Chapter 4

The live stream incident turned Leo and Tiffany into internet laughingstocks.

"The Multi-Million Dollar AA Man" and "Watch Girl" trended for a day.

Tiffany was relentlessly trolled online.

Her social media was flooded with mockery and curses.

She called Leo, crying, saying her company had terminated her contract, and her career was ruined.

Leo was heartbroken. He believed it was my fault.

That "damn System" of mine had ruined his persona and dragged his "most important" sister down.

He wanted to teach me a lesson. An unforgettable lesson.

I ran a small online store selling handmade accessories.

It was my passion project from college, my only emotional outlet and source of self-worth.

The store was on a niche online marketplace.

Leo teamed up with several venture capitalists to maliciously short the platform.

Three days later, the platform's servers, under an unprovoked attack, completely crashed.

All data was wiped clean.

My online store, overnight, vanished into thin air.

All my design drafts, customer data, order records, and years of hard work… all gone.

I stared at the 404 page on my computer, feeling utterly empty.

It wasn't just a store.

It was my only escape from a suffocating marriage.

My only way to prove my worth.

Now, it was destroyed by the very person I was closest to.

Leo came home, a look of vengeful pleasure on his face.

He tossed a news report about the platform's bankruptcy liquidation in front of me.

"Aurora, see that?"

"This is what happens when you cross me."

"I told you long ago, don't challenge my bottom line."

"Your pathetic little store means nothing to me."

He expected me to cry, to become hysterical.

But I didn't. I looked at him calmly, terrifyingly calmly.

My heart, in that moment, died completely.

My phone chimed, ill-timed.

[Ding! Detected partner Leo Sterling maliciously destroyed host's personal business, causing direct economic loss and emotional distress to host. Loss assessment in progress… Assessment complete. Totaling $200,000, factoring in store revenue, brand value, future earnings, and emotional damages. Account has been forcibly balanced, transferring $200,000 from Leo Sterling's account to your account.]

A bank deposit message followed immediately.

[Your bank account (ending in 6688) received a transfer of $200,000.00 on September 20th at 9:05 PM. Your current checking account balance is $231,265.00.]

Leo also received a deduction notification. He glanced at his phone, his smug expression instantly vanishing, replaced by furious rage.

"This damn thing again! Aurora! You freaking—"

His curses cut short. He saw my expression.

I looked at the $200,000 deposit notification, my heart utterly devoid of ripples.

What could money fix?

It couldn't fix the countless sleepless nights I poured into it.

It couldn't fix my shattered dreams.

It couldn't fix the dead stillness in my heart at this very moment.

Leo seemed to sense something was off. My calmness unnerved him more than any violent reaction could.

"You… what's with that expression?"

I didn't answer him.

My sole emotional anchor had been crushed by his own hand.

The last thread connecting me to him had completely snapped.

Just then, that cold mechanical voice in my mind rang out again.

Unlike any time before, this electronic voice seemed to carry a hint of… excitement?

[Detected complete severance of host's emotional link to partner.]

[Hatred value accumulated to peak.]

[Resilience reset to zero, initial expectation value turned negative.]

[Ultimate mission trigger conditions met.]

[Generating ultimate mission…]