-Chapter 1-
"To force me into an engagement, you really are pulling out all the stops!"
A voice filled with gritted teeth rang in his ears. Lucas opened his eyes in a daze and looked at the stunning woman before him, her expression cold and aloof.
This... is a hospital ward?
The person in the mirror is him?
At that moment, a surge of memories not belonging to him flooded his mind.
Lucas Grey, the good-for-nothing young master of the Grey family, sole heir of the third generation, was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Whatever he wanted, he got.
But he had fallen in love with the female lead, Rose White.
After three years of tireless pursuit and receiving no response, he resorted to a foolish move. During a banquet at the White family, he deliberately fell from an upper floor.
He intended to fake an injury for sympathy.
Who would have thought, he ended up swapping places with another Lucas with the same name.
[So, this stunning beauty in front of me is Rose, the female lead of the popular novel "The God-Tier Magnate Returns"?]
[Have I transmigrated into the book?]
[Fuck you, just because I complained once that the brainless simp villain in the book had the same name as me, now I've become the simp myself?]
After understanding the situation, Lucas nearly coughed up blood.
Other people transmigrate and become the protagonist, rising to the peak of life. Why does he have to be the villain?
Just thinking about the plot where "Lucas" gets brutally crushed by the crooked-mouthed Dragon King made Lucas want to cry.
No, he had to stay far away from the female lead, far away from the crooked-mouthed Dragon King.
[Ding. Congratulations, host. Supreme Villain System unlocked.]
[System scan complete. Host perfectly fits the villain profile in the novel "The God-Tier Magnate Returns." You are specially invited to play the villain, assist the male lead, and complete the god-tier plot reversal.]
[Once the plot reaches its finale, the host can return to the original world and receive a reward of ten billion Dollar.]
Hold on. As long as he follows the plot to the end, he gets ten billion Dollar?
Damn, if he takes that back to the real world, he could live a life of luxury, never lifting a finger again.
Alright.
This villain role is his. No one can take it from him.
Lucas looked up at Rose and saw that she was staring at him with eyes full of shock.
His heart skipped a beat.
[What kind of look is that? Don't tell me she suspects something. Could she have figured out that I'm not the original Lucas?]
Rose took a sharp breath when she heard his thoughts.
From just now, she had been hearing a strange voice.
That voice said she was the female lead of a novel, and something about transmigration.
That was already bizarre enough. But now, this guy said he's not the original Lucas?
What kind of joke is this?
"Lucas, are you talking with ventriloquism? Or did you fall and hit your head when you fell from upstairs?"
Lucas was stunned when he heard that.
[You're the one who hit your head. I just transmigrated and haven't adapted to this villain identity yet.]
[The most urgent task is to get Rose to agree to the engagement. That way, the male lead can make a grand entrance at the engagement banquet, slap faces, and take Rose away.]
[But verbal coercion isn't enough. According to the novel, Rose resisted in every possible way until she was swindled by the CEO of KY Group, leaving her with nothing. Her family nearly went bankrupt, and only then did she reluctantly agree to the engagement.]
[So, I need to pretend to be deeply in love and reinforce my simp persona. Once the White family goes bankrupt, I'll add fuel to the fire and threaten her.]
Rose's beautiful eyes narrowed. She looked at Lucas in disbelief.
This wasn't ventriloquism.
It sounded like his inner voice.
But why could she hear his inner voice?
No, that wasn't the point. The point was, he said the CEO of KY Group tricked her and nearly bankrupted the White family?
Impossible.
Absolutely impossible.
President Kang was a close family friend of her grandfather's for years. He was very sincere about this partnership. The contract was for ten years, and he even gave up two percent of the profits.
How could he be a fraud?
More importantly, the night of the negotiation, only she, her grandfather, and President Kang were present.
How did this little punk know?
While her mind was a mess and she couldn't sort any of it out, Lucas began acting up.
[Since I need to be the ultimate simp for the female lead, I have to act like a real simp when facing her.]
[Now is the time to test my simp acting skills.]
"Rose, I love you with all my heart. Why can't you accept my feelings?"
"I've pursued you for three whole years. In those three years, I haven't looked at another woman."
"What do you want me to do? Just say it. Even if you want the stars in the sky, I'll pluck them for you."
After saying this, Lucas almost moved himself to tears.
[That was a great performance. Totally Oscar-worthy.]
Rose's mind was already in chaos. Seeing his fake, affectionate act made her grind her teeth in hatred.
Liar. Scumbag.
