I felt a sharp pang in my chest after hearing that Thea would obtain 20 points. I wasn't about to just stand by and let her swoop in and take it all.

Thea was rushed to the hospital, while Sean was still at the office, cleaning up the mess I had created.

I watched the ambulance's tail lights fade into the distance and made a snap decision. I pulled on a mask and a hat, then made a beeline for Parker Group. I pushed open the door once I noticed that the lights in the CEO's office were still on. "You should go check on Thea—she's in the hospital right now for her stomach ailment."

Sean looked up from the pile of documents with dark circles under his eyes. "There are doctors at the hospital."

"Thea needs you by her side," I said, refusing to back down.

Sean set his pen aside and fixed me with a sharp look. "What are you playing at, Stella? You're the one who was worried about us getting back together, weren't you?"

I faltered, then scrambled to cover my tracks. "I just think that if the press catches us visiting her at the hospital together, those rumors about us being at odds will disappear on their own. It's a smart PR move for both you and Parker Group."

Sean watched me in silence, his eyes searching as if to strip away my every pretense. "Do you really mean that, Stella?"

…

In the hospital ward, Thea nearly lost her composure at the sight of Sean and me. She quickly forced herself back into character, resting weakly against the bed. "You guys didn't have to come over. I'm doing fine. It's just a recurring ailment."

"You should stay here with Ms. Smith, Sean," I thoughtfully suggested.

Sean's gaze turned probing as he looked at me once more.

I explained, "I'm sure Ms. Smith must be feeling miserable being all alone in the hospital."

Thea gently refused the suggestion, saying, "I don't think that's a good idea. I mean, the public hasn't calmed down yet, and if you are caught staying here with me, the netizens will only be more certain that Ms. Stewart's jealousy led to my injury. You two should head back together. I'll be fine on my own, Mr. Parker."

It was a brilliant reverse-psychology play. If I actually took her advice and left, her "lonely hospital stay" would have sent the emotional damage through the roof.

Those in the comments section had already reached a fever pitch.

"That female lead is playing 4D chess while everyone else is playing checkers!"

"Stella actually assisted her rival!"

"Does Mr. Parker trust anyone at all? He seems to be suspicious of everyone right now."

Sean was swayed by Thea's reasoning. He told Thea to get some rest before turning to me, saying, "Let's go, Stella."

I suddenly said, "Hold on."

I wracked my brain as they turned their attention to me. I had to stop things from playing out like this. "I agree with you, Ms. Smith. It would look terrible if Sean were caught here by himself, especially with the rumors still going around."

I added softly, "Ms. Smith just returned from abroad, and now she's even hospitalized. It wouldn't be right to leave her here without anyone to look after her, Sean. Those stomach pains can be absolutely agonizing."

I hesitated briefly before continuing, "Why don't both of us stay with her tonight, Sean?"

There was a momentary lull in the hospital ward. Sean cocked his brow, obviously caught off guard by my suggestion.

Thea's expression nearly faltered. "I wouldn't want to impose on you both like this. I—"

I cut her off, saying, "It's no trouble at all. I'm partly responsible for the drama on the trending list, so the least I can do is stay here and look after you tonight."

In that instant, the comments section blew up.

"Is this Stella's latest move? A sleepover for three in the hospital ward?"

"Is this some kind of twisted comedy? Thea is about to lose her composure!"

"Stella knows exactly how to shake things up!"

Sean suddenly grabbed my wrist with enough force to nearly snap my wrist, dragging me out of the hospital ward before I could say a word. He towered over me in the sterile glow of the hallway, his shadow engulfing me.

He growled, his voice carrying suppressed rage, "Stella…"

"Yes?"

He hovered over me, his presence cold and overbearing. "You were so keen to have me come to the hospital tonight. Was it truly for Parker Group's reputation or merely to make her miserable?"

I felt a shiver run down my spine, along with a heavy, stifling weight in my chest.

It was then that the system notification sounded.

[Detected: "Misunderstood and Pressured" event]

[Origin: Sean's subjective intimidation]

[Emotional Damage Rating: High]

[Angst Points: +50]

[Current Progress: 71/100]

I was finally ahead with 71 points, but I couldn't bring myself to feel happy about it.

Sean returned to the hospital ward to grab his coat. He then turned to Thea and said, "I've got a meeting to get to, so you should get some rest, Thea."

I was practically dragged along and shoved into the car. I could feel the stifling atmosphere during the drive back, along with a dull, agonizing pain in my chest.

"It's a shame that Mr. Parker ended up leaving. Thea actually managed to score ten points."

"Stella got 50 points! That move paid off big time!"

"Stella seems to be catching feelings. She must have suffered real heartache to earn those 50 points."

"You have to hang in there, Stella—money matters more than men!"

I couldn't help but wonder if I had actually caught feelings for Sean. I immediately pushed that thought away, thinking that no man was worth more than a ten-billion-dollar payout. I couldn't possibly have caught feelings for him. I was certain that the 50 points were nothing more than a plot requirement.

It wasn't long before we pulled up into the garage of the Parker residence. Sean turned off the engine but remained inside the car.

He asked flatly, "What kind of game are you and Thea playing exactly, Stella?"

I felt a sharp pang of tension, but I quickly plastered a guileless grin on my face. "I'm afraid I don't follow, Mr. Parker—"

Sean directly cut me off and accurately uttered two specific terms. "Points? Scores?"

I instantly felt my blood run cold. How did he find out about it? How was that possible?

Sean's gaze was piercing. "You and Thea had been acting weird ever since she returned from abroad. Thea is staging herself as a 'damsel in distress', while you're constantly putting yourself in the line of fire and getting blamed for being the villain.

"What exactly are you two fighting over, Stella? And I'm just the scoring metric for this game, aren't I?"

