thousand percent.]

Lindsay refused to accept it. [But my DNA is identical to Sylvia's! I look at least seventy percent like her, and I'm younger. No man can resist a younger version of his first love!]

[Sylvia is only two years older than you,] the System stated flatly. Then, it hitched. [...Wait. Alert. The male lead's affection is rapidly rising. Negative eight hundred... negative five hundred... zero... positive one percent. Host, what did you just do? In less than a minute, his affection is in the green!]

Lindsay puffed her chest out with pride. [What's so surprising? I'm fresher, newer. They've been together for seven years and married for two. He's probably bored out of his mind by now.]

My fingers tightened around the bakery box.

James had only ever had eyes for me. He secretly bought a diamond ring when we were eighteen. The day we turned twenty-two, he practically dragged me to the courthouse to sign the marriage papers.

In the early days of our marriage, he was insatiable. Even if my fingers just accidentally brushed against his arm, his eyes would darken with a heat that made my breath catch.

But... it had been a long time since we shared a bed properly.

Three months? Maybe longer? I couldn't even remember.

I forced my heart to slow down and kept my voice perfectly casual. "Let's go home, James."

He took my hand, lacing his fingers through mine. As he did, his fingertips accidentally pressed against the plastic hospital band hidden beneath my cuff.

His entire body went rigid. His jaw tightened, but he didn't say a single word.

A week passed in quiet routine.

James was drowning in work. This time, his business trip was to London.

Before he left, dressed in a sleek charcoal suit, he pinned me against the wall in the entryway, kissing me breathless. He kissed me over and over, like he was afraid I would vanish.

"Be a good girl, Sylvia. Wait for me to come home."

I nodded, just like I always did.

He lingered, his voice dropping low. "If anyone upsets you, you tell me immediately. Understand?"

My fingers twitched.

I thought about the post Lindsay had uploaded to her social media a few days ago.

Just started my new job! My direct boss is painfully gorgeous. I want him so bad.

The photo attached was her new corporate badge. The department listed was the Executive Office of Kensington Holdings. In the blurry background of the photo, you could clearly make out James's broad shoulders as he stood looking out the floor-to-ceiling windows of his office.

James had never allowed female assistants in his inner circle before. He always said he hated the drama, hated the rumors, and mostly, hated having to coax me if I ever got the wrong idea.

I looked up at him. "Are you flying out alone this time?"

James gave a soft "Mm." Then he sighed, resting his forehead against mine. "Baby, you never come with me anymore. I wanted to take you to see the fireworks over the Thames."

I pinched his cheek gently. "Next time."

The moment his car pulled out of the driveway, I grabbed my keys and drove straight to the Sinclair estate.

I pushed the door to my old bedroom open. Everythingmy books, my clothes, my childhood memorieswas gone. Replaced by Lindsay's cheap perfumes and fast fashion.

I slowly turned to look at Tristan, who had followed me upstairs. I waited for an explanation.

Tristan looked incredibly guilty. He rubbed the back of his neck, refusing to meet my eyes.

"Sylvia, you hardly ever stay here anyway. Since Lindsay liked the room, I figured it was easier to just let her have it. She's a Sinclair, after all. She's spent years struggling out in the world... it's quite pitiful, really."

A hollow laugh escaped my lips. "Since when did you become the patron saint of charity, Tristan?"

He didn't have an answer.

Just then, Lindsay walked out of the guest bathroom. She was wearing a sharp pencil skirt and carrying a small designer suitcase.

I blocked her path. "Where are the things from my room?"

She looked at me and offered a sickeningly sweet, mocking smile. "The maids threw them in the storage room downstairs. Now move, please. I have a flight to catch for a business trip. We can't all sit around doing nothing like you."

Tristan stood right there. He watched my face carefully, evaluating my reaction. But he didn't say a single word in my defense.

The System's voice echoed in my mind. [Host, Tristan's affection level is now at one hundred percent. Congratulations, your progress is halfway complete! Once you conquer the Kensington family, you will successfully replace the female lead.]

After Lindsay left, I turned my gaze to my brother. "Did you know she got a job at Kensington Holdings? As James's personal assistant?"

Tristan walked over and reached out to pat my head, just like he used to do when we were kids.

"I pulled the strings to get her in, Sylvia. Kensington is a massive corporation. It's completely normal for them to have female employees. You need to be more generous. Stop being so paranoid. Look, if having her around bothers you, just tell me what you want. I'll buy you anything to make up for it."

My hands curled into tight fists, my nails biting into my palms.

The Tristan standing before mecompletely brainwashed by Lindsay's Systemwas a stranger. The betrayal settled in my bones like ice.

"And what if she wants to sleep with my husband?" I asked softly, a bitter smile on my lips. "What exactly are you going to buy me to make up for that?"

Tristan's face instantly darkened. His mouth pressed into a thin, hard line. After a long, tense silence, his voice turned uncompromising.

"You're overthinking this. James would never allow something like that to happen. Lindsay interning at Kensington Holdings was a family decision. It is not up for debate."

I was in a daze all the way to the hospital.

Dr. Aris stared at my lab results, his brow deeply furrowed.

"Sylvia, you need dialysis twice a week. You are constantly missing your appointments. This is your body, your life. How can you be so reckless? ...Are you even listening to me?"

I blinked, pulling myself back to reality. I offered him an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, Doctor. I know I'm making things difficult."

He let out a heavy, exhausted sigh. "Your file says you are married. Why does your husband never come with you? Where is your family? If we miraculously find a kidney match, we need a family member to sign the consent forms for the transplant."

I hadn't told a single soul that I was dying.

I only snuck into the hospital when James was out of town or buried in board meetings.

"I don't need a transplant," I said softly, but firmly. "Conservative treatment is fine."

He looked at me like I was insane. "Without a transplant, your life expectancy is three months. At most."

"I know."

I forced the corners of my mouth up into a smile. "I don't like taking things that belong to other people. Kidneys included."

The old doctor looked ready to throw his pen at me.

The truth was, I was just too tired to fight. My mother died on an operating table during a transplant due to severe organ rejection. I refused to let my final days be a mirror image of her suffering.

I had been agonizing over how to break the news to my family.

But now... it was fine. Lindsay had arrived.

Once her conquest was complete, the System would wipe me from existence. It would erase every trace of me from the minds of everyone I loved.

That was perfect. They wouldn't have to grieve.

I lay back in the chair as the dialysis machine began to hum. I stared out the window at the gray sky.

It suddenly occurred to me that James hadn't sent me a single text all day.

I unlocked my phone and opened my feed. Lindsay had just posted an update.

So clumsy! Sprained my ankle out here.

Attached was a photo taken inside a luxury private clinic. A man in a bespoke suit was kneeling in front of her, gently holding an ice pack against her bare ankle.