I sneered at Nolan. "Are you really doing this for those reasons, or just for yourself? You know the answer. We both do. The second you leave, I'll die in here."

The room shifted. Eyes turned sharp, cold, judging.

No one wanted a cheating jerk and his side piece walking out alive, stealing someone else's shot.

Nolan went quiet. Bianca caught the vibe and stiffened.

She rushed over, clutching his arm, her eyes watering. "Nolan, Serena, please don't fight because of me. I know Nolan saved me out of gratitude. He cares about loyalty. When his parents died, my parents took him in like family. That's why he chose me. Serena, don't get the wrong idea..."

Nolan looked at her even softer.

In a few words, Bianca turned herself into the fragile, understanding angel—and Nolan into some loyal hero stuck choosing old debts over his wife.

And me? The jealous, unreasonable idiot.

People started pointing.

"He's just paying back a debt. That's not wrong. The people who raised you come first."

"Yeah, and that girl seems so sweet. She didn't mean to take the wife's place."

"Standing next to someone that considerate, the wife's being way too aggressive."

Every word hit like a punch.

In that moment, I was trash on the ground—anyone could step on me.

Nolan's voice was flat. "Serena, I'll come back and save you."

I smiled. No way he'd drop another billion on me.

Half a month ago, when he found out my treatment cost $100,000, he'd shrugged it off.

"Let's skip it. Heart surgery's risky. You've got a few more years without it. If it goes wrong, the money's gone too."

I knew what mattered to him—his money.

And now he could burn a billion on Bianca.

My heart went cold.

Bianca stepped closer. The smug, mocking look in her eyes didn't even try to hide.

"Serena, do your best in the levels. You don't have money to save yourself, so you'll have to grind to survive. Nolan and I will watch from home and cheer you on."

I let out a cold laugh, glanced at the tattoo on her arm, then at Nolan. "If you were the one trapped in there, you really think Bianca would lose everything to save you?"

Nolan snorted, grabbing her hand. "I trust Bianca. She'd spend everything on me. Stop trying to come between us."

I smiled, sharp and mocking. "Then that tattoo on her arm—did you tell her to get it?"

Nolan froze. Bianca instantly covered her arm, panic flashing across her face.

Nolan's gaze went cold. "Bianca. Let me see."

Tears streamed down as she slowly revealed the tattoo.

N.C.

"Nolan, I've liked you since we were kids, but I never had the guts to tell you. So I secretly got your initials tattooed. I thought... at least this way, it'd be like I had you once."

By the end, she was a sobbing mess. Nolan pulled her into his arms.

His voice softened. "Don't worry. I'm not leaving you. You love me this much—how could I let you wait all these years for nothing?"

Bianca sniffed. "What about Serena?"

Nolan looked at me, eyes cold. "Serena, I'll find a way to save you, but it'll take time. Once my company's cash flow settles, just stay alive in the game as long as you can. If you die before I get the money... then it's fate. And I hope you can give Bianca and me your blessing."

I almost laughed. I said nothing.

The tattoo on Bianca's arm wasn't Nolan's.

It belonged to her sugar daddy.

Nolan's uncle.

Nathan Cluny.

But if Nolan wanted to believe her, fine. Not my problem.

After Nolan left, I stayed.

Everyone thought I was dead either way.

I slipped into a blind spot in the cameras. There was a door.

I went through it—and suddenly, I could see everything. The game. The real world.

All of it.

The $1 billion Nolan spent? Already sitting in my account.

Seriously?

My own husband didn't even recognize the game I'd spent ten years building.

He'd said it over and over: "You don't get games. Stop messing with projects. I'm not putting a cent into you. Quit wasting time and stay home—learn how to cook."

The day before launch, all the data got wiped.

Nolan wouldn't even check the cameras. He shut my team down on the spot and erased everything I'd built.

I never thought my game would come back like this.

I watched my balance climb and smiled.

Nolan had no clue every dollar spent in here landed in my account.

And now? I could walk out anytime.

I knew every level. Every move.

The next day, the spender leaderboard reset—and everyone showed up again.

Most of them looked wrecked. Bleeding, drained, barely standing.

I blended into the crowd.

Across from me, Bianca locked onto me, eyes wide. "You're not eliminated?"

I let out a short laugh. "What, you that eager to see me dead?"

Bianca choked, eyes going glossy as she looked at Nolan. "Nolan, I was just surprised. I didn't think Serena would twist it again."

He rubbed her head, his expression softening.

