The fifth year I was the underworld kingpin’s secret lover, he lost everything and decided to eat a bullet. My immediate, gut reaction was to run. I was halfway through packing a bug-out bag when a line of text materialized in my vision, hovering like a translucent banner ad. 【Don't worry, the male lead doesn't die. He'll make a comeback in six months, crush all his enemies, and the female lead is the little angel who redeems him.】 【As for the side piece who runs away? She dies. Horribly.】 In a heartbeat, I switched allegiances. Dropping the bag, I flew to the rooftop and threw myself at his legs, wrapping my arms around them and bursting into manufactured tears. "Cole, don't! That ridiculous diamond you gave me? The one the size of a robin's egg? I haven't even had a chance to wear it yet." The moment the words left my mouth, the comment feed exploded. 【Wow. She might as well pull the trigger for him.】 1 When Cole turned to look at me, his eyes were wide with shock. "Why are you still here?" I clutched the cuff of his pants, giving it a playful, desperate shake. "You promised you'd protect me for life. You wouldn't let me leave when bullets were flying, so you can't go back on your word now, can you?" The comment stream was still scrolling frantically across my vision, a semi-opaque curtain over the world. 【No wonder he's so ruthless with her later. She deserves it.】 【He's literally on a rooftop about to kill himself, and she's still treating him like her personal ATM.】 【He's only got one bullet left for himself. This is brutal.】 【Well, if the side piece wasn't selfish and vapid, how would the main female character's kindness shine through?】 【Just wait. He'll pull the trigger, the gun will misfire, a passerby will take him to the hospital, and the female lead will show up with all her resources to save the day. Can't wait for her entrance!】 My mouth twitched as I read the comments, but my arms only tightened around Cole’s waist. He used to be the kind of man who commanded respect and fear in every corner of the city, the kind of man whose word was law. I could still feel the hard ridge of the scar on his abdomen where he’d taken a bullet for me years ago, but now he was so thin I could feel the sharp edges of his hip bones. He stared out at the river of headlights flowing on the streets below, his forehead pressed against the cold steel of the gun. His voice was hollow. "I'm a ghost, Annie. The guns are gone, my network is dismantled, and I'm drowning in debt. I can't protect you anymore." He nodded toward the apartment. "There's a card in the nightstand. It's the last of my cash, five hundred thousand. The pin is your birthday. Take it and go." I couldn't see his expression, but it was the first time I'd ever heard that voice—a voice that had orchestrated a hundred high-stakes deals—sound so broken. Even at his absolute lowest, his first thought was creating an escape route for me. I tugged on his shirt, my tone suddenly shifting, becoming serious and unyielding. "No. If it comes to it... I'll protect you." At that, Cole’s head snapped around. His dark eyes were a vortex of complex emotions: surprise, disbelief, and a flicker of something deeper, a hidden panic. Before he could speak, I quickly added, "Today is our fifth anniversary. I got you a present!" The wind whipped harder across the rooftop, making his thin dress shirt snap and billow. Beneath the flimsy fabric, I could see the faint outline of bruises that hadn't yet healed on his back, stretched over the solid muscle beneath… He stared at me for a long moment before his voice, now raspy, finally came out. "You got me a present?" In five years, Cole had given me a handgun encrusted with diamonds, a one-of-a-kind emerald necklace worth millions, and even a vintage muscle car I’d mentioned offhandedly, which he’d had sourced from a private auction overnight. But he had never received a single real gift from me. Back in the apartment, Cole stared blankly at the "gift" I presented. I held up a slinky, black slip dress from La Perla, pressing it against his broad chest and studying the fit with a critical eye. "Hmm, I think it's a little small," I said, my expression a perfect mask of sincerity. Then, with a sigh of feigned frustration, "And they have a strict no-return policy. What a shame. I guess I'll have to wear it." A dry, choked laugh escaped his lips. It was the first time he'd almost smiled all night. He turned and, without a word, started walking back toward the rooftop. He was gone around the stairwell corner before I could even react. I stomped my foot in frustration. "Cole! You petty bastard!" His deep