I opened my mouth to say something, but I was so choked up that nothing came out. I was completely struck dumb.

Those in the comments section instantly went into a frenzy.

"Holy shit! Mr. Parker saw right through the game!"

"Is the NPC actually gaining self-awareness? I never saw this plot twist coming!"

"Does that mean the male lead has been watching the whole time? That's honestly so terrifying!"

"I-I…" I couldn't even think of a single response.

Sean suddenly leaned back into his seat and closed his eyes. He opened them again, and this time, they were filled with nothing but profound weariness. He didn't press any further, merely saying, "Get out of the car."

…

I tossed and turned all night, Sean's haunting question playing on loop in my mind. I wondered exactly how much he had figured out and if he was going to compromise my strategy.

I refused to just wait for the axe to fall. Instead, I started piecing together a risky new plan.

I made a point of meeting a handsome "temporary boyfriend" outside our place the following morning. I made sure we were positioned so that someone could snap a photo that looked intimate from the right angle. I knew Sean's mother, Maddie Johnson, had people keeping watch near the residence, so this was an opportunity I couldn't pass up.

That evening, I was summoned to the main hall, just as I had hoped. The air was thick with tension. Maddie and Sean's father, Jared Parker, were seated in the main seats with somber expressions. Thea was present as well, gauging the situation with a calculating look.

Jared threw a stack of photos on the coffee table and bellowed, "What's the meaning of this, Stella?"

Maddie didn't bother holding back. "How can you be so shameless? You ought to know that the Parker family will never accept a daughter-in-law like you! Your engagement to Sean is over. Pack your things and leave immediately!"

I knew it was finally my cue. I threw myself into the role, my voice trembling with feigned desperation as I cried, "It's not what it looks like! He's just a friend! I'm sincerely in love with Sean!"

Maddie sneered. "You call this sincerity? Do you not see the photos on the coffee table? Do you take us for fools, Stella?"

It was then that Thea grabbed Maddie's arm and said reassuringly, "Please calm down, Maddie. I'm sure Ms. Stewart didn't mean any harm. She might have just been reckless for a moment.

"You know how social people are these days—it's common to have close friends of the opposite gender. It could just be the way the photo was taken, Maddie."

I instantly realized that Thea was preventing me from racking up points.

Those in the comments section realized it too.

"Wow! Thea has gotten smarter! She's doing a reverse play now!"

"She stood up for Stella, which stopped Stella from earning points for being falsely accused!"

"It's a battle between two experts, where every move is decisive!"

I realized things were taking a turn for the worse. If Jared and Maddie were swayed by Thea, all my acting would have been for nothing.

I was just about to double down when Sean, who had been standing silently in the shadows, walked out. His gaze was no longer probing or weary. Instead, it was a freezing, penetrating stare marked by a visible trace of revulsion that seemed to see through everything.

"You can drop the act now, Thea. I'll get to the bottom of the situation with the photos, Mom and Dad, but before I do, I have something I'd like to ask."

He looked at Thea and asked, "How credible are her words if she is capable of harming herself just to frame someone before putting on a show of kindness to confuse us further?"

Thea turned pale in an instant—and this time, her reaction was genuine.

Just as I had expected, the comments section relayed the whole situation.

"Holy shit! Thea suffered multiple blows—her true self exposed, the male lead's complete disgust, and her plan completely ruined!"

"Oh my god! Thea's emotional damage rating is off the charts, gaining her 50 angst points!"

"Thea's current progress is 93/100!"

"Holy! That really did a number on her!"

"Thea is at 93 points now, Stella!"

I felt a massive jolt of shock, and at that exact moment, my system notification sounded.

[Detected: Multi-Trigger Event—"Slandered for Cheating" and "Severely Humiliated by Elders and Forced to Terminate the Engagement"]

[Origin: Jared and Maddie exerted direct pressure, but the points have been halved because the mission target took your side]

[Angst Points: +20]

[Current Progress: 91/100]

I felt my heart racing when I realized I had reached 91 points. I only needed 9 more points!

Thea made her move just then. She rose to her feet and offered Jared and Maddie an apologetic bow. "Please don't blame Ms. Stewart for this, Jared and Maddie, as I'm the one at fault here.

"I never should have returned from abroad. My presence has disturbed Sean and Ms. Stewart's lives, driving her to do such… irrational things."

She then turned toward Sean and said, "I'm so sorry, Sean. I'll get out of your way and never bother you or show up in front of you again."

Having said that, she clutched her chest and stumbled toward the door.

In that instant, everyone in the comments section blew up.

"Here it comes—the ultimate play for sympathy!"

"Thea is going for it! She's gunning for a perfect score with the 'heartbroken exit' scene!"

"You have to stop her, Stella! She'll win if she manages to leave!"

"Is Mr. Parker going to let her walk out?"

I couldn't let her scheme succeed. I nearly spoke up right then and there.

"Hold on," Sean suddenly said.

Thea froze mid-step.

"You're using a retreat as an attack to gain pity, aren't you? Do you plan to collapse at the entrance just to show off how much you've 'sacrificed' and been 'wronged', Thea?" Sean asked.

"Holy shit! Mr. Parker is absolutely savage!"

"Sean's words hit deep! He basically shredded the female lead's script and then ground it under his heel!"

"Did you see the female lead's expression? She's actually losing it!"

"Where's the system? Give the score already!"

It was then that the system popped up and made an announcement.

[Update: Thea was struck by "Complete Exposure and Public Mockery of Ultimate Intent", "Total Destruction of Dignity", and "Reaching the Pinnacle of Hopelessness"]

[Emotional Damage Rating: Catastrophic]

[Angst Points: +8]

[Thea's Current Progress: 99/100]

Thea was at 99 points, lacking only one point.