Then he turned to me, ice-cold. "Serena, our marriage was arranged. I drew your name. I've tried to be a decent husband, but the only person I love is Bianca. You split us up once. This time, let us be."

The nerve.

All I felt was disgust—and like I didn't even know him.

Yeah, ours was arranged.

But I really loved him. That's why I swapped every name in the drawing for mine.

Because I loved him, when his parents died and he had no power in the inheritance fight, I begged my parents to help him.

When Nathan tried to get him killed and he almost died at sea, I was the one who saved him.

All I had was a distress signal, but I still refused to eat or drink on that ship. I pushed it until the crew had no choice but to keep searching.

That's how they found Nolan—stranded on a deserted island.

He was barely alive—completely dehydrated. I cut my wrist and fed him my blood.

Half-conscious, he opened his eyes. Saw my swollen, red eyes. The blood on my wrist.

For the first time, he looked at me gently. His voice was rough. "Silly girl. Saving me like that—you don't care about yourself?"

I held him and sobbed, barely able to breathe. "Nolan, don't leave me. Please don't let anything happen to you."

He hooked his pinky with mine and smiled. "Relax. I'm not going anywhere."

But later, when Bianca needed blood after a car crash, Nolan dragged me to the hospital in the rain—even though I had a fever—just to bleed me for her.

They'd already taken 200 milliliters. The nurse saw how pale I was and hesitated.

Nolan shoved her aside and kept it going.

"Serena, you saved me with your blood once. You can save Bianca too. Just this once. I won't divorce you."

After that, I was basically her blood bank.

The life-or-death moment that once tied us together turned into my nightmare.

I kept my voice steady, eyes cold on Nolan. "Fine. Be together."

Whether the game let you—that was different.

Almost no one knew the hidden rule.

The top spender had to keep recharging.

The second they stopped, the game would drag them back in.

Bianca put on that worried look. "Serena, don't blame Nolan. He was going to spend $100 million to boost your rank. But after I got trapped, I kept having nightmares. I got depressed. So he used that money to build me a private amusement park. Serena... he probably doesn't have a single dollar left for the game."

Nolan kissed her forehead. "It's fine. My call. Your happiness comes first."

He glanced at my wrist, saw the scar. A flicker of guilt. "Serena, I'm out of money. Company accounts, cards—twenty grand total. I can't save you. Bianca says she knows how to clear the level. Maybe it'll keep you alive a few more days."

I laughed under my breath.

Bianca's happiness over my life. An amusement park over my survival.

I clenched my fists and swallowed it.

Minimum recharge was ten grand. Give it two days—Nolan would get dragged back in.

Bianca leaned in, lowering her voice. "Today's level is the beam crossing. They say there are crocodiles, but it's fake. Just jump in and swim across. It's a courage test. We worked forever to find this."

I knew the real play.

There were real crocodiles. You tap the beam twice short, once long—then walk straight across.

She wanted me dead.

I looked at her, amused. "You make that up yourself?"

Her face froze, then she went all hurt. "How can you say that? I spent so long finding it!"

Nolan snapped. Pulling her close, he glared at me. "Bianca went out of her way for you. Don't appreciate it, fine—but don't accuse her."

I didn't react.

Nolan pulled up the recharge panel and picked my name.

Twenty thousand—done. The system kicked in, forcing my avatar toward the crocodile river.

His voice went cold. "Twenty grand buys control of a real player. If you won't move, I'll make you. I'll prove you wrong about Bianca."

My steps locked up as I moved forward.

I could break the control.

But that would expose me.

I glanced at the countdown overhead.

Nolan was broke. He'd just spent his last cash to buy himself two more days.

In the final minute, the system would force him to recharge again.

I fought for control. Just as I was about to step into the river—

The countdown hit zero.

The system's cold voice cut through:

"Funds have been reset. Yesterday's top spender, Nolan Cluny, must continue recharging. Failure to do so will result in forced entry into the game to await rescue. Insufficient balance detected. Activation in progress."

Nolan went pale.

A massive mechanical claw tore open the sky.

He stumbled back, panicking. "No! Don't take me! I'm not going back in!"

Terrified, he snapped at Bianca, "Bianca, transfer it. Recharge—now."

She flinched, stepped back, then hurried to send money.

"One hundred dollars received."

His face went red. He'd just sent her thirty grand that morning.

Then—

The notification came from my phone.

He stared at the nonstop deposit alerts lighting up my banking app. The color drained from his face.

"Why is the money going into your account?"