My eyes fluttered open to a new world and an old notification. [Dead yet? If not, get over here and apologize. If Spencer forgives you, I’ll consider not dumping you.] I mentally grabbed the System by its digital collar and demanded an explanation. …Right. So, the original owner of this body completed the 100 tasks for the female lead and has returned to his own world to save his lover. Then I brought you in. I clutched my head, a silent scream echoing in my mind. “I asked you to find me a world with women, not a world with a toxic nightmare!” Calm down. I never said you had to stay with her. This place is full of beautiful women. Besides, the last guy left behind an eight-figure bank account, completely untouched. I brought you here to live a little. Or a lot. Tens of millions? Suddenly, I was feeling much better. My phone buzzed again. A new text from the same number. [You have thirty minutes. Get to this suite. And you’d better mean the apology. Don’t be stubborn.] My fingers flew across the screen. [Previous owner of this number is deceased. This is his ghost. You’ve been blocked. Boo.] 1 [?] [You’re dead? So a ghost is texting me back?] [Don’t play these childish games, Leo. You know my patience is thin.] Tsk. Technically, if the System hadn’t pulled me in the second the original soul left, this body would be dead. I wasn’t even lying. But whatever. I’d seen this script a thousand times. The “100 tasks” she’d set were undoubtedly a parade of humiliations. At best, it was kneeling in the rain at midnight. At worst, it was donating a kidney on a whim. Classic martyr-complex fiction. The System’s taste was truly depraved. The thought of dealing with a woman like that turned my stomach. And why should I? I was rich now! Tens of millions! “System, buddy, pal. Check my accounts. What are we talking, exactly?” One sec… Eighty million… What’s with that look? You’re going to spend it right now? I nearly launched the pillow into the ceiling. “Spend it? Of course, I’m gonna spend it! Money you don’t spend is just paper! Find me the biggest, most decadent, over-the-top luxury club in this city. I want the one with the highest-quality models!” “I’m ordering eight at once!” I’d been poor my entire last life. It was finally my turn to be the guy who buys the bar. 2 I showered and styled myself into a vision of cool intensity, choosing a wickedly handsome dark red silk shirt. I did a few turns in front of the full-length mirror. The body was fantastic—broad shoulders, long legs. Just like my original. Satisfied. As I was about to head out, my phone rang. An unsaved number. I answered it. “Leo, it’s been half an hour. Where are you?” “Don’t think you can do whatever you want just because you’re my boyfriend. When you do something wrong, you apologize. Have you forgotten how to be a decent human being?” The disdain and impatience in her voice were so thick you could cut them with a knife. Ah, so this was the toxic ex. What a drag. But my mood was too good to be ruined. I could afford to be generous with an explanation. “Listen, lady, your boyfriend checked out. Permanently. I’m just the ghost possessing his body, so no, I won’t be coming.” “As of this moment, you and this body have zero connection. Lose my number. Bye!” I hung up, blocked the number, and ran a hand through my hair. I slipped on my leather shoes. “Let’s roll! To The Platinum Club!” 3 When I told the manager I wanted his most extravagant VIP suite and his most expensive hostesses, the man’s smile nearly split his face. He personally escorted me, promising to bring his top talent over shortly. I was grinning just as wide. I’d never experienced this kind of luxury before. But before we even reached the suite, a voice cut through the plush hallway. “Well, well, look who it is. Leo.” A man I didn’t recognize swaggered toward me. “I thought you had some backbone. All that talk about not coming, and here you are, crawling back with your tail between your legs.” He cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled towards a nearby suite. “Meredith! Your man’s here!” I gave the guy a once-over. Dressed well enough, but he had the forgettable face of a background character. A moment later, a whole entourage spilled out of the adjacent suite. One of them started clapping. “I won! See, I told you! He’s trained like Meredith’s little puppy. He might throw a little tantrum, but in the end, he always comes when he’s called.” He held out his hand to another man. “Ten grand. Pay up.” The other guy sighed, pulling out his phone