When the billionaire who kept me as his sugar baby was exposed as a "fake heir," he was driven to slit his wrists in a dingy basement by the real heir. I stole the sugar baby contract we had signed years ago, planning to tear it up and make a run for it. Suddenly, countless glowing comments started scrolling across my vision like a holographic live-stream. [The side character is a gold-digger after all. Her running away perfectly clears the path for our female lead!] [If she knew that leaving him means she’ll find a psycho sugar daddy who tortures her to death, while the male lead bounces back in just six months to become the youngest tech billionaire in the country and lives happily ever after with the female lead, she'd probably die of regret!] My hand trembled. I completely ripped the agreement in half. Without a second thought, I rushed into the bathroom and saw Elijah Montgomery already bleeding from a deep cut on his wrist. I threw myself at him, grabbing his arm, crying without caring about how I looked. "Baby, don't die! Without you, who's going to pay my bills? I still want to renew our contract!" His gloomy gaze fell on the shredded agreement on the floor. He spoke softly. "Is that so?" 【Chapter 1】 1. "You were only with me for my money, and now you see the reality." His eyes shifted mechanically across the dark, damp basement apartment. His usually flush lips were deathly pale. I pressed my hands hard over his bleeding wrist, but the crimson drops still splattered onto the floor tiles. "I was kicked out of the Montgomery family. I have to hide in this cheap underground studio. I can't even afford to feed myself, let alone you. So just go. I don't blame you." The fine hairs on the back of my neck stood up, and I couldn't stop a shudder from ripping through me. I had been with Elijah for eight years. To outsiders, he was the gentle, refined heir apparent. But I was the only one who knew he was a venomous snake wearing human skin, a man who sought vengeance for the smallest slight. He easily said he didn't blame me, but his hidden hand was clenched so tight his knuckles were white. I was skeptical of the floating text that had magically appeared before my eyes, but my survival instincts kicked in, and I made a split-second decision. I absolutely could not leave. Otherwise, I wouldn't even have to wait for some psycho to torture me to death—Elijah would destroy me first. I leaned forward decisively and crashed my lips against his pale ones. Elijah instantly took control, kissing me so fiercely I could barely breathe. When I finally managed to push him away, I was panting. I picked up the shredded pieces of our sugar baby contract from the floor, and under his stunned gaze, tore them into even smaller pieces. I cupped his face and looked at him seriously. "Elijah, I don't want to be your sugar baby anymore." A flash of ruthless, desperate killing intent crossed Elijah's eyes. The floating comments filled my vision again, mocking me. [I thought the side character actually changed her mind! Turns out she's just here to twist the knife. Just wait. You abandon the male lead now, and when you're being tortured later and beg him for help, he won't even look at you.] [Once she leaves, the female lead will rush in and save him. From then on, he starts his epic comeback and revenge arc!] I ignored their filthy words. My voice was soft and gentle, carrying a barely detectable hint of nervousness. "I know you might get mad at me for saying this now... but since we're finally on the same level, will you be my boyfriend?" Elijah's eyes widened slightly. Before I could hear his answer, my vision went completely black. Right before I lost consciousness, I saw one last glowing sentence. [So what if she changes her mind? Anyone who deviates from the plot will only suffer!] A surge of pure rage boiled in my chest. Follow the plot? The plot was literally telling me to go die! Why the hell should I? In the darkness, it felt like a fire was constantly burning me. I ran and ran until I finally snapped my eyes open. I sat up violently. I was lying in a hospital bed, drenched in cold sweat, my internal organs throbbing with a piercing pain. A groan escaped my lips. An ice-cold hand pressed against my forehead, and Elijah's voice, thick with lingering terror, rang out. "Aria, are you feeling better?" The pain was torturing me every second. Having been with Elijah for eight years, he had always given me whatever I wanted and never let me suffer a single scratch. I had long been spoiled by him, and I couldn't help but cry out, "It hurts... it hurts so much." He stood up, utterly helpless, and ran out to find a doctor. The ER doctor shot me an impatient look. "If you don't have the cash for the scans, discharge her. Don't take up a bed here. What can I do if she's uncomfortable? No money, no treatment." Elijah let out a furious, low growl. "Give her the best full-body scan! I have—" His voice cut off abruptly. His usually straight spine bent, and he lowered his head, not daring to look at me. The doctor scoffed sarcastically. "Just leave. If you stay any longer, you literally won't have a single thing left on your body to pawn off." It was only then that I noticed the platinum signet ring was missing from his pinky finger. Fighting through the agonizing pain, I forced myself out of bed, grabbed Elijah's hand, and dragged him out of the room, comforting him endlessly as we walked. "Honestly, the pain goes away as long as I'm with you. You're my painkiller, baby. You really can't ever leave me." A scalding tear dropped onto our intertwined hands. Elijah's voice was hoarse. "I won't." I let out a tiny smile. I wasn't lying. 