(Checkmate Begins)
If Aria had to summarize Ethan Vale in a single breath, it would be: a walking red flag with a PhD in suspicion.
Thirty-eight floors above the city, on the rooftop of Aurex Tower, that suspicion was currently being aimed at a man having a very public, very cinematic breakdown.
"YOU STOLE IT!"
Leon Draxler, the CEO of a tech empire currently in its death throes, looked like he'd been pulled through a hedge backward. Wrinkled shirt, bloodshot eyes—his pride was the only thing keeping him upright.
Ethan Vale, by contrast, looked untouched. He stood there in a suit that cost more than Leon's car, lazily adjusting his cufflinks.
"Correction," Ethan said, his voice as cool as the rooftop breeze. "You lost it."
"The NeuroLink Core was ours! Without it, my company—"
"—was already a sinking ship," Ethan cut in.
The silence that followed was heavy, right until Leon exploded. "You manipulated the bidding! I know you did!"
Ethan's lips curved into a faint, dangerous sliver of a smile. "Careful. Accusations require proof. Ideally, something a bit sturdier than desperation and poor financial planning."
Driven to the edge—literally—Leon stepped toward the ledge of the tower. "If you walk away, I'll jump!"
Ethan didn't even flinch. He didn't even look. *The classic emotional blackmail package,* he thought. *Predictable.* "Then jump," Ethan replied.
Leon froze. "…What?"
Ethan finally turned his gaze toward him, his eyes sharp enough to draw blood. "If you actually intended to do it, you wouldn't still be talking to me."
It was savage. Clean. Fatal. As Leon trembled with a mix of fear and fury, Ethan pulled out his phone and dialed a three-digit number.
"Hello," he said into the receiver. "There's a man threatening to jump at Aurex Tower. Yes... I'm very concerned."
He hung up, gave Leon a final, dismissive glance, and walked away. "You're welcome."
He had more important things to deal with. Specifically, a certain amnesiac actress who was currently living in his head rent-free.
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Vale residence
While Ethan was busy dismantling empires, Aria Larkspur was engaged in a much more life-or-death struggle.
"LEFT! LEFT! NO, YOU IDIOT—WHY WOULD YOU GO RIGHT?!"
Her phone screen flashed a mocking red: **DEFEAT.**
Aria stared at the ceiling, feeling her soul hover somewhere near the light fixture. "I carried that entire team," she hissed to the empty room. "Emotionally. Spiritually.
Mentally. And this is how they repay me?"
*You jumped into a tower on purpose,* the System noted dryly.
"It was tactical."
*You missed.*
"Details."
Aria glanced out the window and spotted a black Bugatti idling near the gates. It had been there for ten minutes, headlights on, looking very dramatic and very suspicious.
"Oh," Aria murmured. "The CEO is brooding."
*Are you going to greet him?*
Aria popped a cherry into her mouth and leaned back into the sofa cushions. "No. Let him marinate in his emotions for a bit."
*That isn't a strategy.*
"In this house, it's the only strategy."
Fifteen minutes later, Ethan was still in the car, nursing a cigarette and a growing sense of annoyance. He didn't know why he'd driven here. He hadn't planned it. And yet, here he was. Ridiculous.
Inside, Aria checked her reflection. Cherry stains? Gone. Hair? Artistically disheveled. She grabbed a silk blanket and flopped onto the sofa in a pose of "delicate exhaustion."
*You were just screaming at a mobile game,* the System reminded her.
"It's called character development. Shh."
When Ethan finally entered, the living room was a sea of dim amber light and soft silence. He paused when he saw her. She looked small, curled up on the sofa like a harmless creature. Too harmless.
Suspicion flared in his chest, but he stepped closer anyway—questionable decisions seemed to be his new brand. He bent down, intending to carry her to bed, but as he reached out, Aria turned in her "sleep."
Her lips brushed lightly, briefly, against his cheek.
It was warm. Soft. And gone in a heartbeat.
They both froze.
*Unexpected bonus scene,* Aria thought, keeping her breathing steady.
Ethan straightened slowly, his expression a mask of unreadable intensity. The faint scent of orchids hung in the air between them.
"Accident..." Aria mumbled, her eyes remaining closed. Perfect timing. Perfect excuse. Perfect chaos.
For the next few days, Ethan was a ghost. He didn't visit. He didn't call.
Aria sat in the greenhouse, staring intensely at a hyacinth until she eventually squeezed it, staining her fingers a bruised purple.
*That flower was expensive,* the System panicked.
"I'm stressed."
*You've been abandoned.*
Aria smiled sweetly. "If you had a physical body, I'd uninstall you."
*...Noted.*
Deep down, she was bored. And a little annoyed. "Did I actually scare him away?" she muttered.
*Congratulations,* the System chirped. *You've unlocked: Emotionally Unavailable Male Lead.*
"I hate this game."
*You're currently winning it.*
Days later, the System whispered: *Host, he's here.*
Aria was in position instantly. She sat by the bay window, a book in hand, wearing an oversized soft sweater and messy hair.
"Maximum Angel Mode" was officially online.
Ethan walked in silently. He had checked the security cameras three minutes ago—she hadn't been there. Now, she was the picture of academic peace.
He stepped closer, noticing that her fingers hadn't turned a single page. A smirk ghosted across his face. He reached down and snatched the book right out of her hands.
Aria blinked, looking up with wide, innocent eyes. "Oh. You're back."
"Reading?" he asked, flipping the book over.
"I just came here to relax," she said, her voice like honey. "Please don't ask me anything complicated."
Ethan looked at the cover, then straight at her. "Tell me what it's about."
Aria's brain stalled. *System. HELP.*
*Romance novel,* the System fed her. *Fake dating. Betrayal. Happy ending.*
Aria nodded slowly, meeting Ethan's dark gaze. "Why are you so interested? It's just a romance novel." She tilted her head, watching him. "You don't strike me as someone who enjoys... feelings."
A direct hit. Ethan's eyes darkened a shade. Aria didn't look away; she just smiled brighter.
"Unless," she added softly, "you're trying to understand me?"
Checkmate. Or at the very least, a very strong opening move.