to make the transfer with a sour look. A man and a woman emerged from the center of the group. Judging by their looks and the way the others parted for them, they were the main event. The woman’s face was a mask of derision. “So you decided to show up? I was actually starting to believe you were dead.” I took in the scene and pinged the System. “System, who are these clowns? Is that the female lead?” …Yes. I had no idea she was here. So that was Meredith. Which meant the guy standing a little too close to her must be the Spencer she’d mentioned. But— What did that have to do with me? I gave her a cheerful smile and an “OK” sign with my hand. “You got it. You should absolutely consider me dead.” “From now on, when you see me, you’re seeing a ghost. Just pretend you can’t see me, okay?” I turned to enter my suite, but a hand shot out and grabbed my arm. Meredith’s face was stony. “You’re not going to apologize?” “Why would I apologize?” “You knew Spencer was allergic to mangoes, yet you ordered a fruit platter with mango on it. He almost went into anaphylactic shock. You don’t think you should apologize for that?” I almost laughed. “He knew he was allergic to mangoes, yet he ate from a fruit platter with mango on it. Is he an idiot?” A strange, awkward silence fell over the hallway. It was broken by a cloyingly sweet voice. Spencer’s. “Meredith, don’t be too hard on Leo. I’m sure he didn’t do it on purpose. It was dark in the suite, and I just… I ate it by mistake. Let’s just drop it.” I immediately jumped on it. “You hear that? The professional victim himself said he ate it by mistake. Are you insane for trying to pin this on me?” “Let go. Let. Go.” I shook my arm hard, dislodging her grip. When I looked up, the expressions on everyone’s faces were priceless. Spencer pointed at himself, his face a picture of disbelief. “…Did you just call me a professional victim?” “Oh, sorry, I have no filter. Besides, you look a little green around the gills. Is there a problem?” “Leo, that’s enough!” Meredith’s voice was sharp. “If you didn’t want to apologize, why did you even come here?” “To beg me not to break up with you?” “Is this how you beg?” I crossed my arms, relaxed, and narrowed my eyes. “Beg for what? Lady, this is The Platinum Club. It’s the most exclusive gentlemen’s club in the city. What do you think I’m here for?” As if on cue, the manager returned, followed by a line of stunningly beautiful women, each one a different type. The manager bowed obsequiously. “Mr. Pierce, I’ve brought the ladies. Are they to your satisfaction?” The hallway went dead silent. I let my gaze sweep over the lineup, and my eyes lit up. “Perfect! Absolutely perfect! Bring them all inside!” I told the manager to take them to the suite and to open a few bottles of his best champagne. When I turned back, Meredith and her entire crew were frozen in place, staring as if they’d seen a ghost. For real, this time. 4 Just as I was about to step into paradise, my arm was grabbed for a second time. Again? Meredith’s voice was a low growl through gritted teeth. “Leo, did you come here to hire escorts?!” I rolled my eyes so hard I thought they might get stuck. “None of your damn business. I already told you, I’m not your boyfriend. Go hang out with your little lapdog Spencer and leave me alone.” I tried to pull away, but her grip was tight. So I lifted my leather shoe and brought the heel down hard on her foot. I didn’t hold back. Meredith’s face went white, and she instantly let go. She looked like she wanted to scream but choked it down, her expression twisting in pain, her lips pressed into a thin, trembling line. “Fine, Leo. Just… fine.” “Don’t you dare come crawling back to me, begging for forgiveness. Let’s go!” Meredith waved a hand dismissively, turning on her heel and storming back to her suite, her crew trailing behind her like confused ducklings. A few of them cast lingering, curious glances back, clearly wanting to see how the rest of the drama would unfold. I gave them a very impolite middle finger and strode majestically into my suite. Damn, this place really was the city’s temple of indulgence. The quality of the women was unreal. Sexy, sweet, all of them with killer figures. They cooed “Leo” and “honey” until my heart melted. I popped six bottles of champagne, my hands finding their way around plenty of slender waists. I grabbed the microphone and launched into a passionate, off-key karaoke session. The women were incredibly supportive, listening with rapt attention as if I were a rock god, even