2. [The male lead chose to take her to the hospital and completely missed his encounter with the female lead! The plot isn't progressing at all!] [The plot's punishment mechanism has weakened too. No wonder the side character can still walk. With the original punishment intensity, defying the plot would have left her begging for death!] [Honestly, I kind of ship them. The ruined billionaire and the spoiled canary who refuses to leave his side? It's kind of rare and sweet.] I hid the dark gleam in my eyes, piecing together a survival strategy from their fragmented words. Even though I'd be punished for breaking the plot, as long as Elijah chose me without hesitation, the plot would stall, and the punishment would weaken—or maybe even disappear? The key was Elijah's love. I turned my head and looked at the once arrogant, untouchable golden boy following closely behind me, carefully holding my hand. I smiled until my eyes formed crescents. "Elijah, now that you're my boyfriend, you're going to work super hard and make sure I can live the luxurious life I used to, right?" "I absolutely will." He spoke with absolute certainty, making a solemn vow. [Why does it feel like the male lead went from a sugar daddy to her loyal dog?] [Just wait until he goes out looking for work and gets humiliated and degraded. The female lead will swoop in to save him from hell, and their feelings will skyrocket. THAT is the most important plot point!] [Missing their first encounter means nothing. True love cannot be stopped. Don't get cocky, side character. Go find your next sugar daddy already!] I didn't stop Elijah from going out to work. The phantom pain tortured me constantly, and sleeping was my only relief. He came back exhausted every single day. His clothes, which used to be impeccably tailored and spotless, were now covered in dust at the knees. Through the floating comments, I learned he had gone to his former high-society friend, Derrick Clayton. Derrick completely looked down on his "fake heir" status but was insanely jealous of his natural genius for business. So, Derrick resorted to torturing him with petty humiliations. The once-proud man was forced to kneel on one knee and shine other people's designer shoes. He carried heavy five-gallon water jugs up twenty-six flights of stairs to stock every office. He stood in the breakroom for three hours, brewing coffee for the entire corporate floor. Derrick even made him scrub the executive bathrooms. I could smell the harsh bleach on his clothes when he came home. But even through all of that, the very first look he gave me when he walked through the door was always a smile. He set down the cheap groceries he bought and immediately pulled me into a hug. "Are you feeling any better today?" I groggily opened my eyes and planted a loud kiss on his cheek. "I feel so much better after you hug me." "I'm so hungry. Let's eat." Elijah took the groceries and skillfully began to cook. I propped my head up, thoroughly enjoying the complete meltdown happening in the floating comments. [He used to shower three times if he even smelled a hint of grease, and now he's spending three meals a day sweating in a tiny kitchen just to cook for her!] [She compliments him once and he loses his mind with happiness. This girl really knows how to act spoiled. 'You're my painkiller'—ugh, it gives me goosebumps!] I rolled over on the bed. Oh, there was much more than that. After we ate, Elijah would do my laundry, clean the entire apartment, and then give me a full-body massage. Only after I fell asleep would he start working on the files he brought home. As long as he was home, even the slightest noise I made was treated like a national emergency. Just like right now. Elijah knelt beside me wearing an apron. "Does it hurt when you roll over? Do you need me to do anything?" I put on a sweet, whiny voice. "I need my boyfriend to kiss me." He laughed, pressing a soft kiss to my lips. His hands, which used to sign billion-dollar acquisition deals, gently massaged my temples with perfect pressure. The restless pain throbbing in my body eased significantly. I narrowed my eyes comfortably and directed him to massage my shoulders. A harsh ringtone shattered the peace. Elijah paused before answering the call. He frowned, looking at me