"Breaking out the champagne already? You sure know how to stay in your boss' good graces."

The system chimed in furiously, "This is all your fault! Why did you have to remind him that it's your birthday? Could you stop triggering his cheap sense of guilt for once?"

A throbbing pain split through my skull. Days of overtime had drained every ounce of energy I had left. I leaned weakly against the sink, feeling hollow inside.

The system piped up timidly. "What if you just asked him to sleep with you?"

I let out a sharp, bitter laugh. "How about I ask him to die instead?"

If only it were that simple.

The creator of this damned game had made sure there were no loopholes. Words like sleep and die were automatically banned. Repetition wasn't allowed either.

Seven years in, even being turned down after a proposal was one of the last cards I had left to play.

Things had reached an impasse.

The sound of running water echoed softly through the bathroom.

I sat on the toilet while staring blankly ahead. I was racking my brain for another reason he could reject me.

Just then, my phone lit up with an unknown number.

When I answered, a woman's gentle voice came through.

"Ms. Cullen, this is Elaine."

My hand tightened around the edge of the sink

Faced with my silence, Elaine let out a soft, self-satisfied laugh.

"You probably don't know me very well, and that's fine. But I know you. I've eaten the lunchboxes you made for Ryan. I've worn the white shirts you washed for him. Last year, after he celebrated your birthday with you, he came to see me. His tie clip still had one of your hairs caught in it."

I leaned against the bathtub and said coldly, "So what?"

Elaine laughed again. "Are you really that clueless? Didn't you get the point? Last year, on your birthday, I gave him my first time. This year, I came back just for your birthday, and he's already forgotten it. Do I really need to tell you who he loves?"

Seven years had passed. Faint lines had formed at the corners of my eyes. The eyes that used to brighten whenever I saw Ryan were now dull and lifeless.

I took a deep breath. "No need. Ryan's marrying me."

There was a pause on the other end, then Elaine sharply said, "You don't have to say that just to spite me. You'll never beat me."

A knock came from the door. It was Ryan.

I hid the phone behind my back, opened the door, and asked softly, "I want to try on wedding dresses tomorrow. Will you come with me?"

He froze for a second, then pulled me into his arms. His voice carried a rare trace of tenderness. "Sure. You'll be the most beautiful bride on our wedding day."

I hung up the call.

Forcing back the nausea, I accepted his kiss.

I silently hoped Elaine wouldn't screw this up. I couldn't afford to be disappointed.

…

That night, I waited for hours, and Elaine never called Ryan.

Ryan's kisses burned against my skin, and his desire was unusually intense, but just as things were about to go too far, I pressed my hand against his chest to stop him.

"I've got a mission tomorrow. Let's call it a night."

He looked frustrated and unsatisfied, and when I turned away, wrapping myself tightly in the blanket, he let out a long, resigned sigh. "Alright."

A moment later, the sound of running water came from the bathroom.

The system sounded uneasy. "Do you think you were too harsh earlier? Maybe Elaine backed off?"

"Not a chance."

If I knew Elaine at all, she'd rather die than let Ryan go.

…

The next morning, the sky was heavy and gray.

For once, Ryan didn't dash off. He sat across from me at the dining table, calmly eating breakfast with me.

The only sounds in the room were the occasional clinks of silverware.

After a while, Ryan said, "When this mission's over, you'd better transfer to a desk job. You're marrying me. You don't have to work so hard anymore."

Inside my head, the system chirped, "Hey, I want some scrambled eggs."

I lowered my gaze as I sliced the ham. "Okay."

Ryan sounded like he was briefing an assistant. "From now on, I'll be at the office on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. I'll be home the rest of the time. I don't want you coming to the office to find me."

The system wailed in protest inside my head. "I don't want cheese! I want spaghetti!"

I smiled faintly. "Okay."

Ryan frowned as he watched me finish my milk, push back my chair, and stand.

"Tasha."

I glanced over my shoulder. "Yes?"

He studied me. "You used to be less obedient. What's wrong with you today?"

Honestly, his little speeches hadn't registered at all.

"Nothing," I said with a smile. "Maybe good things are coming."

Ryan adjusted his tie, yet the tight line of his mouth betrayed his frustration. Even agreeing to marry me clearly went against every fiber of his being.

I smiled slightly. "Hey, Ryan? Can you at least wish me a safe return?"

He blinked, snapping back to reality. After a moment, he said, "Come back safely."

"Thanks."

I turned and walked out.

The system was snarky. "That was boring. I thought he'd refuse."

…

I'd been here seven years, and the city's crime rate was fairly manageable. Violent incidents were rare. I never expected my last call as a cop would hit me like this.

It was a brutal kidnapping. The kidnappers demanded 30 million dollars and a van to escape the city.

By the time I arrived, a light rain was falling.

Amy Miller, my partner, sat at the foot of the stairs. Her eyes were red when she saw me.

"Tasha, the negotiator already went in. The kidnappers want to swap the hostage," she said.

"Swap the hostage?"

"Yes, the current hostage is a pregnant woman."

The team went silent.

If the kidnappers agreed to switch hostages, we'd have to take the replacement.

"So, has someone been chosen?" I asked.

Amy bit her lip. "They want a woman."

Among the team, only Amy and I were female officers.