voice echoed back from the hallway. "Forgot my phone out there. I'm just grabbing it." That night, the black slip dress I’d “accidentally” bought in the wrong size ended up on me after all. It had also added another two thousand dollars to the mountain of debt now attached to his name. He never said a word of blame. He just quietly folded it and placed it in the closet. After his fall, the word went out from his enemies: no legitimate company was to hire him. To cover rent and our expenses, he started fighting in an underground fight club they called "The Cage." But no matter how late he got home, or how battered he was, he always came back and cooked for me. A protein, a starch, a vegetable. Different every day. Curled up on the sofa of our cramped studio apartment, I watched him walk through the door. His hands were wrapped in bloody gauze, and a fresh cut split the skin over his left eyebrow, beading with blood. The first thing he did was tie on an apron and start methodically chopping vegetables in the kitchenette. Who would believe that just a few weeks ago, this was "King Cole," the man who could crush a rival's wrist with one hand and made every syndicate boss in the state nervous? The entire apartment was barely two hundred square feet. His old gun safe was bigger than this. I sat on the sofa, eating the slices of mango he’d prepared for me earlier, and discreetly pulled out my phone. The screen displayed my own bank balance: eight million dollars. All "pocket money" from Cole over the years. Under the bed, in a shoebox, was the emerald bracelet and the limited-edition watch he'd given me. Any one of those items could cover the rent on this place for a decade. A pang of guilt hit me, and I glanced over at him. He’d taken his shirt off at some point. All he was wearing was a cheap, pink floral apron tied over his bare torso as he cleaned. Broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and a sheen of sweat highlighting the hard lines of his muscles. He looked like some kind of dangerous, domestic demon. My heart gave a stupid little lurch, and I kicked my foot out, stubbing my toe hard on the coffee table. I cried out in pain. Cole was there in a second, kneeling in front of me, his large hands carefully cradling my foot. "You don't have to go through this with me," he said, his eyes downcast, his voice muffled. "Take the money I told you about. Find somewhere safe, start over. Don't let my mess drag you down." I pouted, letting my lower lip tremble. "I haven't complained that you can't even afford to buy bullets anymore, and now you're trying to kick me out?" His mouth opened, likely to explain that wasn't what he meant, but I cut him off. "I get it! You're mad that I use too much hot sauce on my food every night. It's too expensive, isn't it?" I leaned in, my voice rising with indignation. "What did you say when you saved me from those kidnappers down in Mexico?" I poked his chest. "You said you'd protect me for life. And now you want to dump me for some girl who can help you fight your battles, is that it? You're a liar, Cole!" He looked completely out of his depth. He reached out and covered my mouth with his hand. The palm was warm and smelled of antiseptic. His Adam's apple bobbed. It took him a long moment to form the words. "I just don't want you to suffer because of me," he finally rasped. "This apartment leaks when it rains, and you wake up cold. The strawberries I bought yesterday were on sale, and you took one bite and didn't touch the rest. I can't even buy you that perfume you like anymore." He finally met my eyes, his own filled with a deep, aching pain. "Annie, you deserve a hundred times better than this." Logically, when an underworld kingpin falls, the woman he's been keeping is supposed to grab the cash and vanish. But after five years together, how could I actually leave him? He might have been a monster to the rest of the world, but he never let even the shadow of danger touch me. No matter how busy he was, he always remembered I hated onions. Even when his rivals cornered us at our front door, his first move was always to push me behind him and murmur, "Don't be scared. I'm here." I grabbed the collar of his apron, yanked him down onto the sofa with me, and leaned in to press a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth, right next to the cut. Beneath the sting of the antiseptic, I could taste the familiar, cool scent that was uniquely him. "You promised me a lifetime of protection," I whispered against his skin. "Not a day less, not an hour, not a minute. You're stuck with me, Cole." The comment feed flickered back to life. 