apologetically. "There's an issue at work. Aria, I have to go out for a bit. After you finish eating, just leave the dishes on the table. I'll wash them when I get back." I watched him leave. The floating comments exploded like fireworks. [Derrick has been waiting for this! He didn't call him out for work—he's setting a trap! He's going to break the male lead's pride and sexually assault him! Thank god the female lead is there to save him. The scene I've been waiting for is finally here! My ultimate OTP is about to rise!] [After tonight, the side character will be kicked to the curb. I've been sick of this manipulative bitch for so long!] 3. My mind snapped to attention. Forcing myself through the waves of pain, I climbed out of bed and chased after Elijah to intercept his destined romantic night with the female lead. Following the hints from the comments, I stood outside a pulsing VIP nightclub. Slipping past the bouncers when they weren't looking, I snuck inside. The deafening bass made my phantom pain flare up wildly. The center of the club was packed. Pushing through the rings of people, I finally spotted Elijah, pinned to the floor under someone's foot. Derrick ground the toe of his leather shoe hard into Elijah's face, crushing him against the floor. The ground was covered in shattered glass that dug deep into Elijah's body. Blood mixed with spilled liquor, blooming across the floor and creating a sickening metallic stench that made my stomach churn. "Do you still think you're the golden boy? You're just a counterfeit piece of trash! Getting kicked out of your mansion means you're nothing. If I didn't throw you a bone, you'd be begging on the streets right now!" "I just asked you to do a little striptease for us. You had no problem kneeling to shine my shoes, so why are you acting so high and mighty now?" Derrick wore a disgusting, perverted grin, pinching Elijah's face until it turned red. He was notorious in their circle for swinging both ways, but no one expected him to target Elijah. "You must be exhausted from slumming it lately. As long as you drop the attitude and let me have some fun with you, I can give you all the money and power you want." Elijah's chest heaved violently. He stared at Derrick with lethal intensity. "Spit." He spat a mouthful of blood right into Derrick's face. The response was a brutal rain of kicks and punches. Derrick furiously wiped his face, jumping up and down in a psychotic rage. "Break his arms and legs! Strip him naked and hang him from the ceiling! Let's see how long he lasts without food or water!" A bodyguard raised a heavy barstool, slamming it down viciously. Elijah let out a muffled groan, swallowing the scream in his throat. My eyes went entirely red. I forgot about the plot, the pain, everything. I grabbed a sharp fruit knife from a nearby VIP table and charged in, swinging wildly. "Let us go! Or none of you are walking out of here alive!" I had never been this close to real danger. My voice was shaking uncontrollably. Derrick stepped back, startled by my crazed appearance. Then, he narrowed his eyes and burst into a realization-filled laugh. "Oh, it's Elijah's little pet canary, Aria Kensington. You're still with him even though he's dead broke? What a loyal little whore." His wicked eyes darted between us. "I've played with men and women, but I've never played with a tragic pair of lovers at the same time. Looks like I've found a fun new toy tonight." "Come be my mistress. You'll get way more out of me than you ever will from him." The second those words left his mouth, the veins on Elijah's forehead bulged. Moving with explosive, terrifying speed, the exhausted man lying on the floor ripped the knife from my hand and drove it directly into Derrick's eye socket. "Don't you dare touch her!" But Derrick had numbers on his side. Bodyguard after bodyguard swarmed forward, pinning Elijah down and beating him relentlessly. Derrick rolled on the floor in absolute agony, screaming at the top of his lungs. "A doctor! Get a fucking doctor! Skin Elijah alive! I want him to wish he was dead!" I tried uselessly to throw myself in front of Elijah, but someone kicked me hard in the chest. I flew backward, crashing into a heavy glass table, and vomited a mouthful of blood. The fists raining down on Elijah were brutal and heavy, but he acted as if he couldn't feel the pain. It was only when he saw me throw up blood that he began thrashing violently under their grip. His bloodshot eyes locked onto me, and he mouthed silently: Run. [Even though I knew this scene was coming, it's still so hard to watch. This event leaves him with permanent, severe trauma. It takes the female lead's pure love to finally pull him out of the darkness.] [Derrick is the psycho who tortures the side character to death later. He's such scum, I wish I could jump through the screen and kill him myself!] I read that sentence in a daze. Unwillingness and pure, unfiltered rage flooded my brain. Why the hell should I die at the