After my family’s bankruptcy, my eerie former follower took me to his tiny apartment. Used to luxury, I scorned the poor food and cramped space. To support me, he worked eight jobs daily—his gaze growing darker each time he watched me. When I finally snapped and prepared to storm out, glowing text appeared in my vision: [Just leave, stupid villainess. Abandon the only person who can restore your fortune.] [Later, she crawls back after learning he could’ve helped her. So pathetic. Then—car crash. The end.] [Go on, throw your tantrum! Our sweet heroine needs you gone to win the male lead~] I froze at "restore your fortune." "Is the food bad again?" he asked coldly. My hand, mid-slam, hesitated. "...Adequate," I muttered. 1 To show my sincerity, I scooped up a large spoonful of porridge and stuffed it in my mouth. I didn’t realize that while the surface had cooled, the porridge beneath was still scalding hot. I flinched in pain. "Adrian Denton! Why didn't you let this cool down before serving it to me!" Tears welled in my eyes. I stuck out my reddened tongue, glaring at him accusingly, completely forgetting my plan to be nice to him for the sake of my inheritance. [I thought the villainess had changed, but nope, still a drama queen! Even if she doesn't leave, the male lead will get sick of her eventually!] Reading that comment, my arrogant bravado deflated. I was just about to stammer out an apology when Adrian turned and walked away from the table without a word. Panic seized me. I stood there, helpless and frozen. I only snapped out of it when a hand tilted my chin up. Adrian's gaze, quiet and intense, was fixed on one point. Realizing where he was looking, I tried to retract my trembling, red tongue. An ice cube touched my lips, his fingertips brushing against them. "Keep it in your mouth." Who gave you permission to order me around? I puffed out my cheeks in protest but, for once, held my tongue. Adrian’s time was limited. After cooking for me, he would quickly wolf down a few bites himself before rushing off to his next part-time job. Before he left, he stared at me for a long moment, his voice low and deliberate. "Wait for me to come back, okay?" I felt a twinge of guilt. If it weren't for those comments, I would have already stormed out in a righteous huff. But now... running away like a coward wasn't my style. In Adrian's eyes, my guilty silence was an admission of my plans. His face darkened, and he strode back, clamping his hand around my wrist. "I'm not going. Helena Vaughn, don't even think about leaving." I was on the verge of tears. Our quality of life was already abysmal with him working eight jobs a day. What would happen if he skipped a whole afternoon of work? "I'm not leaving! Adrian, do you still want to buy me designer bags or not? Get to work, now!" After finally shooing him out the door, I collapsed onto the rock-hard bed. The thought of enduring more days like this made me burst into genuine tears. Sob... If I had known, I would have rather died than go home with Adrian that day. 2 For the first twenty-some years of my life, I had everything I could ever want. I was Helena Vaughn, the cherished heiress of the city's wealthiest family. I was surrounded by an entourage who catered to my every whim. Adrian Denton was the quietest, most unlikable one in the group. As a student my family sponsored, he was quite handsome, and normally I would have enjoyed having someone like that around. But he was utterly incapable of flattery, choosing instead to just stare at me with those somber, unsettling eyes. His constant gaze made me uncomfortable, and I had publicly humiliated him several times because of it. Then, my father's business went bankrupt, and he was framed and thrown in jail. My former followers moved into my home, and I was thrown out onto the street barefoot. My so-called friends and classmates just laughed at my misfortune. My entourage, threatened by the new powers that be, didn't dare to help me. Shivering in the cold wind, I was subjected to a level of mockery I had never known. Just as I was sinking into despair, Adrian found me. He gently brushed the dirt and gravel from my feet and, without a word, lifted me onto his back. The hands of this gloomy, cold man were searing hot against my thighs. I sniffled. "What are you doing here? Come to laugh at me, too?" His reply was brief. "I'll take care of you from now on." "Why?" The words tumbled out before I could stop them. "I was so awful