Amy's husband worked in homicide and had been injured recently. He was still in the hospital. I unstrapped my gun and handed it to her.

"I know. I'll do it."

The system screamed in my head, "Tasha, this is not a joke. If you die, you can't go back!"

I couldn't let Amy go in. She had been with me longer than Ryan had over these seven years. We were the best partners. Amy collapsed into my arms, sobbing. "Tasha, I'm sorry. I know you're getting married, I'm sorry, but James is still in the hospital…"

"I know," I said, patting her shoulder before stepping out into the rain.

The factory on the outskirts of the city was abandoned.

Through the drizzle, I could see the woman cradled in the kidnapper's arms. Her face was pale, but her beauty shone through the blood. Her long dark hair clung to her cheeks, and her wide eyes were filled with pleading.

She pressed her hands to her belly, trembling. "Please, help me. I'm pregnant. I'm carrying the Jamison family heir."

My heart skipped a beat.

The system reminded me, "It's Elaine."

I met her eyes through the rain and felt an odd, complicated twist in my chest.

The kidnappers drove the knife into her, and crimson blood poured over her skin.

"Get over here, or I'll send her to hell!"

Elaine's eyes widened in terror as she looked at me. "Tasha, please, I can't die. Ryan will go crazy. If he finds out you didn't save me, he'll hate you forever…"

She knew who I was. I glanced at Amy and sighed. Then, I walked toward the kidnapper.

When the blade hovered at my throat, Elaine stumbled, then scrambled into the safety of the police perimeter.

Only the kidnapper and I remained.

"I want the car!" he barked.

Before I got in, the captain gave me a subtle nod. According to the plan, they would track the vehicle's route.

All I had to do was buy some time and cooperate until they could take him down.

My hands were tied as I was thrown into the passenger seat. Just before the door slammed shut, I saw Ryan breaking through the crowd, throwing his arms around an unconscious Elaine.

…

The car sped down the empty highway. The rope rubbed my wrists raw until blood began to drip down my hands.

As the last police car disappeared into the rain, the kidnapper gave a cold laugh. "Stop waiting. They're not coming for you."

"What do you mean?" I asked. My voice was trembling.

He turned on the radio, humming along with the static. The radio broadcast was playing Elaine's interview.

Her voice quivered over the broadcast. She sounded as if she'd been deeply shaken. "I heard the kidnappers say they were meeting at Southgate. Please, you have to save her!"

But in reality, we were speeding toward Northville.

Soon after, all the police units were redirected to Southgate.

The kidnappers took me to a rundown house in the countryside.

One of them pulled out a dagger and sneered. "Ms. Woods is much prettier than you. I have no idea what Mr. Jamison sees in you."

Even a fool would realize then that he and Elaine were working together.

I dodged his blade and pleaded, "Please, just let me make a call."

He scoffed. "Who exactly are you planning to call? Your captain? Keep dreaming."

"Ryan," I said.

The kidnapper burst into laughter and kicked me hard. "Officer Cullen, are you serious? Do you really think you matter that much to Mr. Jamison?"

He grabbed a fistful of my hair and pressed my phone against my face. "Go on then. Let's see."

After a few rings, the call was cut off.

That seemed to excite him even more. He dialed again. Ryan hung up once more.

The kidnapper's eyes glimmered with twisted amusement as he kept calling and watching my expression, trying to catch a glimpse of despair.

I didn't give him what he wanted.

Frustrated, he plunged the dagger into my lower back. Pain shot through me, and I let out a muffled groan.

He leaned in until his breath brushed against my neck. "How about a little game? Tell Mr. Jamison where you are. If he doesn't make it here in 30 minutes, you'll bleed out right where you stand."

Warm blood trickled down my back, seeping into my uniform.

At last, the call connected.

Ryan's cold voice came through. "What is it?"

My teeth chattered from the pain. "He's in Northville—"

"Who?" he asked.

"The suspect. He kidnapped me. I'm with him now," I said.

There was a long pause before Ryan spoke again. "Tasha, is this your idea of a joke?"

I coughed up blood, barely able to form words. "Ryan—"

He cut me off. "Enough!"

It was the first time he had ever spoken to me in such a sharp, cutting tone.

"There's something I never told you," he said, barely holding back his anger. "Elaine is my bottom line. Don't use a stunt like this to test my feelings. If you're jealous, stay put in Northville. I never asked you to risk your life for her."

The sound of a blade piercing flesh echoed.

He stabbed me again.

The pain was unbearable.

"It hurts," I gasped. Tears were streaming down my face. Clutching the phone like it was my only lifeline, I begged as if reaching for salvation. "Ryan, will you marry me? Please, come for me. Please."

Ryan paused for a few seconds, and when he finally spoke, his voice was icier than ever. "Elaine's pregnant. My promises mean nothing now."

Just then, a clear chime sounded.

"Task objective achieved: Be rejected by the male lead one hundred times.

"Congratulations, Tasha. You've completed your mission.

"Reward calculation in progress…

"Calculation complete.

"Mission reward: 80 million dollars. Severe injury compensation: 30 million dollars. Total: 110 million dollars.

"Special reward: Talent Point – Police Intuition.

"Countdown: three seconds until world exit. Welcome back to reality. Have a pleasant day."