Aria stood before the ornate mirror in her bedroom and leaned forward until her nose nearly touched the cold glass. She traced the line of her jaw with a slender finger while marveling at the flawless skin of this new vessel.
The woman in the reflection possessed an elegance that felt both natural and cultivated. Her chestnut hair tumbled over her shoulders in waves that caught the morning light while her amber eyes sparkled with a hidden fatigue.
I look like a goddess who has been dragged through the mud.It is truly a waste that the woman before me lived such a miserable existence.
She reached for the thin smartphone resting on the marble counter and watched it vibrate with a relentless stream of notifications. Her stomach churned as she swiped through the latest articles about her recent public outbursts.
The headlines were written with a malice that felt personal and deliberate to any reader.
"Scandal Queen Aria Delforde spotted at local dive bar," one blog post announced with a grainy photo of her stumbling toward a car.
Another site listed her most embarrassing moments in the film industry alongside a countdown of her failed auditions. The comments below were filled with digital venom and mockery from anonymous strangers.
They treat my life like a national pastime.I am the villain in a story I haven't even finished reading yet.
"Mommy, your face is making a funny shape," a voice said from the doorway.
Aria turned to see Avril standing there with a half-eaten piece of toast in his hand. He watched her with a level of concern that no child should ever have to feel for a parent.
"I was just reading the news," she replied while trying to maintain a nonchalant expression.
"The internet people are being mean again," he stated as a simple fact. "I read three articles today that said you were a terrible person."
Aria felt a pang of guilt deep in her chest at his honesty. "You shouldn't be reading those things, Avril."
"I like to know the enemy's movements," he replied with a small shrug of his shoulders.
He talks like a veteran commander who has seen too many battles.Maybe we can bond over our mutual hatred for the paparazzi.
"The comments are actually nicer today," he remarked while taking a small bite of his toast.
Aria blinked as she processed his strange definition of kindness. "Nicer? How is any of this nice?"
"They only called you twelve different names this morning," he answered with a straight face. "Yesterday the count was nineteen before noon."
Aria let out a dry laugh and shook her head at the absurdity. "I suddenly miss the simplicity of a demon invasion."
Avril nodded sympathetically as if he understood exactly what she meant. "I understand."
"No, you really do not."
"I don't. But I support you anyway."
She walked over to the dining table and finished her coffee before opening a thick folder she had found in the study. The cover was embossed with a name that sent a chill through her mind.
Inside was a document titled "Marriage Agreement" in a font that looked cold and final. It was more of a legal blueprint for a corporate merger than a promise of love and devotion.
She flipped through clauses that detailed five years of separate residences and strict confidentiality. No public disclosure was allowed and personal interference was forbidden by law.
This reads more like a business acquisition than a marriage.Who on earth wrote this legal garbage?
"Daddy's lawyer wrote that," Avril answered from the dining table.
Aria jumped slightly at his sudden response to her unspoken thoughts. "You know that for a fact?"
"I asked him when he came over to sign the papers," he said while focusing on a puzzle piece. "I usually get the answers I want if I stare long enough."
Aria closed the folder with a loud snap of the cardboard. It was clear that they had been legally married for years while living like complete strangers.
There were no anniversary photos on the walls and no affectionate messages in her inbox. It was as if someone had intentionally designed a marriage that would never become a real family.
The cracked blue screen of the System flickered into her vision with a digital chime. [Primary Objective Updated.]
[Meet Alexander Magnus.] [Suggested Location: Magnus Enterprises Headquarters.]
[Estimated Success Rate: 3%.]
Aria stared at the hovering text with a look of pure disbelief. "Three percent? Are you serious?"
The interface glitched and produced more red warning text that filled her vision. [Current Reputation Detected: Security Threat Level High.]
Meaning I am more likely to be tackled by a guard than greeted by a secretary.This is the worst retirement plan in the history of the universe.
Avril raised a hand to catch her attention from across the room. "I have a suggestion."
"What is it?"
"You could try entering through the front door like a normal person."
Aria pinched the bridge of her nose to soothe her growing headache. "Thank you, Avril. I truly walked into that one."
Half an hour later, a sleek taxi pulled up to a skyscraper that seemed to pierce the blue sky. It was a monument to wealth and corporate dominance that intimidated every other building in the district.
Glass reflected the afternoon sun like a giant polished crystal in the middle of the city. Aria stepped out onto the pavement and felt the weight of a hundred curious gazes.
Employees in expensive suits moved like ants through the revolving doors with practiced efficiency. The atmosphere was stifling and carried the scent of expensive cologne and high-stakes stress.
Does one man really own all of this glass and steel?
[Correction.] [He owns eighty-two percent of this.]
That is somehow more depressing than if he owned the whole thing.
She smoothed her white blouse and walked toward the entrance with her head held high. Whispers began to ripple through the crowd as people recognized her famous face.
"Is that Aria Delforde?" someone hissed while pulling out a phone to record her. "What is she doing at a real company instead of a bar?"
A uniformed guard stepped into her path before she could even reach the glass doors. His expression was a wall of professional politeness that did not reach his eyes.
"I am sorry, Miss Delforde. You cannot enter without a prior appointment."
"I am here to see my husband," Aria replied with a calm and confident smile.
The guard did not move an inch and kept his hands clasped behind his back. "Mr. Magnus does not meet visitors without authorization from the executive office."
"I said my husband," she repeated while trying to keep her patience from fraying.
"And I said Mr. Magnus does not accept unannounced visitors," he countered with a shrug.
Aria reached into her bag for the marriage certificate she had brought along. Before she could find it, a charcoal sedan rolled under the canopy with a quiet engine.
The atmosphere changed instantly as every employee on the sidewalk straightened their posture. A hush fell over the crowd as the rear passenger door opened.
Polished leather shoes touched the concrete first as a man emerged from the vehicle. He looked like he had been carved from granite and pure ambition by a master sculptor.
He wore a tailored suit that likely cost more than a mid-sized house in the suburbs. His features were jagged and his gray eyes swept over the area with a detached authority.
This was Alexander Magnus, the invisible billionaire who preferred the shadows to the spotlight. He did not need bodyguards to look untouchable because his presence alone created a barrier.
His gaze landed on her for a split second as he moved toward the entrance. Time felt like it had frozen between them as she stood her ground against his cold stare.
So this is him.The man I am supposed to make fall in love with me before I die.
[Target Acquired.] [Mission Progress: 1%.]
One percent for just looking at him?The System is being generous today.
[Warning: Target Emotional Response Detected.] [Current Emotion: Irritation.]
Alexander did not say a single word as he walked past her without slowing down. He treated her like she was just another piece of the scenery in his busy day.
The revolving doors swallowed him and left Aria standing alone in his wake on the sidewalk. "He ignored me like I was a ghost."
[Correction.] [He acknowledged your existence for 2.7 seconds.]
That is supposed to make me feel better?My husband looks at his watch longer than he looks at his wife.
High above in the private office, Alexander adjusted his cufflinks with a frown. His assistant followed him with a tablet in hand and a worried expression.
"President Magnus, Miss Aria Delforde tried to meet you today at the entrance."
Alexander looked out the window at the sprawling city below him. "I know."
"Should we arrange an appointment for her later this week?"
He paused for a long moment while watching the tiny figures on the street below. "No."
Outside the building, Aria looked up at the fiftieth floor with a determined grin. She was not the type of woman to be deterred by a closed door or a cold husband.
Initially, I thought this would be a simple task of charm and wit.Evidently, I am going to have to work for my retirement.
"Fine," she whispered to herself as she turned away from the glass tower.
If the front door is locked, I will just have to find a window.Alexander Magnus has no idea who he is dealing with.
Aria walked back toward the street to find another taxi to take her home. She could feel the faint radiance from the digital screen as it flickered in her peripheral vision.
She would need a more calculated approach to infiltrate his life. Her next move would require more than just a marriage certificate and a pretty face.
I am a legendary transmigrator with nine thousand missions under my belt.I will rebuild this ruin of a family even if I have to do it brick by brick.