[Chapter 13]
As she said this, Sylvia Morgan's middle finger crossed lightly against her index finger.
In the West, this gesture signifies a lie and invalidates the vow.
But Lucas Grey didn't know that. He didn't notice it either.
Right now, he was completely shocked.
"Sylvia Morgan, do you even know what you're saying?"
"Of course I know. I'm confessing to you. I like you."
Sylvia Morgan smiled with full confidence, a smile of someone determined to win.
Taking something that belonged to someone else was her favorite thing to do.
Especially if it came from a woman he didn't even like. That made it all the easier.
Boom.
Lucas Grey felt as if lightning had struck him.
[Bullshit! She's absolutely talking nonsense. How could she possibly fall in love with me at first sight? If this were real, it wouldn't just be a collapse of my character. It would be the collapse of the entire worldview!]
[No, she's only saying this because she hasn't met the male lead yet. As soon as she sees him, she's bound to be drawn in. It's a law of this world!]
[When do they meet again? That's right, after the engagement banquet, when the male lead takes Rose White away, he chases President Kang to the Morgan family to avenge her. That's when he meets Sylvia Morgan. They fight, admire each other, and begin their love-hate relationship.]
At this thought, Lucas Grey took a deep breath.
He just had to hang in there.
If he could hold out until she met the male lead, everything would go back on track.
So he gave an awkward smile. "You're the eldest daughter of the Morgan family. Why waste your time on someone like me, a playboy who already has someone in his heart?"
"How about this? I'll take you home first, and we'll talk another time."
Sylvia Morgan let out a soft laugh.
Sending her home already?
Wishful thinking.
"You take me out for a drive and won't even treat me to a cup of coffee? Is that how you treat your guests?"
Well, that did sound kind of rude.
Lucas Grey scratched his head, feeling a bit embarrassed.
It was all this woman's fault for saying such crazy things. She had thrown his mind into chaos. He just wanted to get rid of her as soon as possible.
"Alright then, I'll buy you a coffee."
Seeing a café nearby, Lucas Grey parked the car and walked in with her.
Who would have thought, just as they sat down, his phone would ring?
He looked at it and saw that the caller was Rose White.
What the hell? Why would she be calling him?
Lucas Grey was instantly on edge, afraid that something had gone wrong without his knowing. He hurriedly picked up. "Hello? Baby Rose, what's up?"
Rose?
Sylvia Morgan was stirring her coffee. When she heard those two words, she immediately lifted her head.
Lucas Grey turned his body slightly to avoid her gaze. From the other end came a cold voice: "Can't I call you if I don't have anything to say?"
"O-of course you can. You calling me is something I dream about. I'm flattered, really!"
Sylvia Morgan took a sip of her coffee, expressionless as she listened to his flattering tone. She gave a sneer.
Truly a simp.
At that moment, Rose White had just parked her car outside the café.
While talking on the phone, she stepped out and walked toward the entrance.
She didn't know why, but where his sweet talk used to make her feel nothing but disgust, it now gave her a strange sense of satisfaction and superiority.
Still, she was perfectly aware that this little brat was probably cursing her in his heart while buttering her up with his mouth.
"I'll get to the point. David Fox just called me. He asked if I wanted him to get rid of you."
"…"
Lucas Grey took a deep breath. He was so angry he wanted to start swearing.
[Fuck you, David Fox! I've done nothing but simp this whole time. I haven't committed any major crimes. Why do you want to get rid of me? What kind of righteous protagonist are you? You're worse than a villain!]
"But don't worry. I told him I'd handle things myself. He doesn't need to interfere."
[How the hell is that supposed to reassure me? Hearing that probably just made him even more eager to kill me! And if you keep acting like this, your character is going to collapse completely.]
Lucas Grey was on the verge of tears.
"I'm investigating him now. According to reports from my people, he's busy reclaiming the Fox family's assets from his relatives. He shouldn't bother you for now. But you'd better still be careful."
[Why are you even worried about me now? System, hey system, you still alive? Your female lead has fallen apart like this, and you're not going to step in and fix anything?]
Unfortunately, the system was like a robot.
Aside from explaining the rules at the beginning and issuing rewards periodically, it never showed up otherwise.
Suddenly, Rose White's voice turned ice-cold. "Lucas Grey."
"Mm?"
"Where are you right now?"
"I…" Lucas Grey glanced guiltily at Sylvia Morgan. "I'm at home. Why? You miss me? If you do, I'll come find you right now."
Rose White let out a soft, cold laugh. "Home? That's funny. I just happened to be passing by your place."
Huh?
Before Lucas Grey could react to what she meant, the chair next to him was pulled out—and the next second, Rose White sat down beside him.
Lucas Grey was stunned.
"Y-you—why are you here?"
Rose White's face was cold. She looked Sylvia Morgan up and down, then turned back to Lucas Grey. "A café as your home? You really do feel at home anywhere."
"No, Rose, let me explain. I lied because I didn't want you to get jealous. That's all. You're the only one in my heart. I just told her earlier that I would marry no one but you!"
Sylvia Morgan leaned back in her chair with a smile. "He did say that."
"See!" Lucas Grey looked at her with gratitude, visibly moved.
"She can vouch for me!"
"But," Sylvia Morgan quickly changed her tone, "my answer was: I will marry no one but him."
Lucas Grey was dumbfounded. This woman!
Couldn't she stop fanning the flames?
"Don't listen to her nonsense, Rose. I swear to heaven and earth, my heart belongs only to you. There's no other woman. You have to believe me."
[No way. Why is Rose White even here? They weren't supposed to meet again before the engagement banquet. I have to get rid of Sylvia Morgan and send Rose White home as soon as possible. After that, I'll hide at home and not come out until the banquet.]
[If this keeps going and the plot along with the female leads keep collapsing, I'm going to get killed by David Fox before I even reach the finale.]
Just as he was thinking this, he suddenly felt a chill around his ankle.
He froze, then widened his eyes and looked at Sylvia Morgan.
She had her chin resting on her hands and was blinking her enchanting eyes at him with a playful smile.
She had slipped her delicate foot out of her high heel and was lightly tapping his ankle with her toes.
Her foot slid up into his pants leg, slowly stroking and trailing back down again.
It sent wave after wave of tingling electricity up his spine, making his whole body go numb.
Damn it.
She was seducing him—and doing it right in front of Rose White.
-End of Chapter 13-