hands of a scumbag like him? Why does he get to torture Elijah like this?! I grabbed a jagged shard of broken glass from the floor and lunged at the unprotected Derrick. Amidst his crazed screaming, I drove the glass deep into his neck. The arterial spray soaked my hair and face in hot crimson. A sharp, feminine voice cut through the chaos. "Stop! If anyone dares to hurt Elijah again, I will make them pay the ultimate price!" Sparks seemed to explode behind my eyes. The floating comments cheered wildly. [The male and female leads finally meet! The plot is finally back on track!] An all-consuming, apocalyptic pain swept through my entire body, draining every ounce of my strength. I collapsed softly to the floor. Using the very last bit of my energy, I turned my head to look at Elijah. Only to see a fleeting flash of absolute awe in his eyes as he looked toward the door. 【Chapter 2】 4. That sharp, feminine voice pierced my skin like a needle. I lay paralyzed on the sticky, alcohol-soaked floor. Through my blurred vision, I saw a woman in a pristine white designer dress walking briskly toward us. Her hem brushed against the shattered glass, yet didn't pick up a single speck of dirt. She was followed by a dozen men in black suits, who instantly pinned Elijah’s attackers to the ground. "Elijah, are you alright?" The woman knelt down, her voice so gentle it could melt ice. She reached out her hand to help him up. I recognized her. It was Serena Waldorf, the female lead whose name the comments chanted endlessly—Elijah's destined "epic romance." But Elijah violently jerked his head away, dodging her hand, and desperately dragged himself across the floor toward me. Before he could push himself halfway up, Serena's bodyguards clamped down on his shoulders. "This young woman is severely injured. Treat her first." Serena's tone brooked no argument, but her eyes were locked obsessively onto Elijah. "Don't worry. I will handle everything." [The female lead is finally shining! This is a true goddess—beautiful, powerful, and kindhearted!] [The male lead is definitely moved. Look, he's stunned! The side character can finally get lost.] The ecstatic cheering in the comments felt like needles driving into my pupils. I saw Elijah's Adam's apple bob. The look in his eyes as he stared at Serena truly held that "awe" the comments predicted—the instinctual yearning for a "savior," a desperate reaching for light when you are trapped in the abyss. My heart plummeted into an icy canyon. My hand, still clutching the bloody shard of glass, began to tremble uncontrollably. "Don't touch her," Elijah suddenly rasped out. His voice was raw, like crushed gravel, but undeniably resolute. "Help Aria first." The gentle smile on Serena's face froze for a fraction of a second before melting back into perfect warmth. "She's lost a lot of blood, and I've already called for an ambulance. But your injuries are worse. We have to treat you immediately." She reached out again to physically lift him, but Elijah shoved her away violently. "I said, help her." He forced himself forward, ignoring his own gaping wounds, and carefully pulled me into his arms. The broken glass on the floor dug deep gashes into his palms, but he acted as if he couldn't feel it. He just used his sleeve to obsessively wipe the blood from my face. "Don't be scared, Aria. I'm right here." Just then, a mob of men burst through the club's back doors, led by Derrick's cousin, Brad Clayton. Seeing Derrick's lifeless body on the floor, Brad's eyes went completely red. "Elijah! Aria! You killed my cousin! None of you are leaving here alive today!" Serena's bodyguards instantly formed a wall, but Brad's men were heavily armed with steel pipes. This was a premeditated ambush. "Miss Waldorf, this has nothing to do with you. If you know what's good for you, get the hell out of the way!" Brad spat on the floor, his eyes darting maliciously between Elijah and me. "My cousin gave an order. I'm going to make this bitch and her dog wish they were never born!" Serena frowned and stood her ground. Her bodyguards shielded her, but they didn't make a move to attack. I instantly understood. That "saving him from hell" the comments raved about was never a charity act. She was waiting. Waiting for Elijah to drop his pride and beg her for help. Elijah tightened his arms around me. He pressed his forehead against mine, his breathing shallow but unwavering. "Aria, hide behind me." He tried to stand up, but I grabbed the hem of his ruined shirt in a death grip. "Don't..." I forced the words out with the last of my strength. "Don't leave me." [The side character is so annoying! The male lead could easily team up with the female lead and handle this, but she insists on holding him back!] [Brad Clayton is a notorious psychopath in the underground scene. The side character is going to get the male lead killed!]
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "394939", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel