Chapter 2He Caught the Light

In a dusty, forgotten storeroom, Jason leaned casually against the wall, his clothes in disarray. He was a portrait of ravaged beauty.

“Had your fill?” he asked, his tone lazy, utterly unbothered. It was as if being ambushed and kissed senseless was nothing more than a mild inconvenience.

The System panted in my mind. 【Phew, the forced kiss worked. Congratulations, Host, you’ve earned thirty minutes of survival time.】

【It would be even better if you could sleep with him. One time could extend the clock by days.】

Only thirty minutes for a kiss like that. That was Jason for you—notoriously difficult.

As the youngest heir to the formidable Calloway family, Jason was known for his volatile and darkly unpredictable nature. People went out of their way to avoid him. Who in their right mind would dare to try and seduce him?

The System, its virtual face contorted in a snarl, presented me with a digital novel: The Psycho CEO Wants to [Redacted] Me (Steamy).

【Trust me, Host! Just follow the plot. You’ll have him eating out of your hand!】

A few minutes later, I found myself perched on Jason’s lap, wearing a slinky red dress with a thigh-high slit, my face burning. The stark contrast between my pale legs and the black fabric of his suit trousers was electrifying.

The System whispered, 【This book is pretty twisted. You’re going through a lot for this, Host.】

It’s not hard work, it’s a hard life.

I dug my nails into my thigh, forcing tears to my eyes. “Jason,” I whimpered, “what if I told you that I love you? That with your friend… it was never real? Would you believe me?”

Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating the fine hairs on my skin. Jason’s eyes narrowed, a dark fire kindling in their depths.

“Little siren, you really get off on this, don’t you?” His cool, smooth voice was enough to make my legs weak.

Suddenly, Larry’s furious voice echoed from outside. “Search every room. When you find Ava Stone, break her legs.”

Jason glanced down at my wedding dress, now a torn heap of fabric on the floor, and a mocking smile touched his lips. “Come closer, little siren.”

The System shrieked again. 【HOST! LARRY CAN’T SEE YOU WITH HIM! IT’LL DEDUCT SURVIVAL TIME!!!!】

I jolted, scrambling to get up and lock the door. But Jason’s hand shot out, his fingers wrapping around my waist and pulling me flush against him. A clean, sharp scent of mint flooded my senses, overwhelming me. He was so impossibly clean, so pristine.

His hand traced the curve of my waist before giving a light, sharp squeeze. A startled gasp escaped my lips.

Then, he pushed open the window.

Bright spring light poured in. A rack of clothes perfectly obscured Jason’s upper body. From outside, all Larry could see was me—cheeks flushed, straddling a pair of long legs clad in black suit pants, my expression one of pure panic.

The System wailed. 【SURVIVAL TIME NEARING ZERO! COUNTDOWN: TEN, NINE…】

【AHHH, HOST, FORGET KISSING, SLEEP WITH HIM! IT'S FASTER!】

My hands fumbled frantically at Jason’s belt buckle.

The next second, Larry’s enraged roar ripped through the entire courtyard.

“AVA STONE, YOU STOP RIGHT THERE!”

“I SWEAR, IF YOU AND THAT BASTARD WALK OUT OF HERE IN ONE PIECE TODAY, I’LL CHANGE MY LAST NAME!”

Jason remained utterly composed, stroking my hair. “Put your hands behind your back.”

“Huh?”

Outside the window, a crowd of wedding guests was starting to gather.

Jason calmly unwound his own tie and, in one smooth motion, bound my wrists together. He offered me a gentle, chilling smile.

“Didn’t you want to sleep with me?”

“Didn’t have the strength? Then how are you going to fuck me in front of everyone?”

Not…

Were all these people here because he’d called them?

The precious survival time I had just earned was plummeting. With my hands tied, I was on the verge of a full-blown panic attack, my voice cracking as I sobbed. “Untie me! Or I can’t do it!”

The look of detached amusement on Jason’s face vanished instantly. He raised an eyebrow, his lips curling into a cold line. “You really want to?”

“Does it look like I’m faking it?!”

Under the crushing threat of imminent death, my body went limp. I collapsed into his arms, shaking with uncontrollable, desperate sobs.

It was probably the first time Jason had ever seen someone cry because they couldn't sleep with him.

Outside, the crowd of onlookers grew larger.

A black jacket was suddenly thrown over my head, covering me completely just as the first of them arrived.

The countdown stopped.

Jason’s voice was laced with a dark, mocking humor. “What’s with the drama? You’d think you have a terminal illness. Pathetic, Ava.”