Chapter 1
At my own wedding, in front of all our friends and family, Pedro Lynn laid out his condition for marrying me: I had to adopt the child he’d had with his childhood sweetheart, Lily. At that exact moment, the System finally announced my failure.
“Useless. I gave you ninety-nine chances, and you still couldn’t win him over.”
“A dog would’ve been more useful. Get lost. You’re fired.”
“The hero is about to have a child with his true love. You’ll never get near him again. This is your punishment for failing your mission.”
After chewing me out, the System vanished for good.
I, however, couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
Goodbye to my bloodsucking parents in my old world.
Goodbye to a toxic hero with a twisted moral compass.
Tch. Who wanted to win him over anyway?
1
From now on, I’ll be enjoying this lonely, luxurious life with my old-money parents.
Once I was sure the System was truly gone, tears streamed down my face.
No one knew the agony I’d endured these past seven years because of this so-called “conquest mission.”
Everyone knew me as Stella Sterling, the only daughter of Crestfall City’s wealthiest man, the apple of his eye. A princess, born to rule.
Yet, for Pedro Lynn, I had become nothing more than a dog.
f he said east, I’d never dare go west.
f he told me to kneel and shine his shoes, I had to do it with a grateful smile.
But not anymore.
Never again.
Seeing the tears on my face, Pedro thought he had me cornered. He sneered, “Stella, you’d better think this through. Once you agree, this child will have the right to inherit the Sterling family fortune.”
‘I don’t want any nasty rumors calling my child a bastard,” he continued, his voice dripping with condescens- on. “Even though this baby was an accident between Lily and me, he is still the firstborn grandson of the Lynn family.”
Chapter T
“I want you to answer carefully. Because if you agree, Lily will also be moving in. As the child’s birth mother, I think she’s better suited to care for him than you are.”
I stared at Pedro’s cruel, sharp features, a familiar ache twisting in my chest. For seven years, the mission had forced me to worship him, to place him on a pedestal. But to him, I was always disposable. He had hum-
iliated me in public countless times, grinding my dignity into the dust without a second thought. And becau- se of the System, no matter how outrageous his actions, I always forgave him unconditionally.
But not this time.
I lifted my chin, meeting his smug, expectant gaze, and smiled. “In that case, let’s break up. You two should
get married.”
‘After all,” I added sweetly, “you wouldn’t want your son with Lily Reed to be illegitimate, would you?”
Pedro’s face went black. He never imagined I would defy him so publicly. A choked, furious laugh escapec
nis lips. “Stella Sterling, you’ve got some nerve.”
‘Fine. If you won’t agree, the wedding is off.” He spat the words out. “Stella, remember this. You forced my
hand.”
‘I’m leaving. Don’t come crawling back to me like a pathetic dog, begging for me to take you back.”