If he didn't like her, why toy with her?
If she hadn't suddenly heard his inner voice, she would still be in the dark.
But he kept mentioning this novel, and male and female leads. What did that mean?
If he were just rambling nonsense, then how did he know about the White family's cooperation with KY Group?
This punk must know something.
He said he wasn't the original Lucas and that Lucas was just a villain in a novel, while she was the female lead.
There must be more to the story.
This concerned the fate of the White family. She had to get to the bottom of it.
Lucas continued pretending to be heartbroken, secretly observing Rose and not missing the slightest change in her expression.
Good. She's frowning.
That means she's angry.
Anger is good.
The more unwilling she is, the more he must cling to her.
That way, at the engagement ceremony, her sorrowful expression will make the male lead's heroic rescue more meaningful.
"Rose, please, marry me. As long as you're willing to be with me, I'll give you the entire Grey family as your betrothal gift."
[The White family is almost bankrupt. What betrothal gift could they possibly offer? Only the male lead can save this sinking ship. Any sane person would steer clear.]
[But so what if Rose is saved by the male lead? The White Corporation she worked so hard to build over five years still ends up in the male lead's hands.]
[The number one beauty with endless glory at the start of the story becomes a mere background decoration in the male lead's harem before even a third of the plot is over.]
[Such a pity. What a waste of that pretty face.]
Rose nearly had a heart attack from hearing this.
She had taken charge of the White Corporation at seventeen. It took her five years to win the approval of upper management and triple the company's size.
This little bastard actually said she would end up as a decorative vase in the male lead's harem?
Even the White Corporation would be handed over?
What a joke. The White Corporation was her life's work.
She would never hand it over to anyone.
She bit her rosy lip, flames of anger burning in her icy eyes.
She looked up at Lucas and saw that he was still trying to act deeply in love. A plan formed in her mind.
"Lucas, tonight the chairman of Skybridge Group is celebrating his sixtieth birthday. How about you come with me to attend?"
Her perfectly curved lips lifted into a slight smile.
Little scumbag, you think you're the only one who can act?
Now that I can hear your inner voice, things just got easier.
As long as I talk to you more, I'll definitely uncover the truth.
However, she had no idea that her one sentence was like thunder striking Lucas.
[The villain attending a birthday banquet with the female lead?]
[No way. This wasn't in the novel.]
[The female lead isn't following the script. I must find an excuse to refuse.]
"Sorry, I..."
Just as he was about to refuse, he was cut off by Rose.
"Lucas, you keep saying you like me, but now you won't even accompany me to a birthday banquet?"
Her face, pale and flawless like snow, showed no hint of a smile as she slowly stepped closer, eyes glittering.
"Have you been lying to me all along?"
Cold sweat formed on Lucas's forehead.
He quickly forced a smile. "How could I? I was just joking. As long as you say the word, I'll go through fire and water for you!"
Rose curved her lips slightly. "Then get ready. Pick me up at six."
[Pick her up it is. To keep the persona intact, I'll follow the female lead through anything.]
...
At six in the evening, a Porsche appeared right on time at the gates of the White family villa.
Lucas stepped out of the car with a heavy heart, but the moment he looked up, he saw Rose walking out.
[Wow, she's stunning.]
[Her black hair flowed like a waterfall. Her figure was curvy and graceful. Her delicate waist looked like it could be held in one hand. The slit in her white dress revealed a glimpse of her pale, slender legs.]
[Even her feet in black high heels were fair and flawless. This woman is the very definition of top-tier beauty.]
All his worries vanished. Lucas suddenly felt that this trip was well worth it.
Hearing his inner praise, Rose scoffed quietly.
Even if his affection was an act, he was still captivated by her looks.
Men really are all the same. All they know is how to ogle legs. Pathetic.
"Let's go."
Once they got in the car, Rose pretended to casually scroll on her phone, but her mind was filled with thoughts about how to coax information out of him, especially about KY Group.
They happened to drive past KY Tower, and Rose seized the chance.
"KY Tower is quite impressive. By the way, has the Grey family ever considered working with KY Group?"
Lucas chuckled. "You're asking the wrong guy. I'm famous for being a wastrel who loafs around all day. I don't handle any family business. You know that better than anyone."
"Should I call my dad and ask him?"
[Of course not. KY Group has been in trouble for a while. Their cash flow has dried up. Even the banks won't lend to them. Only a fool would want to work with them.]