though I sounded like a dying animal. My soaring high notes occasionally drew curious onlookers to the door of my suite. Whatever. A true artist always draws a crowd. I had my arm around the sexiest, spiciest woman in the room, completely lost in the song. Just as I was about to hit the crescendo, the door was kicked open with a thunderous crash. At that exact moment, the seven women surrounding me pulled the strings on confetti cannons they’d been holding. A shower of glittering streamers and flower petals exploded across the room, covering the intruder from head to toe. The group of people standing in the doorway gasped. Meredith stood there, trembling with rage. “Leo, get over here right now!” Her again? This woman was like a dog with a bone. I patted the woman next to me on the shoulder, signaling her to release me. “Lady, you’re seriously a ghost I can’t shake. What is it now?” 5 Without a word, Meredith strode forward and tried to pull me toward the door. “You’re coming with me!” “Hey! Hey! What are you doing? Don’t touch me! To me, my darlings! Protect your king!” The eight women immediately swarmed, pulling me back and forming a protective human wall in front of me. With enough money, even models could become my personal army. Behind Meredith, her sycophantic friends were whispering. “Has he completely lost his mind?” “How dare he push her like this? Meredith is going to explode.” “This is a new tactic, I guess. The nice guy act wasn’t working, so now he’s playing hard to get?” Meredith’s face was a shade of livid green. “If your goal today was to piss me off, then congratulations, you’ve succeeded.” “Get out here!” I was speechless. This was absurd. “Are you crazy? I’m paying for this. Why would I leave?” “Is your face prettier than theirs? Is your waist smaller? No? Then could you please get lost? You’re ruining the mood.” Meredith slammed her palm against the doorframe. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll actually break up with you?” Huh? So we weren’t broken up yet? “Oh my god, please! Yes! Let’s break up! Do it! From now on, just pretend I don’t exist, okay?” Spencer stepped forward, placing a hand on Meredith’s arm. “Meredith, don’t be angry. He’s just throwing a tantrum. He’s your boyfriend, after all. He feels like he can act out with you. It’s normal for him to be a little childish~” Nice one, Mr. Passive-Aggressive. Fan those flames. Meredith’s cheeks puffed out with rage. “Have I been too easy on you? If you don’t come out of there right now, you can forget about ever being with me again!” God, I wished she would believe me. I really, truly was not her submissive “boyfriend.” I was a ghost. A squatter. But honestly, in a situation like this, who would believe that? I cupped my hands around my mouth and yelled, “ARE YOU DEAF? I SAID LET’S BREAK UP!” “LEO! DON’T YOU REGRET THIS!” “WHOEVER REGRETS IT IS A DOG!” Meredith’s face cycled through shades of green and purple, as if she’d been poisoned. After a long, tense standoff, she stomped her foot so hard that her friends behind her flinched. She shot me one last, fiery glare, then turned and stormed away, grinding her teeth. What a waste of my time. Ten whole minutes. 6 I ignored the drama and went back to drinking with the lovely ladies in my suite. By the time we were done, it was midnight. I staggered out of the room, fumbling for my phone to order a car. I hadn’t even gotten a firm grip on it when I stumbled headfirst into a woman’s shoulder. The phone clattered to the floor, the screen shattering into a spiderweb of cracks. Shit. I was about to look up and give her a piece of my mind when I was blinded by a divine light. Oh, my god. I’d run into an angel. My vocabulary failed me. I had no words to describe how beautiful this woman was. In one glance, I had already planned out which college our future children would attend. The manager had been holding out on me. How dare he not bring this goddess to my suite? I made a decision. I would buy her freedom. Then I’d build her a golden palace and we’d make love day and night. I leaned against her, feigning helplessness, and poked her shoulder with my finger. “You little devil. You broke my phone. Now I can’t even call a car to get home.” “As punishment, you’ll have to drive me.” I waited for a moment, but she didn’t move. I glanced up again. Our eyes met. Her face was backlit, making it impossible to read her expression. Playing hard to get. She must be new here. I raised my hand to tilt her chin up, but she caught my wrist mid-air. “Are