I spent two years desperately trying to win over Julian—only for him to mistakenly believe I was bullying his precious childhood sweetheart. He smiled as he crushed his cigarette out on the palm of my hand. Later, while I was on my period, he pushed me into the freezing swimming pool, holding my head underwater so I couldn't breathe. Finally, the System allowed me to change my target. I stopped paying any attention to Julian. But then, like a rabid dog, he cornered me, his eyes bloodshot, desperately trying to kiss me. Only to be grabbed by his collar and yanked away by another man a second later. The man smiled lazily. "Julian, are you really trying to steal your older brother's girlfriend?" That's right. My new target was Julian's older brother. The actual mastermind behind the Sterling family empire. 1 Amidst the roaring laughter of the crowd, I struggled to push myself up on the edge of the pool, trying to climb out. But the moment my upper body broke the surface, the mocking cheers grew louder. I instinctively looked up. The boys standing at the edge of the pool dragged their eyes down my face, staring pointedly at my chest. The summer uniform fabric was thin and semi-transparent when wet... I realized what was happening immediately. But before I could move, a hand reached out, grabbed the back of my head, and forcefully shoved me back underwater. "Get the hell out of here, all of you!" Julian’s hand was still holding me down; his yell was directed at the crowd. When I finally broke the surface again, only Julian was left standing by the pool. "Cough! Cough!" I choked up a few mouthfuls of chlorinated water. Julian stood there, hands shoved deep into his pockets, looking down at me like I was trash. A cold, sinister smirk hung on his lips. "Are you disgusting or what?" The moment my hands grabbed the edge of the pool again, he kicked them away. He crouched down, gripping my chin tightly and forcing me to look at him. "Everyone knows I like Maya, yet you still follow me around every single day." His smile widened, turning cruel as he dragged out his words. "How cheap are you, Chloe?" "Do you really like me that much?" I stayed silent, unsure of how to answer. If this were any other day, I would have just said "Yes" to keep pushing the mission forward. But today, the freezing water combined with my terrible period cramps made the pain so agonizing I couldn't even make a sound. Seeing that I wasn't answering, the smile slowly faded from Julian's face. He threw my chin away in disgust. After giving me one last long, dark look, he turned and walked away. I finally managed to drag myself out of the pool. I took two steps before my heavy, freezing body gave out, and I collapsed into unconsciousness. 2 When I woke up, I was lying in a hospital bed. The school security guard had found me passed out and called an ambulance. The System finally seemed to take pity on me. "Would you like to change your target?" I licked my pale, dry lips. "Yes." "The mission to capture Julian Sterling has failed. This is your final opportunity," the System said. I nodded calmly. If I kept tangling with Julian, I wouldn't even get to use my final opportunity. He would torture me to death first. After a brief pause, the System spoke again, sounding unusually hesitant. "This time, your target is... Silas Sterling." I didn't understand why the System sounded so awkward. Silas Sterling. The 27-year-old CEO and absolute dictator of the Sterling Group, the largest conglomerate in the city. It was just a coincidence that he shared a last name with Julian. Maybe the System had watched me get tortured so brutally by Julian that it actually grew a conscience. "The time limit for this mission has been extended. We are giving you enough time to prepare for your college entrance exams. You are allowed to begin the mission after graduation." I breathed a sigh of relief, smiling a genuine smile for the first time in ages. "Thanks." In my original world, because of certain circumstances, I never got the chance to take my college entrance exams. At least this would make up for my biggest regret. 3 When school started on Monday, I showed up at the door of Julian's classroom holding a small cake. Everyone gave me a knowing look. Someone even shouted out, "Hey Julian, your biggest fan is here to deliver cake again!" Through the glass window, I saw Julian slouching lazily in his chair. He let out a contemptuous scoff. "She thinks I want it just because she brought it?" "Tell her to get lost." I pressed my lips together and walked up to the desk closest to the door. "Could you do me a favor and give this to your class president?" I asked, handing over the cake. Instantly, the entire classroom went dead silent. Then, every single head swiveled toward Julian, whose face had instantly darkened like a thunderstorm. It seemed everyone was shocked to realize I wasn't there for him. The girl sitting in the front row stammered a "sure" and placed the cake on the empty desk belonging to the class president. The security guard told me a male student had been the first to spot me unconscious. I found out later it was the president of Julian's class. It was only right that I brought something to thank him today. Ignoring the weird stares from the class and the death glare Julian was shooting me, I thanked the girl and turned to leave. I had barely taken one step when a massive crash echoed behind me. I paused, instinctively looking back. Julian, who had been sitting at his own desk, had somehow already walked over to the class president's desk. He had kicked the desk over. The cake had hit the floor, completely smashed. Julian stared at me through the crowd, offering a provocative, unapologetic smirk. "Oops. Slipped and dropped your cake. What are you gonna do about it?" I wanted to shove his head into the ruined cake. But Julian was absolutely not someone I could afford to mess with right now. Rumor had it his father was the biggest shareholder of the school board. I turned my head, completely ignoring him, and walked away. Behind me, another crash sounded, even louder than the first. I didn't look back. 4 Recently, I had become the hottest topic of gossip in the entire school. "It seems like Chloe really doesn't like Julian anymore." When people came up to ask me directly, I nodded vigorously to confirm. Who would like a violent, savage psychopath anyway? I stopped following Julian around. I stopped offering him favors. But my actions didn't seem to convince everyone. They thought I was just playing hard to get. Julian clearly thought the same thing. Until the day graduation finally arrived, and I met Silas Sterling for the very first time. Julian lost his mind. 5 The graduation gala was held the day after our final exams. All the performances had been rehearsed weeks in advance. My class's final performance was a choir song, and I had been selected to play the piano accompaniment. When I stood in front of the mirror in my formal gown, I genuinely froze for a second. The System chimed in with some rare idle chatter. "That dress really suits you... You look ethereal." I offered a small smile. "Thanks." It quickly followed up with: "Silas Sterling was invited to attend today. There's something you need to know beforehand..." ... When I walked out of the dressing room, I distinctly heard a collective gasp from the surrounding students. I felt a bit embarrassed, my ears burning hot. But the smile on my face froze the very next second. Julian was standing a short distance away. He looked like he had just come out of the batting cages. He was holding a baseball bat in one hand, wearing a black baseball cap, casually chewing gum. His eyes drifted toward me coldly. Then, he walked straight over. "Everyone out." With Julian's intimidating reputation, no one dared to argue. The room cleared out instantly. 6 The gown was off-the-shoulder. Julian's eyes locked shamelessly onto my collarbones. I frowned and turned to leave. "Take one more step and see what happens." The cold voice behind me dripped with obvious warning. "Do you need something?" I didn't look at him, my voice filled with impatience. "I've been hearing some rumors lately. I came to verify them." Julian casually swung the baseball bat, then lifted it, pressing the tip under my chin to force my head up. He smiled and asked. "They say you don't like me anymore." "Is it true?" I couldn't figure out what he was playing at, so I chose to just tell the truth. "Yes." The baseball bat shifted, sliding along the side of my face, tapping my cheek lightly. Julian was still smiling, but his eyes were completely dead. "You have a death wish, don't you, Chloe?" I didn't get it. I stopped bothering him and Maya. Wasn't that exactly what he wanted? He stepped closer, lowering his head toward my collarbone. With the bat pressed hard against my side, I couldn't move an inch. I clenched my fists. Just as I was about to shove him away, my homeroom teacher's voice rang out from the doorway, calling for me. Julian froze. He slowly lifted his eyes to look at me. "Listen to me. If I ever hear that rumor again, you'll regret it." When is this psycho going to die? Without saying a word, I shoved him out of the way and walked out the door. 7 The performance went perfectly. Our class even won an award. But since we had already graduated and the class was officially disbanded, no one really cared about the trophy. So, I volunteered to go on stage to accept it. Because today, the person handing out the awards was Silas Sterling. The man in the immaculately tailored suit walked gracefully toward me. It was a face that could rival any top-tier model. And... it looked vaguely familiar. I took the trophy from his hands. "Thank you, Mr. Sterling." I offered him my brightest smile, showing off my dimples. He looked at me thoughtfully for a second before offering a polite, distant smile in return. By the time we stepped off the stage, we still hadn't exchanged a single word. But I wasn't giving up yet. A few moments later, I checked the time and slowly made my way toward the area near Silas's seat. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a heavy steel lighting rig loosening above him. The exact second it snapped and plummeted toward him, I sprinted forward. "Mr. Sterling!" I tackled him to the ground. A blinding, agonizing pain exploded across my back. "Chloe!" Julian's voice ripped through the air from nearby. I struggled to keep my eyes open. Julian was sprinting toward me. The look on his face was pure, unfiltered panic—something I had never seen on him before. The next second, I collapsed into Silas's arms, passing out from the pain. 8 A minor hairline fracture in my back, but I got exactly what I wanted: I was moved into Silas Sterling's mansion. He carried me into the hospital for my x-rays and then brought me straight to his house. When I woke up, it was the middle of the night. Silas was sitting on the sofa across from my bed. When he spoke, his voice was deceptively gentle. "Tell me, who paid you to put on that little performance today? Hmm?" So it was an interrogation. I propped myself up and looked at the man hidden in the shadows. "Nobody." My brain short-circuited, and the next words just flew out of my mouth. "Mr. Sterling, I like you." Silas narrowed his eyes at me and let out a low chuckle. "You like me?" I nodded with absolute sincerity. Silas stood up and slowly, deliberately unbuttoned his suit jacket. A sudden chill ran down my spine. He walked over, leaned down, slid an arm under my back, and effortlessly lifted me onto his lap. His fingers casually brushed against the hem of my shirt. His voice was warm and intoxicating. "If you like me, you wouldn't refuse this, would you?" I knew he was testing me. But I still couldn't stop myself from shaking. His hand slowly traced its way up to my collarbone, his voice unhurried. "Hmm?" I gripped his shirt tightly, completely at a loss. Silas sat up slightly, cupping my cheek to bring my face closer. His breath hovered just over my lips. "You're scared." I snapped out of my daze and pushed him away. "I-I need to use the restroom..." The bedroom had an en-suite bathroom. But I completely ignored it and rushed out of the room. 9 However, when I accidentally pushed open the door to another room down the hall, I froze completely. Hanging on the walls were leather belts, riding crops, and things I couldn't even name. I gulped dryly and asked the System. "Why does it feel like Silas is an even bigger psycho than Julian?" The System coughed awkwardly. "I forgot to mention, Silas has a secret side to him. He's..." Before it could finish, someone grabbed my wrist from behind. My entire body went rigid. I slowly turned my head. "Julian?" He was frowning deeply, letting out a cold sneer. "You stopped liking me just so you could throw yourself at this freak, Silas?" What gave one psycho the right to call someone else a psycho? "What are you doing here?" I asked. Julian grabbed my arm and tried to drag me away. "I'm getting you out of here. You need to stay far away from Silas." "He's a lunatic," he said. Before I could respond, a slow, gentle voice floated down the hallway. "Little brother, what do you think you're doing?" Julian froze instantly, stepping in front to shield me. Little brother? Julian Sterling. Silas Sterling. They were actual brothers. Julian had intentionally hidden his true background and his relationship to Silas at school. I peeked out from behind him, and my blood ran cold. Silas was holding a handgun, aimed directly at Julian. His expression was completely calm. Even if it wasn't lethal, the intimidation factor was terrifying. "Come here." His gaze shifted from Julian to me. "Don't go!" Julian yelled. I stood rooted to the spot, hesitating. Why did this mission make me want to die? Why did I have to conquer two brothers, each one more unhinged than the last? 10 Just then, the System whispered something in my ear. I looked at the man holding the gun. A few seconds later, I pulled my arm out of Julian's grip and walked toward Silas. "Chloe!" I turned around, meeting Julian's desperate eyes calmly. "Julian, stop acting like you're risking your life to save me." "From the very beginning, the person who has hurt me the most... is you." He stared at me unblinkingly, his eyes burning. "I already said I was f*cking sorry, didn't I?!" "Don't go to him!" I didn't waver. I just shook my head. When I reached Silas's side, he lowered the gun. "Good girl," he said, his lips curving into a faint smile. He lifted my wrist, bringing it to his lips. He turned his head and pressed a soft kiss against my skin. At first, I was terrified of this man who clearly had some dark, twisted kinks. But because of that simple action, I couldn't stop my face from burning bright red. ... Julian was dragged out the front door by Silas's bodyguards. I stood by the window, watching Julian standing outside in the pouring rain, staring up at me. "What are you looking at?" Silas locked the door and walked toward me lazily. When I saw what was in his hand, the smile died on my face. It was a thin leather belt. He raised an eyebrow, the belt dangling from his hand to the floor. I swallowed hard. Silas didn't seem to notice my panic. He easily lifted me with one arm and set me on the wide bay window ledge. "Let's continue what we were doing before we were interrupted." He leaned in, rubbing his nose affectionately against mine. My entire body went numb. I blinked rapidly. Silas's eyes flicked toward the window behind me. It was obvious he could see Julian standing out there. Silas's hand suggestively traced the shell of my ear. He let out a low chuckle. "Let's do it right here. What do you think?" Isn't this moving a bit too fast... "Silas!" Julian's muffled roar drifted up through the rain. "I swear to God, if you touch her, I'll kill you!" I looked over my shoulder. The soaking-wet teenager was grabbed by the bodyguards again and dragged off the property. 11 Silas watched the whole scene unfold with cold indifference. Only when Julian's silhouette completely disappeared did he finally step back, creating space between us. He casually tossed the leather belt onto the windowsill. "Tell me why you're really here, and I'll let you go." Silas unconsciously ran his thumb over his pinky ring, smiling. "Otherwise, you're never leaving this place." "You saw what was in that room. I have countless ways to make you wish you were dead." "Oh." I blinked at him. "I never planned on leaving anyway." "As for the stuff in that room... if you really want me to try them, I guess I could agree." "But can we limit it to one a day?" Because some of that stuff looked like it would really hurt... Silas stared at me, his eyes narrowing slightly. I hopped off the window ledge, walked right up to him, and looked up. The distance between us vanished again. The man's eyes were pitch-black, as if no light could escape them. "Mr. Sterling, why are you so convinced I have an ulterior motive for approaching you?" "I told you from the start. I like you." His eyes flickered. I met his gaze without a shred of hesitation, repeating it. "I like you, Silas." "Love at first sight." He still didn't believe me, but he silently permitted me to stay. I figured he just wanted to keep me close to find out what my "real" motive was. 12 "Mr. Sterling, I made dinner just for you today~" — Ding! Affection +5. "I saw the news about your company acquisition tonight! You're so amazing!" — Ding! Affection +5. That night, leaning against the headboard, I asked the System a question that had been bugging me. "Why does his affection go up just from me complimenting him, even when I literally haven't done anything?" Back when I was chasing Julian, I would spend weeks preparing the perfect gift, only for him to toss it in the trash without a second glance. How could two brothers be so drastically different? The System didn't fully grasp complex human emotions. "Isn't this a good thing? At this rate, you'll complete the mission and go back to your own world in no time." "Based on his childhood, he's extremely starved for affection. When you show up treating him so well, it's completely normal for him to fall for you, right?" I froze for a second. The System then told me Silas's backstory. Silas and Julian were half-brothers. Silas's birth was not a happy accident. Their father had forced himself on Silas's mother, resulting in pregnancy. Later, the father married Julian's mother in a wealthy business alliance. He kept Silas's mother trapped as a mistress. After years of torment, she committed suicide, leaving young Silas behind. Eventually, he was brought into the Sterling household under the title of an "illegitimate son." Before Julian's mother passed away, Silas never enjoyed a single day of the privileges that came with being a Sterling. Subjected to constant abuse and suppression, he lived worse than the family's maids. When their father died, he left almost the entire inheritance to Julian. Silas's current position and wealth were built entirely from scratch, clawing his way up through unimaginable hardship. ... "No one has ever loved him," the System said. "Even his own mother saw his birth as a disgrace." "You are the first person to approach him without wanting his money or his power. Of course his heart is going to flutter for you." I suddenly felt a profound sadness for him. No one had ever loved him. And he thought I was the first. But I was lying to him too. I was only doing this for a mission. 13 That heavy feeling lingered in my chest. The next morning, I kept thinking about what the System had told me, zoning out constantly. Even when Silas finished breakfast and was getting ready to leave for work, I was in a daze. "I'm leaving," Silas said, buttoning his cuffs. I didn't react immediately. "Oh. Okay." He paused and looked over at me. "Is something wrong?" I stared blankly at him. "Did you forget something?" I thought for two seconds, then let out a slow "Huh?" Silas had his suit jacket draped over his arm, clearly ready to walk out the door. Suddenly, a soft chuckle broke the quiet air. Silas tossed his jacket onto a chair and walked slowly toward me. "It's fine. I'll help you remember." He took the spoon out of my hand. Without warning, he scooped me up with one arm. So tall! Sitting on his forearm, I looked down. Terrified he might drop me, I quickly threw my arms around his neck. Silas carried me toward the room filled with all the unspeakable BDSM gear. I grew nervous. "What are you doing?" He smiled gently at me but didn't answer. That made it even scarier... When he walked in, he reached for that same leather belt. !!!!! A very bad premonition washed over me. This time, Silas actually used it. He bound my hands to the window ledge in the master bedroom, then lightly brushed his thumb against my chin. His tone was warm. "When you remember, I'll untie you." "But what if I need to use the bathroom?!" I stared at him in disbelief, picking the most pressing question out of the million screaming in my head. Silas paused for a moment, appearing to genuinely consider