【HOLY SHIT! Did she just pin him to the couch? This is the guy who used to be a crime lord!】 【OMG! His ears are turning red! He's blushing? Where's the ruthless bastard who broke a guy's legs?】 【Don't ship it! Don't ship it! The female lead is about to make her entrance! The next plot point is him getting humiliated at the fight club, and she swoops in with her connections to save him. That's the one true pairing!】 【The side piece is just cannon fodder. The plot is going to write her out sooner or later. If you ship this now, you're just setting yourself up for heartbreak.】 I ignored them. My hands slid from his apron to tangle in his hair, and I deepened the kiss. Cole’s eyes fluttered shut, and the blush that started at his ears spread down his neck. As I pulled back for a breath, he seized the opportunity, pushing me away gently. He scrambled to his feet, his voice stumbling over the words. "I—I have to... the rice will burn. I have to cook." Watching him practically flee into the kitchen, I couldn't help but smile. So, even the most feared man in the city had a shy side. The comment feed went wild again. 【Ahhhh he's so adorkable! Who can resist that contrast!】 【I'm a terrible person, I'm starting to think the side piece and the male lead are kind of cute together...】 【Hey now, let's not let our morals get swayed by a pretty face (and abs)!】 【Don't do it, girl. She's destined to be killed off by the plot. You're just drinking poison thinking it's wine.】 I had started noticing these strange floating lines of text a long time ago. At first, I dismissed them as visual floaters, stress-induced hallucinations. But then, the things they predicted started coming true, one after another. I had no choice but to accept it. From their chatter, I learned that my world was a novel. And I was the disposable side character. My purpose was to serve as a catalyst in the main characters' love story. Early on, I was the selfish foil to the heroine's selfless virtue. Later, I was meant to be a cheap obstacle to thicken their romantic plot. After I understood, I tried to fight it, to change the script. But most of the time, I felt like a mindless NPC, my actions controlled by an invisible hand. Like the day Cole decided to end his life. The "plot" had taken over, and my only impulse was to pack my bags and run. He was already raising the gun. But at the last second, a comment appeared, jolting me back to myself. Seeing the feed mention the exact timing of the heroine's appearance, a new plan began to form in my mind… In the following days, Cole continued to fight, coming home bruised but always with enough money for rent and food. I lay on the couch, happily eating a cupcake he’d just brought home for me. Then, a new comment appeared: 【Tonight's the night. The villain is going to show up at the underground casino. The casino is owned by the female lead's family, and she happens to be there tonight. She'll save him, and it's love at first sight.】 【My girl is finally making her entrance! I'm so excited to see the sparks fly!】 【Here comes the female lead. Time for Annie, the side piece, to make her exit.】 【I suddenly feel a little bad for her. The first thing he does with his winnings is buy her a cupcake. She probably thinks he's madly in love with her, not realizing personal feelings get erased by the power of the plot.】 So, the day had come. After Cole left, I picked out my heaviest, stud-covered clutch. Inside, I tucked a bottle of military-grade pepper spray he’d given me years ago. I found the entrance to the underground casino easily enough. As I approached the door, I could already hear the sounds of jeering laughter and angry shouts from within. I pushed my way through the crowd and saw him immediately. Cole, surrounded in the center of the fighting pit. His shirt was torn, revealing a patchwork of old and new bruises on his shoulder. Standing opposite him was Griffin, his foot planted arrogantly on Cole’s discarded boxing glove. Griffin was the "villain" the comments were talking about. He and Cole had a history, and now that Cole was down on his luck, Griffin was here to twist the knife. "Well, well, Cole," Griffin sneered, his voice dripping with contempt. "You used to be such a big shot. Backed me into a corner so tight I almost threw myself off a bridge. Look at you now. Getting your face beat in for rent money?" He kicked the glove away. "I'll tell you what. I'll give you fifty grand. You get on your knees and let me beat on you for half an hour. After that, I'll consider telling the house to pay you what you're owed." The crowd hooted with laughter. One of Griffin's