you harassing me?” “Tsk. This isn’t harassment, darling. This is flirting.” Quick as a flash, I snatched the brooch from her uniform and gave her my most charmingly fake smile. “Baby, you take me home, and I’ll give this back to you. How about it?” The woman stared at me for a long moment, then a very faint, very small smile touched her lips. A musical voice slipped from her throat. “Fine.” 7 I had seriously overestimated myself. I imagined that when we got home, the beauty and I would get up to all sorts of things, exploring every position, a battle of passion lasting three hundred rounds. Instead, my useless body passed out cold in the car. Pathetic. The next morning, I woke up with a pounding headache to find the woman sitting perfectly composed in an armchair across from my bed, her legs crossed, watching me with a curious gaze. She was fully dressed. I peeked under the covers. My clothes were still on. Damn. Missed my chance. …But it was fine. There would be other opportunities. I gave her a reassuring smile. “Morning, beautiful. Where are we?” Her expression was unreadable. She ignored my question. “Do you know who I am?” “Hey, don’t be shy. Working at a club is nothing to be ashamed of. I’ve got money. I can buy out your contract. All you have to do is promise to be my little kitten.” “By the way, what’s your name?” The woman arched an eyebrow. “Sloane.” Wow. Even her name was sweet. I liked it. “Excellent. From now on, you’re my one and only.” Sloane’s lips curved into a smile that completely captivated me. She leaned back leisurely into the armchair. “As I recall, Mr. Pierce, you already have a girlfriend, don’t you?” “What? No! That’s slander! Not true!” I delivered the three denials with conviction. “Don’t you worry. I’m single now. You are absolutely not the other woman. No one’s going to call you a homewrecker.” The words were barely out of my mouth when someone started knocking on the front door. The knocking grew more and more frantic. Who the hell delivers packages this early? I got out of bed to answer it, playfully patting Sloane’s thigh as I passed. “You just wait here for me, kitten.” The moment I opened the door, my good mood evaporated. Meredith was leaning against the wall, her eyes flicking up to meet mine. “Are you over it yet?” “If you are, you can unblock me now.” 8 I was dumbfounded. “Wait, why are you here? Didn’t we agree that whoever came crawling back was a dog?” She pushed herself off the wall, her expression a mix of exasperation and something that looked disturbingly like affection. “Woof. Happy now?” “I know you just did all that yesterday to make me angry. I’ll let the thing with Spencer go. We’ll just forget about it. But I don’t want it to happen again.” “And I take back what I said about breaking up. You love me too much. Breaking up with you would kill you. I could never do that to you.” “Now, unblock me. Be good.” She moved to hug me. I shoved her away and ran my hands through my hair in frustration, a torrent of curses flowing through my mind. “Look, lady, you’re a narcissist. You’re not exactly short on guys. Why are you so obsessed with me?” “To you, the old Leo was just a toy you could pick up and put down whenever you wanted. Do us both a favor and just pretend you don’t know me, okay? I seriously want nothing to do with you.” “You’re exhausting.” Meredith’s expression tightened for a second, but then she relaxed, letting out a low chuckle. “Still this angry?” “I guess I really have spoiled you. I used to make you stand in the rain for half an hour to go buy a cake for Spencer, and you wouldn’t say a word. Now I just ask for an apology, and you throw a fit like this.” “Alright, stop sulking. We can—” Her words died in her throat. Her face darkened instantly. “Leo, who is she?!” I turned to see Sloane standing behind me, one hand in her pocket, her expression cool and detached. “Hey, I told you to wait in the room. Why’d you come out?” She tilted her chin toward Meredith. “You said you were single. Who’s this?” I chuckled, trying to push Sloane back into the bedroom. “Nobody. Don’t know her. Not important. You go wait for me, I’ll be right—” My arm was seized in a vise-like grip. Meredith’s face was as black as thunder. “Don’t know me?” “Leo, I casually mentioned I wanted a good luck charm from that ridiculously hard-to-reach monastery on Mount Astor, and you climbed thousands of steps to get it for me. I said I was craving a pastry from Le Renard, and you got up at four in the morning to drive to the other side of the