[Such a major project, and they didn't even do due diligence? Signed the deal over a dinner meeting? I honestly don't know how this woman built White Group to such heights.]
[The male lead is blessed by fate. Is the female lead just lucky by association? Business queen? Seriously?]
Rose took a deep breath, barely resisting the urge to pinch him hard.
This guy really had a way with words. When talking about KY, did he have to insult her too?
President Kang was her grandfather's close friend. Her grandfather had been present during the contract signing. Could she really oppose the elders in that situation?
Still, why did Grandpa trust President Kang so much?
Half an hour later, the Porsche stopped at the entrance of the Golden Lace Hotel.
As soon as Rose stepped out, she drew every gaze on the scene.
No surprise there. She was the number one beauty in Su City.
Who wouldn't want to steal a glance?
Except for Lucas.
Even acting gets exhausting, so whenever Rose turned her back to him, he used the time to relax and admire the surroundings.
The birthday banquet was hosted by the President of Skybridge Group. He couldn't quite recall the name, but it did sound familiar.
"Rose!"
Suddenly, a gentle voice called out.
"I'm so happy you could come for Dad's birthday. He'll be thrilled. But why are you here with Young Master Grey? I thought you hated him?"
Standing behind Rose, Lucas had originally planned to keep a low profile. After all, the original novel never mentioned the villain attending this event.
But upon hearing the obvious disdain and surprise in the woman's voice, he couldn't help but glare at her.
Then he froze.
[Yelena Miller! One of the male lead's harem members. Early on, she was his close confidante and the woman he took the longest to pursue.]
[But even with all that buildup, she still ended up giving herself to him.]
[According to the timeline, she's already met the male lead. Three days ago, the male lead returned, happened to witness her father being poisoned, and cured him using acupuncture and massage. That led to him being invited to tonight's banquet.]
Wait a second!
Did she just say this was her father's birthday?
That means... the male lead is coming tonight!
Lucas sharply sucked in a breath.
No way.
Just walking his own villain storyline already had him getting thrashed by the male lead repeatedly.
There was no way he could get involved in anything else.
The male lead was the true protagonist of this novel.
The returned god of wealth.
What Lucas didn't know was that while he stood there reeling in shock, the two stunning women in front of him were equally stunned.
Especially Yelena. Her eyes trembled, her lips parted slightly, and she momentarily forgot all her noble etiquette.
Because she didn't understand.
Why could she hear Lucas's inner thoughts?
At first, she thought he was talking out loud, but after staring at him closely and confirming he hadn't moved his lips at all, she began to suspect she was hallucinating from the stress of caring for her father.
Until he mentioned the poisoning three days ago.
That night, only she, her father, and Mr. Fox had been there.
Her father hadn't told anyone about the incident, and Mr. Fox had promised to keep it secret. She certainly hadn't said a word.
So how did Lucas know?
And why did he call Mr. Fox the male lead?
What was going on?
She was completely confused.
Meeting Yelena's gaze, Lucas grew even more anxious.
[Don't look at me. The male lead fell for you the moment he saw you. He pretends you're just a close friend, but he secretly eliminates every villain who looks at you the wrong way.]
[It's already dangerous enough being Rose's loyal simp. Please stay far, far away from me.]
Rose nearly laughed out loud when she heard that.
But the smile at the corner of her lips quickly faded.
Perfect.
Tonight, she would finally meet the man who supposedly stole White Group from her and turned her into nothing but a pretty face in his harem.
Shameless.
He even took down her best friend Yelena? Disgusting.
She would definitely teach this greedy man a lesson.
Yelena gently shook her head and subconsciously took a step forward. "Young Master Grey, I heard you got hurt at Rose's place. Are you okay?"
He said Mr. Fox liked her?
Impossible.
Mr. Fox was such a noble and upright person.
Lucas had to be slandering him on purpose.
Lucas had no idea all his thoughts had been laid bare. Seeing Yelena talk to him made him want to disappear.
But to stay in character, he could only force a stiff smile and say, "Even if I were hurt, I'd still come. After all, I'm Rose's best friend."
[Stay calm. If I remember correctly, I shouldn't have much to do tonight.]
[The one who provokes the male lead tonight is a minor character named Zeke Miller, a distant relative of the Miller family.]
[After causing trouble, Zeke not only gets beaten half to death but also gets kicked out of the family. Brutal.]
[All I need to do is stay far away and be a spectator.]
Lucas snickered to himself, completely unaware that Yelena had gone stiff as a board.
-End of Chapter 1-