Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Han Mansion, illuminating the chaotic mess of silk sheets on the king-sized bed.
Blake sat on the edge of the bed, buttoning his shirt. Behind him, the icy CEO, Chloe Han, was just waking up. Her usual cold, impenetrable aura was gone, replaced by a flushed softness that no one in Zenith City had ever seen.
She clutched the blanket to her chest, looking at Blake's back with a complex gaze. The pain in her chest—the Lunar Frost Poison that had tortured her for a decade—was silent. For the first time in years, she felt... warm.
"Blake," she whispered, her voice slightly hoarse. "Last night..."
"Last night was treatment," Blake interrupted, turning to glance at her. His gray eyes were calm, devoid of the obsessive infatuation the 'old' Blake used to have. "Do you feel the cold?"
Chloe paused, checking her internal energy. "No. It's gone."
"It's suppressed," Blake corrected, standing up and adjusting his suit jacket. "As I said, it requires regular sessions. If you want to live, you stay by my side."
He walked over, leaned down, and tilted her chin up. "Today is our engagement party. I expect you to be there. And I expect you to look happy."
In the original novel, this was the day Chloe would publicly announce the annulment, destroying the Vane family's reputation. But now?
Chloe's eyes wavered, then solidified. The man in front of her was dangerous, mysterious, and the only one who could keep her alive.
"I understand," she said softly. "I will be your fiancée, Blake. Don't let me down."
[Ding!][System Alert: Plot Deviation Successful.][Heroine Chloe Han's Loyalty: 70 (Devoted/Dependent).][Reward: 500 Villain Points.][Reward: Combat Skill - Bone Crushing Palm (Mastery).]
Blake smirked. 'Perfect. Now I have the medical skills to control life and the combat skills to end it.'
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7:00 PM. The Vane Estate.
The engagement party was the social event of the year. Luxury cars lined the driveway—Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Maybachs. The elite of Zenith City had gathered, clinking champagne glasses and whispering gossip.
"I heard the Han family wants to call it off." "Really? Poor Blake. The Vane family is rich, but the Hans hold the real power." "Watch, tonight is going to be a show. Blake is just a stepping stone."
Blake stood on the second-floor balcony, looking down at the guests. He heard every whisper. He took a sip of red wine, the liquid mirroring the color of the blood he planned to spill metaphorically tonight.
"Young Master," his trusted butler bowed behind him. "Everything is ready. But... security reported a disturbance at the West Gate."
"Let me guess," Blake swirled his wine. "A young man in cheap clothes, shouting about freedom and love?"
The butler blinked, surprised. "Yes, sir. He knocked out two guards. He says he needs to save Miss Chloe."
Blake laughed. It was right on schedule.
Lin Feng.
The Protagonist was like a cockroach. Even after being chased by dogs and blacklisted, he still found a way to crash the event. In the book, this was his big moment—barging in, exposing Blake's 'crimes', and taking Chloe away.
"Let him in," Blake ordered.
"Sir?"
"I said, let him in. A play needs a clown, doesn't it?"
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Down in the grand ballroom, the music stopped. The lights dimmed, and a spotlight hit the grand staircase.
Blake descended, looking like a dark prince. Beside him was Chloe Han. She wore a stunning crimson evening gown that hugged her curves, her arm linked tightly through Blake's. She didn't look like a hostage. She looked like a queen standing beside her king.
The crowd gasped. They looked... perfect together.
"Welcome," Blake's voice projected through the microphone, smooth and commanding. "Tonight isn't just a party. It's a declaration."
He looked at Chloe. She looked back, a genuine smile touching her lips—a smile bought with her life and health, but a smile nonetheless.
"Stop!"
A roar shattered the atmosphere.
The heavy double doors of the ballroom were kicked open.
Lin Feng stood there, breathing heavily. His clothes were torn, stained with dirt and sewer water from his 'stealthy' entry. He glared at Blake with eyes burning with righteous fury.
"Chloe!" Lin Feng shouted, pointing a trembling finger at Blake. "Get away from him! He's deceiving you! He's evil!"
The guests murmured. Security moved to intercept, but Blake waved them off.
"Lin Feng," Blake said, his voice dripping with amusement. "I thought I told you to leave the city. Did you come here to beg for food?"
"I came to expose you!" Lin Feng stepped forward, his 'Dragon Aura' flaring invisibly. "Everyone here needs to know! Blake Vane is a fraud! He doesn't love Chloe! He's using her!"
Lin Feng looked at Chloe, his eyes pleading. "Miss Han, trust me. I can sense your illness. I can cure you! You don't need to submit to this tyrant!"
In the novel, Chloe would have been moved. She would have stepped away from Blake.
Blake looked at Chloe. "Honey, do you know this beggar?"
Chloe looked at Lin Feng. She saw a dirty, shouting intruder ruining her engagement. She compared him to Blake—powerful, rich, and the man who had actually stopped her pain last night.
Her expression turned cold.
"Security," Chloe said, her voice sharp as ice. "Why was this trash allowed into my engagement party?"
Lin Feng froze. "W-What? Miss Han, I—"
"Throw him out," Blake commanded, stepping forward. "But first... break his legs. I warned him yesterday."
[Ding!][Grand Face-Slapping Scene Detected.][Mission: Destroy the Protagonist's Will.]
Blake cracked his knuckles. He wasn't going to let the guards have all the fun. He wanted to test out his new Bone Crushing Palm.
"Actually," Blake smiled, descending the final steps. "I'll do it myself."