to you." I regretted it instantly. Someone was finally here to rescue me, and I was about to freeze to death. After a long pause, Adrian finally spoke. "I'm just repaying a debt. Don't overthink it." I was surprised. He actually had a conscience. Shivering, I clung tightly to his back. Adrian looked thin, but his broad shoulders shielded me completely from the wind. He carried me with a steady, unwavering gait, and a strange emotion began to stir within me. I felt an inexplicable urge to cry. I tilted my head up and said, trying to sound nonchalant, "Well... I suppose I'll allow you to take care of me. For now." 3 It was only later that I figured it out. That strange emotion must have been gratitude. I was hardly ever grateful to anyone. Since birth, I could have anything I wanted. All the best things in the world were supposed to be mine, so why would I need to be thankful? As a result, my capacity for gratitude was extremely weak. After just one day with Adrian, I was filled with regret and on the verge of a meltdown. When Adrian brought me a glass of water, I sneered, "Did you boil toilet water and decide it was drinkable?" When he cooked for me, I scoffed, "Cheap ingredients combined with your abysmal cooking skills. This is the garbage of all garbage." I complained all day, right up until bedtime. The moment I lay down, I burst into tears. How could a bed be this hard! Adrian piled everything he could find underneath me, but I still couldn't sleep. After tossing and turning, I finally sat up. "Hey, stop sleeping on the floor. Get up here." Adrian's breathing hitched. "Don't be ridiculous, Helena. How could I sleep with you?" Everyone else called me "Miss Vaughn." Only Adrian refused. His defiance only fueled my own. "I don't care! I want you to be my human mattress!" He didn't move or speak. I pouted. "Fine. If you don't come up here, I'm not sleeping." I sat cross-legged on the bed, ready for a standoff. Moonlight streamed through the window, and I saw a flicker of conflict on his face. Finally, he relented. "Just... don't move around too much. And I won't either, of course..." Adrian cautioned. But I had already picked my spot. I curled up expertly and wrapped my arms around him. Adrian's voice caught in his throat. I felt much better. I used to sleep hugging my giant polar bear plushie. Adrian wasn't as soft, but he was about the same size. My mood lifted. "Good night," I announced, and promptly fell into a deep sleep. In my dream, the plushie in my arms grew warmer and warmer, like a little furnace. It was so cozy. I hugged it even tighter. 4 From then on, I always slept in the same bed as Adrian. Tonight was no different. Adrian, looking exhausted, brought me a basin of water for my feet. "Wash up and get into bed. I'll dump this for you after I shower." The pop-up comments exploded. [Is this villainess for real?! She eats his food, lives in his house, and still makes him dump her foot water? She should be washing his feet!] [Ugh, when is our sweet heroine going to show up? Only she will truly care for our male lead.] [Soon, soon! Then the shameless villainess can get kicked out and live on the streets!] I was a bit stunned. People had always washed my feet for me; I was used to it. It never occurred to me that there was anything wrong with Adrian doing it. I mentally kicked myself. I had just resolved to be nicer to him today. So, I got out of bed and clumsily emptied the basin myself. Water splashed onto my hands, and I wrinkled my nose in disgust, washing them several times over. When I returned, Adrian was just getting out of the shower. He froze when he saw me with the empty basin. "Why did you empty it yourself?" I pouted. "Because I felt like it." Once in bed, Adrian habitually tried to pull me into his arms. I refused. I thought to myself, I emptied the water, and I'm not making you my mattress. That's good enough, right? He won't kick me out now. Unexpectedly, Adrian sat up, his face dark, his eyes glinting ominously. "Helena, what's wrong with you today?" I felt incredibly wronged. I was being so nice to him, and he was still scolding me. I snapped, "I'll sleep how I want to sleep! Is there a problem?" At my words, his eyes turned red, and his expression became even more terrifying. He gripped my wrist so tightly it left a red mark. "Helena, do you think I'm a toy? Something you can just toss aside when you're done with it?" He guessed right.
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