city and beg the owner to open early for you. I even made you get on your knees and polish Spencer’s shoes, and you agreed without a second thought. You said you would die for me, that you’d do anything I asked.” “You love me that much, and now you’re standing here, telling some random woman you don’t know me?” 9 A moment ago, she was just an annoying insect I wanted to swat away. But hearing her say those things—using another man’s devotion as a weapon in an argument—disgusted me to my core. She had no right. My playful demeanor vanished. I looked at Sloane and spoke seriously. “Go back inside.” Then I turned and stepped out into the hallway, pulling the door partially shut behind me. “Let’s talk.” Perhaps startled by the sudden coldness in my voice, Meredith released my arm, though her eyes were still sharp with anger. “Who is she? Why is she in your apartment? Don’t you think you owe me an explanation?” “Fine. I’ll explain.” I leaned against the door, my eyes locked on hers. “Have you ever heard of transmigration? Body-snatching? Demonic possession?” I paused, giving her a moment to process before continuing. “I am not your boyfriend. I’m a soul from another world, occupying this body. The body’s original owner is no longer in this world. This place was never his home to begin with; he’s returned to where he belongs. As far as you’re concerned, he’s dead. His soul is gone. You will never find him again.” “Understand?” Meredith stared at me, blankly at first. Then a short, sharp laugh escaped her lips. “Leo, you’ll really make up any excuse to cheat on me, won’t you? Do you hear yourself? Does any of that sound remotely believable?” “No. But it’s the truth.” Once you’ve crossed universes, the concept of ‘believable’ kind of goes out the window. “If you’re going to lie, at least make it a good one! Do you think this is some kind of fantasy novel?!” Her voice rose, echoing in the quiet hallway. I rubbed my ear, my expression flat. “Don’t get hysterical. I’m just stating the facts.” “Don’t you think I’ve changed? You said it yourself: the old Leo did whatever you said. But look at me. Since last night, have I been anything but disgusted by you? Can’t you tell the difference between a lover’s pout and genuine, deep-seated revulsion?” Meredith’s face slowly went rigid. “And another thing. Leo—the original owner of this body—was never in love with you. You thought he was hopelessly devoted, that he’d move heaven and earth for you. That was never about you. He was just completing tasks.” “He felt nothing for you. What you saw as undying love was, to him, a series of cold, impersonal objectives on a checklist.” “No matter how humiliating, how degrading, as long as he could do it, none of it mattered. To him, those hardships were a gift from God.” “Because once he completed your 100 tasks, the woman he loved in his own world would wake from her coma. He could go back to her, and they could live out the rest of their lives together.” “And you? You were just a supporting character in a dream he was having. And who remembers every face they see in a dream?” Meredith was silent. She searched my face, desperately looking for any flicker of deceit, any sign that I was lying. But slowly, her lips pressed into a thin, hard line. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. I don’t believe you.” “You’re just saying this because of that woman. What did she do to you? What kind of poison did she feed you to make you say these things?” She was still questioning me, but the conviction in her voice was gone. Every word I spoke was a hammer blow against the walls she’d built around herself. “Fine. You don’t believe me.” “Let me ask you this. You claim he loved you. Did he ever once, voluntarily, show you any affection? Did you ever hear him say the words ‘I love you’?” Meredith’s pupils contracted sharply. 10 The System told me the original Leo was one of life’s unlucky ones. His parents died when he was young. Relatives kept their distance; no one wanted to take him in. He grew up in an orphanage, where he had one friend, a girl he’d known his whole life. They scraped by together, sharing leftover food, and against all odds, they fell in love and planned a future. Then a car accident took her from him. The System said that when its colleague found Leo, he was standing on a bridge, his face devoid of all expression, about to jump. When he learned he could go to another world and bring his love back to life, he was ecstatic. He would have done anything. It wasn’t just about completing