lackeys, a guy named Leo, sidled up to him and raised his voice. "Hey, Griff, you hear? Even in this state, his little girlfriend is still sticking around!" Another crony chimed in. "Yeah, can you believe it? Used to be dripping in diamonds, now she's eating instant noodles with him. Girl must be brain-damaged!" Seeing Cole remain silent, Leo stepped closer, his face a mask of provocation. "How about this, Cole? You get on your knees and bow to Griffin three times. Then you call over your little piece of ass to have a few drinks with us. We'll let you walk out of here. Deal?" Cole's fists clenched so tight his knuckles went white. He swung at Leo, but he'd taken a beating the night before, and his movements were a fraction too slow. Leo’s men grabbed him, forcing him to the ground. Griffin strode forward and landed a vicious kick to Cole's stomach. "You think you're still King Cole? You can't even protect your own woman now!" Cole gritted his teeth, a vein throbbing in his temple, but he still forced the words out. "Whatever you want, you do it to me. Don't touch her." The comments were on fire. 【What a scumbag! Using a woman to threaten someone!】 【This is it! He has to be thoroughly humiliated so that when the female lead saves him, he'll fall for her instantly. She'll become his guiding light.】 【Poor male lead. Why do they always have to torture the guy before giving him a crumb of happiness? Can't people just fall in love normally?】 【Right?】 【That's just how these stories work. Without the drama, what's the point?】 The comment feed was arguing with itself. I let out a small breath of relief. If there was dissent, it meant there was a chance for change. Just as they were forcing Cole to his knees, and just before the destined heroine, Clara, could step out of the shadows and deliver her grand rescue, I tightened my grip on my purse and charged forward. The stud-covered clutch connected with the back of Leo's head with a sickening thwack. "Try touching him," I snarled. I stepped in front of Cole, hefted the clutch again, and swung it squarely into Griffin's shoulder. "Kneel for your daddy, maybe," I spat. "Griffin, when you used to see Cole, you barely had the nerve to breathe in his direction. Don't get fucking cocky now that you're playing king of the ashes." Griffin winced in pain and lunged for me, but Cole surged up from the ground and shoved him back. He moved to stand in front of me, the cold fury in his eyes a terrifying echo of the man he used to be. The man who ruled this city. "Don't. Touch. Her." Leo, stunned for a second, broke into a cold laugh. "Cole, you can't even save yourself. What makes you think you can save her?" I wasn't worried. Leo and his goons didn't have the plot armor of a main character; they couldn't do anything to me. And as for the main characters, they weren't allowed to break the law. Griffin couldn't touch me either. I glanced down at the dent my clutch had made on his thick skull and then at the new scuff mark on my bag. A wave of regret washed over me. I should have put a brick in it. Leo was still rubbing his head, pointing a finger at me. "You bitch, you hit me—" Cole didn't hesitate. He put his foot right in Leo's chest. But there were too many of them. If a real fight broke out, Cole would lose. Badly. As I was trying to figure out a way out of this, the sound of a powerful engine and a sharp screech of tires cut through the noise. A black Maybach had pulled right up to the entrance. The tinted window lowered just an inch, revealing half a man's face, wreathed in the smoke of an expensive cigarette. The man had a high brow bone and sharp lines etched at the corners of his eyes. He tapped a finger against the window frame, his gaze landing on me with a look I couldn't quite decipher. Griffin’s furious eyes happened to catch sight of the car. He froze. A moment later, he was striding purposefully toward the Maybach. The comment feed went into a frenzy. 【He's here, he's here! That man is finally here!】 【The heir to the country's biggest corporate empire! He's so hot!】 【The big shot from NYC came all the way here to personally deliver an investment to Griffin. Griffin's about to hit the big time! This is why he's acting so arrogant.】 【Is it just me, or has the NYC big shot been staring at our little drama queen?】 【Yeah, that's weird. Don't tell me she's his runaway heiress or something?】 My head slowly turned, and my eyes met the man's dark, intense gaze. Oh, crap. It was Marcus. My heart hammered against my ribs. I grabbed Cole’s hand and started pulling him away. "Let's go."
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