"Don't deny my request again. I swear you will regret it," a woman's voice, thick with malice, echoed in Iris's ears.
"Young Miss, this is a hospital," the doctor replied, her voice tight with hesitation. "As a doctor, I cannot do anything life-threatening to my patient."
"Do you have any idea who I am, you—" The woman abruptly cut herself off, her gaze snapping toward the hospital bed.
The doctor, puzzled by the sudden silence, followed her eyes—and froze.
Iris's ocean-blue eyes were open, staring back at them blankly, devoid of emotion.
"You!" the woman screamed, pointing a trembling finger at Iris as if she'd seen a ghost.
"How can she be awake?" She looked to the doctor, her voice rising higher with disbelief. The doctor appeared just as stunned as she was.
'Who is she, chirping like a rat... and why does she look unhappy that I'm awake?' Iris wondered, her gaze fixed on the woman's panicked face.
'Is she the new secretary?' Iris immediately dismissed the idea. 'No... my secretary wouldn't be wearing such flashy clothes—or look so horrified to see me conscious.'
A moment later, Iris noticed the doctor leaving the room after the woman whispered something in her ear.
'Did they change my doctor?' Iris realized. 'This isn't the one who usually checks on my Intermittent Explosive Disorder... my IED.'
"Guess you're more stubborn than I thought." Melissa shook her head, an arrogant, ugly smile curling her lips. "Anyway, get ready to suffer again, you pig." She flicked her hand toward Iris as if dismissing a nuisance.
Pain hammered at Iris's temple as her blood pressure surged with anger. 'Did she just call me a pig? I'll cut out that arrogant tongue...' Cruel, violent thoughts crowded Iris's mind—classic IED flare-ups.
[Alert: Anger issues are acting up. Control yourself to gain a reward.]
The sudden system message flashed in Iris's awareness, breaking the erupting chain of thoughts and granting a sliver of clarity.
Slap!
Before Iris could answer, a sharp, vicious slap cut through the air, stinging her cheek red.
"Are you fucking ignoring me? How dare you!" The sharp impact left her ear buzzing and sent her long hair spilling across her face.
"Miss Melissa, your driver has arrived." Melissa snorted and turned to leave, not noticing the shadowed face hidden beneath Iris's hair.
If she had looked, she would have peed herself—so fierce was the killing intent burning in Iris's eyes.
[Alert! Alert!]
The warning echoed in Iris's ears, but her gaze stayed on Melissa's retreating back.
Her hair shifted slightly, revealing ocean-blue eyes that now looked nothing short of demonic.
Her hand instinctively reached for the nearest object, and her fingers wrapped around a fruit knife in a fruit basket.
But before she could completely lose control, Melissa left the room, her heels clicking against the floor.
Iris stood trembling, panting heavily, the knife still clutched tightly in her hand.
'Lucky you, if I see you again...'
Her gaze dropped to the IV drip still attached to her wrist. With a grunt, she tore the needle out, a small bead of blood welling up.
Then she pushed herself off the bed and walked toward the closet where patient clothes were usually stored.
[Host! D-Do you want to open the starter pack?]
The voice echoed in her mind again.
"Who are you?" Iris snapped aloud, her tone impatient with anger to tear down The Woman who slapped her.
After several moments of confusing explanations, she finally pieced it together; this strange voice was something calling itself a system.
Now dressed in a pair of simple jeans and a black blouse she'd found in the cabinet, Iris sat back down on the bed, brushing her long hair from her face.
"So you're saying you can make me rich and strong…" she muttered, shaking her head in disbelief. A faint, humorless smile tugged at her lips.
'I already have more money than I could ever spend. Why would I need yours?'
[Host! You… unfortunately can't access your money…] the system replied, its voice hesitant, almost guilty.
"What?" Iris's expression hardened instantly, her blue eyes turning ice-cold.
She'd spent her entire life building that fortune, sacrificing everything for it, and now some random, disembodied voice was telling her she couldn't use it?
Ridiculous.
She stood up and began searching for her phone, but instead of finding her own, her hand landed on an old, cracked-screen device lying on the table.
[Host! Look in the mirror. You'll understand everything.]
Frowning, Iris scanned the room until her eyes fell on a small hand mirror. She picked it up and froze.
The reflection staring back at her wasn't the cold, sharp face she'd known for years.
Instead, a sweet-looking girl gazed back, her features were soft and innocent, and far too young.
Even though Iris's face held no expression, the reflection still looked fragile… weak.
'Who is this girl…?' Iris tilted her head slightly, examining the light scars on her forehead, and the girl in the mirror mirrored her every move.
"Mommy!"
The door suddenly swung open, and two small children, a boy and a girl, no older than five, came running toward her.
Iris raised a brow at the sight, momentarily frozen. Then, without thinking, she waved a dismissive hand.
"Your mother isn't in this room. Shoo, shoo." Iris dismissed them, glancing back at the mirror.
"Huh…"
Hearing their small, hurt sniffles, Iris glanced at them. Her lips twitched when she saw both children puffing their cheeks and blinking back tears.
"What? Didn't I say—"
"Mommy! Why are you saying that to Lya?!" the little girl suddenly shouted so loudly that Iris had to cover her ears.
'Is this some kind of scam?' Iris thought, watching as the little boy stepped forward.
Despite his red, tearful eyes, he looked determined, and then suddenly hugged her leg tightly.
"Hey, I don't have any money. You won't get anything from me," she stated, shaking her leg lightly in an attempt to free herself.
But the boy only clung tighter, wrapping his small arms and legs around her like a stubborn koala.
Iris sighed and rubbed her temples, only to feel a tug on her other side. The girl, Lya, had joined in, wrapping herself around Iris's other leg.