The Villain's Captive: A Glitch in the System

I gave up on my mission. Right before faking my death to escape, I played a nasty trick on the psycho second male lead. I forged a pregnancy certificate and staged a car crash—two birds, one stone—wanting him to suffer for the rest of his life. Who would have thought that three years later, a glitch in the system would drop me right back in front of him? In a dimly lit VIP club room, he leaned back lazily on the leather sofa, an aura of "do not approach" radiating from him. The moment he saw me, he pushed away the drink someone was offering him. His dark, stormy eyes locked onto me, and he enunciated every word clearly: "I'm done drinking. I'm prepping for a baby starting today." 1. The person offering the drink froze, their hand suspended in mid-air. Catching on, they put the glass down and chuckled teasingly. "I wonder who's lucky enough to catch Mr. Sterling's eye." The beautiful women standing obediently nearby instantly perked up. Each one stood taller, subtly showing off her assets. Hoping to hook Ezra Sterling and secure a one-way ticket to the top. But Ezra's gaze, laced with a potent mix of hatred and something darker, never left me. His thin lips parted slightly. "Long time no see, Chloe." His tone was far from friendly. I didn't reply. Instead, I screamed at the System in my head. [You better give me a damn good explanation for why you pulled me back into this world without my consent.] Faced with my interrogation, the System stammered at first. Then, it just gave up and went full defeatist. [Ezra is too smart. He sensed my presence while you were doing your mission. After you left, he threatened me with the lives of half the characters in this book, demanding I bring you back. What was I supposed to do?] [You could have just died,] I retorted. The System's silence was deafening. After a long while, it finally spoke up. [I may not be human, but you are a real bitch.] Even its robotic voice managed to convey a distinct sense of annoyance. But I was even more annoyed. [I already gave up on the mission, and you approved it. Whatever crazy shit Ezra pulls has nothing to do with me anymore. You had no right to drag me back.] The moment those words left my mind. The System suddenly snapped. It started blasting me with electronic screeches. [Well I brought you back! So what?! So what?! SO WHAT?!] [That little stunt you pulled before leaving made him go completely psycho! I sent so many people to take your place and 'save' him, and they all failed! You clean up your own mess! If this fails, I'm getting kicked out of the System Association, and then we'll both just die together!] I frowned in displeasure. I wanted to keep arguing with the System. But Ezra pulled me back to reality. "Everyone, get out!" His voice was heavy with oppressive authority. Although the beautiful women looked disappointed and unhappy... They knew better than to linger, filing out the door one by one without hesitation. I trailed at the back of the line, trying to slip out too. Unsurprisingly, I was blocked. I looked up. The person blocking my path was an old acquaintance: Leo, Ezra's best friend. 2. Back when they were in school, Ezra was ostracized because of his sick mother, his abusive father, and his extreme poverty. Leo was the only one who never abandoned him. If Leo had a bite to eat, he'd give half to Ezra. When fists rained down on Ezra, Leo took half the blows for him. You could say very few people loved Ezra more than Leo did. But simultaneously, no one hated me more than Leo did. Because during those years, following the System's orders to "save the delinquent youth," I constantly interfered, trying to alter Ezra's life trajectory. I tripped him up on the dark path he was choosing, desperately trying to pull him back to the right track. During this process, I inevitably caused him a lot of pain. Especially when I abandoned the mission and used a fake pregnancy to stage my death. In the hours before my soul was pulled back home. I saw it with my own eyes: the usually arrogant, untouchable Ezra. Holding that fake lab report, crying so hard he collapsed to his knees and couldn't get back up. Leo was right there beside him. Perhaps, in that moment, a sliver of conscience had awakened within Ezra. But by then, he had gone too far down a path of no return. Prison bars were his inevitable destiny. My rescue mission was doomed to fail. So I proactively told the System I was quitting, giving up the 100 million dollar prize. I figured giving up the money was better than giving up my life. Now that I was back, I knew Ezra wouldn't let me go. And neither would Leo. I looked at Leo. "Ezra said everyone get out. Please move." Leo shot me a glare. His tone was ice-cold. "The people leaving don't include you. Stay put!" After three years apart, Leo's disgust for me had only deepened. Knowing that reasoning with him was like playing the lute to a cow, I didn't waste my breath. I turned back to face Ezra. Under the dim club lights, he radiated a wild, untamed arrogance. Three years hadn't mellowed his pride at all; it seemed to have only intensified. He muttered something to the guy who had offered him the drink earlier. The guy immediately stood up and scurried out with an apologetic smile. Once he was gone, Leo, knowing his place, also stepped out of the room. Finally, it was just me and Ezra. 3. Ezra stood up and walked toward me. He was steeped in a dark, violent aura—something carved into his bones from years of fighting his way up from the bottom. He backed me up step by step until I was pinned against the wall. Then, he effortlessly lifted me with one arm, bringing me up to his eye level. "Long time no see, Chloe." This time, I replied, "Long time no see, Ezra." Ezra smiled brightly, then, without warning, a tear slipped down his face. He spoke in a tone that bordered on psychotic. "You finally came back to my world, baby." With that, he leaned in to kiss me. Luckily, my reflexes were sharp. I slapped my hand over his mouth just in time. "Mr. Sterling, three years and you haven't changed a bit. Still dancing on the edge of the law. Do you know what the penalty is for forcing yourself on a woman against her will?" Ezra let out a soft chuckle and set me down. His 6'3" frame completely overshadowed me. He easily peeled my hand away from his mouth and pinned it above my head. His other hand began to wander, igniting fires wherever it touched. "Stop!" I commanded. "Impossible." He looked like an absolute scoundrel. "Have you ever seen a wolf let go of meat that's already in its jaws?" Seeing how shameless he was, I went up on my tiptoes and bit hard into his pale neck. I needed to show him I wasn't just meat waiting to be slaughtered. The pain made him hiss. The hand wandering at my waist stopped, moving up to pinch my chin instead. "Biting again? Baby, you really haven't changed at all. But that's okay. I have a gag at home. We'll put it on you later. And if you still won't behave, I'll tie your arms and legs too." I could hear the barely contained excitement in his voice; his body was practically vibrating. But I couldn't help but frown. I had been forced to wear that gag once before. Ezra loved beautiful things. In his words, ugly things ruined the mood. So the gag he used on me was encrusted with various colored gemstones. It looked like a piece of art. It looked pretty on, but it was heavy, completely immobilized my jaw, and felt like actual torture. Not to mention how awful it would be with my limbs tied up. "Put a gag on your mother! Ezra, I'm leaving! Let me go!" His eyes darkened. He licked the blood from the corner of my mouth. And spoke with a bloodthirsty gleam. "Because I was careless, you left me for three years. Chloe, I won't make a stupid mistake like that again. You faked a pregnancy certificate, so you must really want a child. Then let's have one. It's not hard, baby." 4. With that, he started doing whatever he wanted. No matter how much I yelled or struggled, he didn't care. He knew my body entirely too well. Soon, my breathing grew ragged, and my brain felt starved of oxygen. All reason vanished, leaving me entirely at his mercy. But at the most critical moment, he stopped. Our eyes met. His face was full of roguish smugness, a smirk he couldn't hide. I suddenly realized how embarrassing I was acting and turned my head away, refusing to look at him. But he effortlessly forced my face back to him. "Against your will? Madam, are you really unwilling?" A surge of anger from being toyed with and humiliated flared up inside me. The desire to get revenge, to tie him to a bed, feed him an aphrodisiac, and watch him lose his mind, grew stronger by the second. I smiled and wrapped my arms around his neck. I whispered sweetly in his ear: "Ezra, this place is so gross. I don't like it here. Let's go home, okay?" "Okay." He agreed immediately. He bent down to smooth out my skirt. Completely unaware of the danger approaching. 5. Ezra knocked on the door and called for Leo. Leo opened the door immediately. I stepped out of the room first. And walked right into an old acquaintance heading toward the VIP rooms: Asher Hayes. The male lead's younger uncle, the fourth male lead in the book. A blue-blood elite who transitioned into business, and one of the very few men who could actually go toe-to-toe with Ezra. Whenever I got into trouble, he was the first person I'd look for, and he would always good-naturedly clean up my messes. You could say Asher was the one guy in this entire book I actually wanted to sleep with. And I actually tried. I remember kissing him once when I was drunk. His lips were soft and bouncy. It left a lasting impression. Unfortunately, Ezra caught me right in the act. Before I could take things any further, I was dragged away. That night, Ezra completely lost control, and I almost died in bed. I knew perfectly well that Asher was the only one who could help me escape Ezra right now, so I ran straight to him. I grabbed his arm. "Help me, Asher." Asher stood frozen, his eyes filled with disbelief. He called out tentatively, "Ms. Chloe, is that you?" "It's me," I answered. "But didn't you pass away in a car crash?" "Didn't die completely. I'm back." Asher's eyes turned red. He looked like he wanted to say a million things but couldn't. From behind, Ezra's furious roar echoed. "Chloe! Come back here! Don't make me say it twice!" His voice was loud, which I knew was a sign of his inner panic. I deliberately hid behind Asher, sticking my tongue out at Ezra. "No. What are you going to do about it?" The veins on Ezra's forehead popped in rage. The System's ear-piercing scream echoed in my head. [Host, are you not even going to try and stop this?! Aren't you afraid someone's going to get killed?!] I smiled. [To be honest, I'm loving this right now. Two incredibly hot guys are about to fight over me. It's like playing a 3D dating sim. It's awesome.] [Since you're acting like this, don't blame me for what happens next.] [What do you mean?] As soon as I thought that, I felt myself lose control of my body. 6. The System controlled my body, making me walk right up to Ezra. Then, right in front of Asher, it forced me to kiss Ezra. Ezra didn't hesitate to deepen the kiss. Our lips and tongues tangled. I was screaming silently in my head. [Motherfucker, System, you are insane! Do you not care about Asher's feelings at all?!] Even though my back was to Asher right now. I could feel his burning, incredibly hurt gaze boring into me. The System sighed and started defending itself. [I have no choice! Asher is a good boy, he won't go psycho. We have to placate the actual lunatic first!] The kiss ended. Ezra wrapped his arm around my waist, looking provocatively at Asher. He spoke just loud enough for Asher to hear. "Chloe, you taste so sweet. So soft and fragrant." If the System wasn't controlling me... I think I would have literally slapped Ezra to death. I screamed frantically at the System, [If you have any guts, stop controlling me.] The System complied. I regained control of my body. The moment I turned around. I saw Asher looking completely shattered, like an abandoned puppy. He asked me cautiously, "Chloe... you... just a second ago, you wanted me to..." Ezra interrupted him with a mocking sneer. "Back in the room just now, I didn't take good enough care of Chloe, so she got mad. She was just playing a joke on you, Mr. Hayes. Don't take it seriously." Asher's face was pale, but his eyes were still full of hope. It seemed like as long as I opened my mouth and explained, he would believe me. I opened my mouth to explain. The hand at my waist suddenly tightened. Ezra's voice sounded in my ear, pitched incredibly low, like a whisper from hell itself. "Chloe, Asher isn't like us. I'm the only one who can walk the path you want to walk." I scoffed coldly. "Stop trying to fucking manipulate me. Asher and I walk the path of light; you're the only one crawling around in the dark." 7. After snapping back at Ezra. I was organizing my thoughts, preparing to explain everything to Asher. But before I could speak. The System took control again. It used my mouth like a keyboard to type out its own message. "Mr. Hayes, just like Ezra said, we had a little fight. You're just a pawn in our little game." "I'm selfish, self-serving, manipulative, and I always go whichever way the wind blows. You shouldn't be surprised. I'm completely unworthy of you. Marriage is off the table, but we can still be friends. While I won't take a bullet for you, I won't stab you in the back either. I'm leaving. Let's hang out sometime." Under Asher's deeply wounded gaze. The System forced me to walk out. Ezra followed closely behind. It wasn't until we were outside the club that I was truly me again. The heartache felt incredibly real. I turned around, wanting to go back and explain to Asher. But Ezra grabbed my wrist. He spoke with absolute certainty, "The damage is already done. How are you going to explain it? Tell him a 'System' controlled you and those words weren't your own? Why would he believe you? Chloe, you have no way back." I smiled bitterly. The only man who was perfectly my type had been hurt by me just like that. The thought of never being able to flirt with him again made my heart ache so much I couldn't breathe. But it was fine. There were other hot guys waiting for me. The future was still bright. Outside the club, a Maybach was waiting by the entrance. Ezra opened the car door for me. "Get in." I followed his command. Once I was seated, he spoke to Leo in the driver's seat. "Drive." The engine roared to life, and the privacy partition smoothly slid up. By the time I realized something was wrong, it was already too late. Ezra grabbed me by the waist, easily lifting me and smoothly parting my legs so I was straddling his lap. I reached out to push him away. But he effortlessly caught my wrists and pinned them to his waist. In the confined space, I had nowhere to run, pressed tightly against him. "What are you doing? Didn't you say you wouldn't do anything against my will?" "That was your rule, Chloe. You're selfish, self-serving, and manipulative. Well, so am I. How could you ever take a promise from me seriously, baby?" 8. Ezra got straight to the point. With aggressive intensity, he used his tongue to pry open my tightly shut teeth, launching a full-scale invasion. My curses were blocked in my mouth, turning into muffled whimpers. The Maybach drove aimlessly around the city all night. The cramped space made the already exhausting physical exertion even worse. I felt sick and uncomfortable whether I was conscious or not. I had no choice but to surrender and beg for mercy. "Ezra, please let me go. I can't take it anymore." He took a few seconds out of his busy schedule to reply. "If you can't take it, you stay on the bottom. I can take it, so I'll stay on top." Me: Ugh. 9. It wasn't until the sky was starting to lighten that Ezra finally told Leo to drive back to the villa. And I finally got to sleep in a real bed. "Plan B." Exhausted beyond belief, I forced myself to spit out those two words. The effect was instantaneous. Ezra's hand, which was pulling the covers over me, froze. The atmosphere in the room instantly plummeted. Seeing his silence, I continued, "Ezra, isn't this our old rule? You don't wear protection, I take the pill. I'm the one taking the loss here, okay?" As soon as the words left my mouth. Ezra lay down next to me, pulled me into his arms, and made a dying struggle. "The pills we had at home expired. How about we just skip it this time?" I lifted my leg and kicked him. "The pills might be expired, but your little swimmers aren't! Go buy some right now! If I actually get pregnant, I'll marry Asher and make the kid call him Dad. Buy one, get one free—I bet he wouldn't turn down that deal." My blunt words pissed Ezra off so much he said "Good" three times in a row. "Chloe, you're really something." "Thanks for the compliment," I accepted it calmly. Ezra got up and walked out. Afraid he wouldn't follow instructions, I couldn't help but remind him, "Wake me up when you get back. I need to take it ASAP." "Yeah, got it." Ezra agreed resentfully and left the room. A wave of exhaustion washed over me, and I fell asleep. In my hazy state. I heard the System's voice. [Your bodies have connected, but your hearts are still miles apart. This won't do. I need to step in.] Hearing that, I blurted out almost instantly: "If you dare mess with me, I will poison Ezra, break the entire plotline, and we can all die together." But the sound of footsteps approaching right after made me feel like the System had stabbed me in the back again. Then I heard Ezra calling my name. "Chloe." In that moment, I was completely awake. I wasn't sure how much Ezra had heard. I also wasn't sure if he would try to poison me first because of what I just said. I slowly opened my eyes and saw Ezra sitting on the edge of the bed, holding a pill in one hand and a glass of water in the other. I scrutinized him for a moment, but he looked exactly the same as usual. No hint of anything wrong. "Take your medicine."

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