tasks; he would have traded his life for hers in a heartbeat. So for him, Meredith’s demands—things that would be soul-crushing for any normal person—were barely an inconvenience. Buying her pastries at 4 a.m.? He’d been forced to stand outside all night in the cold at the orphanage as punishment. Kneeling to polish Spencer’s shoes? He’d knelt on the floor and eaten scraps others had thrown away. Even being mocked as Meredith’s pathetic lapdog, being bullied and slandered by her friends—he endured it all with a genuine, heartfelt joy. Because every insult, every humiliation, brought him one step closer to the day his love would wake up. Meredith stood before me, stunned and speechless. “Finished reminiscing? Does any of that ring a bell?” Meredith stammered, “He was just… shy. He wasn’t good at expressing himself…” “Okay, let’s say he was shy. I’ll ask you another question. Did he ever let you touch him?” More silence. “Physical attraction, real desire, is an urge. It’s an uncontrollable need to be close, to touch, to share every little moment of your day, every meal you eat.” “Think back. Did Leo ever once initiate holding your hand? A hug? A kiss? Any kind of intimacy?” “Now, scroll through your text history. Besides responding to your demands, did he ever once reach out to you to share anything about his life?” I’d seen the chat logs. The original Leo had never even sent Meredith a “good morning” or “good night” text. Meredith’s face was ashen. She pulled out her phone, her thumb swiping frantically across the screen. The more she scrolled, the more panicked her expression became. “Impossible… I don’t believe it. You have to be lying.” “If he didn’t love me, why would he agree to be my boyfriend?!” I scoffed. “All he did was agree. He nodded his head and completed another task. Why wouldn’t he?” “You keep saying you don’t believe me, but haven’t you noticed? You’re already referring to him as ‘he,’ not as me.” “Your subconscious already accepts it. You’re just too stubborn to admit it.” “So, I hope you won’t come looking for me again. Instead of wasting your time harassing me, maybe you should use it to mourn the man who never loved you in the first place.” Meredith’s carefully constructed composure finally cracked. Her eyes lost focus, a flicker of terror in their depths. I’d said my piece. I turned, went back inside, and closed the door, shutting out her lost and bewildered gaze. 11 I leaned against the back of the door and took a deep breath. Don’t get angry. Don’t get angry. Wasting my energy on a toxic narcissist wasn’t worth it. Besides, there was a goddess in my bedroom. I slapped my cheeks a few times, plastered a brilliant smile on my face, and walked back into the room. Sloane was still sitting in the armchair, her legs crossed, her head propped on one hand. Her eyes, filled with an amused curiosity, followed me as I entered. “All done?” “Done. So done. She’s a nobody, a piece of static. Don’t even give her a second thought. You’re the one who matters to me.” “Now, let’s get back to our previous conversation. Will you be my little kitten? You’ll never have to work at The Platinum Club again. I’ll give you this much a month.” I held up ten fingers. “A hundred thousand. Is that enough?” Sloane narrowed her eyes, a soft, almost imperceptible laugh humming in her throat. What was that? Not enough? I’d never been a sugar daddy before; I had no idea what the going rate was. “Um… if that’s too low, the price is negotiable.” As long as it wasn’t completely insane, I could probably swing it. Sloane uncrossed her legs, leaning forward and resting her elbows on her knees, bringing her closer to me. “I’d heard that the notoriously difficult heiress of the Vance family had a hopelessly devoted suitor, a man willing to die for her. A true romantic legend. But seeing you today, it seems the rumors were a bit off, wouldn’t you say?” What? Now it was my turn to be stunned. Sloane’s lips quirked into a half-smile. “Mr. Pierce, a word of advice. The next time you bring a woman home, you might want to do a little research first. You never know if you’re bringing home a kitten… or a tiger that eats men for breakfast.” After dropping that cryptic bombshell, she stood, straightened the collar of her jacket, and with a polite, “Excuse me,” she walked out of my apartment with the posture of a queen. It wasn’t until the front door clicked shut that I snapped out of my daze. My gut told me there was much more to her than met the eye.
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