the logistics. He found a solution quickly. But I wished he hadn't. When he had picked me up so abruptly earlier, my slippers had fallen off in the chaos. I was sitting on the ledge, my bare feet dangling. Silas crouched down in front of me, slowly taking one of my feet into his hands. He seemed to be admiring it, almost playing with it. A chill crawled up my spine. After a long time, his eyes fixed on my ankle, and he spoke softly. "How about I have someone custom-make a locked anklet for you?" "So you can walk freely around this room..." His thumb rubbed against my ankle bone, whispering. "And only this room." His twisted childhood had seriously warped his brain! In a flash of lightning, I finally remembered what I had forgotten. "I like you!" I blurted out frantically. Every morning, right before he left for work, I would run up to him, confess my love, and then smile and ask, "So, do you like me a little bit today?" As his affection meter steadily climbed, his verbal answer was always a flat, "No." Today, things were different. After I asked my question, he uncharacteristically didn't answer right away. "Can you untie this now?" I whispered. "It's chafing." Silas finally moved, setting down my foot before it completely cramped up, and unbuckled the belt. I swallowed nervously. Once the mission was complete, I was supposed to leave. With Silas's extreme control issues, if I disappeared, wouldn't he lose his mind? But when that moment finally came, I realized... I still didn't understand Silas at all. 14 When Silas came home from work that evening, dark clouds covered the sky, accompanied by the low rumble of thunder. A torrential downpour was coming. The rain started smashing against the windows just as Julian—who I hadn't seen in over a month—showed up. He brought a crew, took down the bodyguards outside the villa, and kicked the front door open. Julian's eyes locked immediately onto me. He was chewing gum, a lazy, arrogant smile on his face. "Chloe. I'm taking you with me." "He can't stop me this time." Because of the chaos he had just caused, I had panicked and almost let the soup I was making for Silas boil dry. I glared irritably at the intruder. "I already told you I'm not leaving. Can you please stop bothering me?" Julian rolled his neck, letting out a scoff. His eyes were full of unbridled arrogance. "You're leaving whether you want to or not." From the very beginning, Silas had remained seated on the sofa, watching the circus unfold with cold indifference. A booming clap of thunder broke the heavy silence in the room. Silas stood up and walked over to the dining table, acting as if everything was completely normal. "You made soup today?" His tone was casual. I nodded slowly. He clearly wasn't taking Julian seriously. Julian sneered. "Silas, is pretending you're not bothered actually fun?" "I came here today to take Chloe, sure. But I also wanted to reminisce about the good old days with you." He leaned casually against the doorframe, his expression dripping with nostalgia. "You remember, right? Five years ago, when you were absolutely nothing, you were no better than a dog. "Whenever anyone in the house was slightly annoyed, they'd take it out on you. Hey, let me ask you: do you even remember how many times you were slapped across the face or kicked to the ground?" I froze completely. The System had only given me a vague summary, saying Silas had a "rough" childhood. The gruesome details were infinitely more shocking. Julian frowned, asking in a mock-serious tone, "Silas, do you think you were just born with a peasant's destiny?" His words were laced with unconcealed mockery and triumph. My fingers dug white-knuckled into the edge of the dining table. After his last sentence, I couldn't hold back anymore. I grabbed the bowl next to me and hurled it directly at him. "What makes you think you have the right to judge anyone?!" "Julian, I always thought you were just a scumbag, but it turns out you're a complete piece of trash." Caught off guard, the bowl clipped Julian's forehead. His face instantly darkened. He glared at me through gritted teeth. "You hit me for this bastard?" Hearing that word, my lingering fury ignited. Just as I picked up another bowl to throw, Silas raised his hand and stopped me. When he looked at Julian, there wasn't a trace of anger in his eyes. "I heard you care very deeply about your little cousin?" He asked a completely unrelated question. Julian's eyes narrowed sharply. "What are you talking about?" Silas smiled, picked up the iPad resting on the table, played a video, and slid it toward Julian. The piercing screams of a woman echoed from the speakers. The footage was crystal clear: she had been kidnapped. The second Julian recognized the girl, all the color drained from his face. He forced a strained smile. "She's not even in the country. If you're gonna use deepfakes, at least make them convincing." Silas smiled too. "It's in Valencia." The moment the words left his mouth, the arrogant, reckless boy seemed to have all his life force drained from his body. The System had mentioned before that Julian treated his little cousin, Maya, like his own sister.
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "425818", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel