(Checkmate Begins)
If Aria had to describe Ethan Vale in one sentence, it would be:
A walking red flag with a PhD in suspicion.
Meanwhile—
On the rooftop of Aurex Tower, thirty-eight floors above ground, a man was having what could only be described as a public breakdown with dramatic lighting.
"YOU STOLE IT!"
The man—Leon Draxler, CEO of a declining tech empire—looked like he hadn't slept in weeks.
Wrinkled shirt. Bloodshot eyes. Pride hanging on by a thread.
Ethan Vale, on the other hand?
Impeccable.
Untouched.
Annoyingly calm.
He adjusted his cufflinks lazily.
"Correction," Ethan said coolly, "you lost it."
Leon's face twisted. "The NeuroLink Core Project was ours! Without it, my company—"
"—was already sinking," Ethan cut in smoothly.
Silence.
Then—
Explosion.
"You manipulated the bidding!"
Ethan's lips curved slightly.
"Careful," he said. "Accusations require proof. Preferably something stronger than desperation and poor financial decisions."
Leon stepped closer, pointing toward the edge.
"If you walk away, I'll jump!"
Ethan didn't even look.
Ah, he thought calmly. The classic emotional blackmail package.
"Then jump," he replied.
Leon froze.
"…What?"
Ethan finally glanced at him, eyes sharp.
"If you actually intended to, you wouldn't still be talking."
Savage. Clean. Fatal.
Leon trembled with rage.
"You'll regret this!"
Ethan took out his phone.
Dialed.
"Hello," he said calmly. "There's a man threatening to jump at Aurex Tower."
Pause.
"Yes. I'm concerned."
He hung up.
Looked back at Leon.
"You're welcome."
Then he left.
Because frankly—
He had more important things to think about.
Like a certain amnesiac actress.
Back at Mooncrest Pavilion—
Aria Larkspur was in the middle of something extremely serious.
"LEFT—LEFT—NO YOU IDIOT—WHY WOULD YOU GO RIGHT?!"
Her phone flashed.
DEFEAT.
Aria: "…."
She stared at the screen.
Then at the ceiling.
Then at her soul leaving her body.
"I carried this entire team," she muttered. "Emotionally. Spiritually. Mentally. And this is how they repay me?"
The system sighed.
"You jumped into a tower on purpose."
"It was tactical."
"You missed."
"…Details."
Outside the villa—
A black Bugatti had been parked for ten minutes.
Lights still on.
Very dramatic.
Very suspicious.
Very obvious.
Aria glanced out the window.
"Oh. The CEO has arrived."
The system perked up.
"Go greet him?"
Aria popped a cherry into her mouth.
"No."
"…No?"
"No."
She leaned back on the sofa, completely unbothered.
"Let him marinate in his emotions."
"That's not a strategy."
"That is the strategy."
Fifteen minutes later—
Ethan Vale was still in the car.
Smoking.
Thinking.
Annoyed.
He didn't know why he came.
Didn't need to.
Didn't plan to.
And yet—
He was here.
Ridiculous.
Inside the villa—
Aria checked her reflection.
Cherry stains? Gone.
Hair? Slightly messy—artistically messy.
Expression?
She grabbed a blanket and flopped dramatically onto the sofa.
"Time to sleep."
"You were just screaming at a game."
"Character development."
When Ethan finally entered—
The living room was quiet.
Soft.
Dimly lit.
And there she was.
Curled up on the sofa like a harmless, delicate creature.
Asleep.
Or pretending to be.
Ethan paused.
His gaze lingered.
She looked…
Small.
Fragile.
Almost obedient.
Too obedient.
Suspicion rose instantly.
Still—
He stepped closer.
Because clearly, making questionable decisions was his personality now.
He bent slightly, about to pick her up—
And then—
Aria turned.
Her lips brushed lightly against his cheek.
Soft.
Warm.
Gone in a second.
Both froze.
Aria (internally):
Oh? Unexpected bonus scene.
Ethan (externally):
"…."
Ethan (internally):
…What just happened.
The faint scent of orchids lingered.
Ethan straightened slowly.
His expression unreadable.
"Accident," Aria mumbled sleepily.
Without opening her eyes.
Perfect timing.
Perfect excuse.
Perfect chaos.
Next few days—
Ethan did not visit.
At all.
Aria sat in the greenhouse, staring at a hyacinth.
Then—
She squeezed it.
Juice stained her fingers purple.
The system panicked.
"That flower was expensive!"
"I'm stressed."
"You're dramatic."
"I'm strategic."
"You've been abandoned."
Aria smiled sweetly.
"If you had a physical body, I'd uninstall you."
"…Noted."
Truth was—
She was bored.
And slightly annoyed.
"Did I scare him away?" she muttered.
"Congratulations," the system said. "You unlocked: emotionally unavailable male lead."
"I hate this game."
"You're literally playing it."
Days later—
"Host," the system whispered, "Ethan is here."
Aria instantly sat at the bay window.
Book in hand.
Soft sweater.
Messy hair.
Maximum angel mode activated.
Let the performance begin.
Ethan walked in silently.
He had already checked.
Three minutes ago—
She wasn't there.
Now—
She was.
Reading peacefully.
Suspicious.
Very suspicious.
He stepped closer.
Close enough to notice—
Her fingers hadn't turned the page.
For a while.
He smirked slightly.
Then—
Snatched the book.
Aria blinked.
Oh, we're doing this today?
"Reading?" he asked casually.
Aria smiled sweetly.
"I just came here to relax."
Please don't ask anything complicated.
Ethan flipped the book.
"Interesting."
Then looked straight at her.
"Tell me what it's about."
Silence.
Aria's brain:
System.
HELP.
The system:
"Romance novel. Fake dating. Betrayal. Happy ending."
Aria nodded slowly.
Then looked at Ethan.
"Why are you interested?" she asked gently.
"It's just a romance novel."
She tilted her head.
"You don't seem like someone who enjoys… feelings."
Pause.
Direct hit.
Ethan's eyes darkened slightly.
Aria smiled brighter.
Innocent.
Harmless.
Absolutely dangerous.
"Unless," she added softly,
"You're trying to understand me?"
Checkmate.
Or at least—
The opening move.