On the third day of attempting to conquer Blake Stone's heart, he confesses his feelings to me. But the thing is, the affection meter displayed above his head shows the number "0".

After we start dating, Blake pampers me to no end. He even proposes to me in a grand fashion on our sixth year anniversary.

With tears in my eyes, I'm about to nod when I see a range of comments floating across my vision.

[Blake must be exhausted from all the acting, huh? He has to reel in his disgust and keep up the act with Joanna for six years in order to protect Keira from her.]

[That idiotic replacement actually got so immersed in this act! I'm laughing my ass off right now!]

It's as though my blood had transformed into ice. No wonder the number never changed throughout the years.

At the same time, the system's icy voice rings out in my mind.

"The final phase is now activated. The countdown to the time left to conquer your target's heart has started. You have ten days left. If you fail, you'll be wiped out from this world."

I just smile as I draw back my hand that was about to wear his ring. Then, I wipe my tears away.

"I'm sorry, but I'm sick and tired of this stupid strategy game."

The comments were still flying past.

[Wait, did the look in Joanna's eyes just change?]

[She should've wised up ages ago. Blake only has eyes for Keira.]

[Grab your popcorn. She's about to go full villain mode!]

Villain mode? No. It was just that suddenly, a lot of things clicked into place for me.

Blake Stone never let me meet anyone alone, claiming he was afraid I would fall in with the wrong crowd. And whenever I brought up getting a job, he would gently cut me off. "You don't have to. I'll take care of you."

It turned out that wasn't love at all. It was a cage.

I returned to the villa, feeling distraught. I started throwing my things into a suitcase robotically. As I walked past the study, the comments exploded again.

[Look at the computer! Blake didn't log out of his WhatsApp!]

[Oh no. If she sees those messages…]

[Danger! Time to protect Keira!]

A crisp notification sound came from inside the study. I pushed the door open. The monitor was still on, and a WhatsApp chat window between Blake and the male lead, Anson Griffith, filled the screen.

The most recent message was from Blake. "She suddenly turned down my proposal. Keep an eye on Keira these next few days. Don't let Joanna get near her."

Anson's reply was almost instantaneous. "Got it. You've really gone through a lot all these years."

I laughed at that. How ridiculous. Because of me, two men who were supposed to be the worst of love rivals had somehow ended up on the same team.

I scrolled up. The chat history was like a dull blade that slowly sawed through my skin and flesh.

Anson: "If I remember right, in the original story, Joanna doesn't ruin Keira's face. She even hires someone to assault her. Making you share a bed with that vicious woman every night is really asking too much of you."

Blake: "As long as Keira is safe, it's all worth it."

Anson: "She seems to be falling more and more in love with you. Do you think she'll lose it completely if she finds out the truth?"

Blake: "She won't find out. But if she does and dares lay a hand on Keira… I'll break her limbs and have her locked in a psych ward for life!"

He even added an exclamation mark at the end for added emphasis.

My hands turned cold as I stared at the screen.

The comments erupted.

["It's all worth it." Blake is so in love! I don't need to say who with, right?]

[Am I the only one who finds this terrifying? He's been scheming against someone else for six years just to protect Keira Lane.]

[Excuse me? Joanna is literally the evil villainess in this story. Blake is doing the world a favor while protecting his true love. It's a win-win situation!]

[Look at Joanna's face right now. Is she about to snap?]

[Girl, stop stirring up drama. Just run!]

Run?

I lowered my eyes and looked at my slender wrists. Yeah, I needed to run.

By the time I dragged my suitcase out the front door, night had fallen. I stood by the side of the road. For a second, I had no idea where to go.

The comments were more anxious than I was.

[Is she really leaving?]

[Hurry up already! Stop getting in the way of Blake and Keira being cute together!]

[Wait… Is that Blake's car in the distance?]

Headlights cut through the darkness, and a familiar black car screeched to a halt in front of me. Blake jumped out and ran over. His dress shirt was slightly rumpled, and his breathing was uneven. His face carried just the right mix of panic and heartbreak.

"Anna, I'm sorry. I got ahead of myself… I thought you would be happy." Blake's eyes were red-rimmed as he reached out to grab me. "Don't go. Let's talk about this, alright?"

If this were before, I probably would've melted on the spot. But now, all I could think of was how he'd told Anson he would break my limbs and lock me up.

I took a step back, dodging his hand. I heard myself say airily, "It's not your fault. I'm just done."

"Done?" Blake's lashes trembled, as if he genuinely couldn't understand what that meant. "You don't love me anymore?"

Under the streetlight, I saw the broken look in his eyes. His acting was so convincing he could've won an award.

A comment floated past.

[To be fair, Blake wasn't completely faking it these past years… This kind of hurts.]

That reminded me of something. I lifted my head and looked straight into Blake's eyes. "Blake, over the past six years, was there even one second that you truly felt happy?"

His eyes widened just a fraction. He didn't answer, but the comments exploded.

[Did she find out the truth?]

[Holy shit! One high-intensity scene, coming right up!]

[Blake, why are you just standing there? Start lying!]

The wind was freezing. I tightened my grip on my suitcase and walked away, disappearing into the night. No footsteps followed.

Only the countdown in my head ticked clearly. 9 days, 23 hours, 59 minutes. The game wasn't over yet, but this player no longer felt like following the rules.

I hailed a cab and got in, slumping against the window. I couldn't stop my hands from shaking, but it wasn't from fear. It was from excitement.

So this was what it felt like to drop a six-year act. It was like I was finally able to breathe.

The countdown flickered coldly in front of my eyes. 9 days, 23 hours, 10 minutes.

I had less than ten days to live, and it was all because of someone who would never love me. What a joke.

"Miss, where to?" the driver asked, glancing at me in the rearview mirror.

I rattled off the address to my old favorite cafe by the river. Blake said it was "too noisy and messy" and had stopped me from going there.

Comments drifted across my vision.

[Where is she going? Shouldn't she be running for her life?]

[That look in Blake's eyes when she left was terrifying…]

[Am I the only one who thinks she looks really good in that red dress?]

Outside the window, the city's neon lights streaked backward.

For six years, it was like I'd been living in a glass dome, seeing everything through Blake's filter. Now, the glass had shattered. The wind rushed in, carrying the smoky smell of late-night food stands, the damp river breeze, and strangers' laughter and small talk.

It was so real that it made me want to cry.

The cafe was still in its old spot. When I pushed the door open, the bell over the door chimed.

The owner, a middle-aged man with a graying beard, was taken aback when he saw me. "Joanna?"

"Hi, Eddie. Long time no see," I said.

"It really is you!" Eddie Calhan wiped his hands and came out from behind the counter. "What's it been, five, six years? You used to love that window seat. One latte and you'd be there all afternoon working on assignments…"

Only then did I remember that before meeting Blake, I used to come here to do my assignments. Back then, I was a student at a film academy with dreams of winning Best Actress. I used to fill the margins of my scripts with notes.

And after that?

After that, Blake had said, "Acting is too hard. I'll take care of you. The entertainment industry is a mess. It's not good for you. Anna, you've got me. That's enough."

And I'd actually believed him. I'd given up auditions, turned down contracts, locked my dreams in a drawer, and handed him the key.

"Your usual?" Eddie asked.

"Yeah." I paused. "And a slice of tiramisu."

I used to never dare order it. Blake said I "put on weight too easily and that it won't look good on camera".

But now, I only had ten days left. Who cared if I put on a little weight?

The window seat was empty. I sat down, enjoying the river breeze on my face. Across the water, city lights shimmered on the surface, breaking into a rippling field of gold.

The first bite of tiramisu melted on my tongue. Sweet, cloying cream collided with the bitter kick of coffee liqueur. I close my eyes.

Damn, this was good. So this was what it felt like to truly be alive.

The comments went quiet for a moment before slowly appearing again.

[She's eating so seriously…]

[Why do I feel oddly sad watching this?]

[She only has ten days to live. If I were her, I'd want one last good meal, too.]

[But seriously, is Blake really just going to let her run around like this? I don't believe that.]

I didn't believe it, either. So when my phone buzzed and Blake's name flashed on the screen, I wasn't surprised at all. I picked up but didn't say anything.

"Anna, where did you go? I'm really worried about you." His voice carried a trace of exhaustion.

"I'm eating."

"Come home, Anna." His tone softened. "We both need to cool down, so I promise I won't bother you tonight. You can take the guest room, and we can sit down and really talk tomorrow. How about that?"

It was such a familiar script.

For six years, each time I got upset, this was how it went. Blake would gently and patiently coax me step by step back into the cage. Then, everything would go back to the way it was.

"Blake." I stared out at the river. "Do you remember my senior thesis performance in college?"

He went quiet for a moment. "Why are you bringing that up now?"

"I played a woman who was locked up. In the end, she burned the whole house down… and herself with it." I dug my spoon into the cake. "Back then, you said I was too extreme in the act and that no one in real life would be that stupid. But I get it now. She wasn't stupid. It was just that the fire was all she had left."

Blake's breathing grew heavier on the other end of the line. "What are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying…" I finished the last bite of cake. "For the next ten days, I'm going to live my own life. Don't look for me, and don't bother me. Don't use my family to threaten me. If I'm still alive in ten days…"

I laughed. "We can go back to playing your game."

…

I checked into the most expensive presidential suite in the city, swiping the supplementary card Blake had given me.

Onscreen, the comments kept coming.

[The presidential suite? She really knows how to enjoy herself.]

[Using Blake's money to stay in such an expensive hotel. This is iconic.]

[She's only got ten days. Let her splurge.]

I dropped my suitcase by the entryway and sank into the bathtub filled with rose petals. The countdown pulsed in my head. 8 days, 14 hours, 32 minutes.

I had eight and a half days to go.

My phone was eerily silent. Blake didn't call me again, which, honestly, wasn't like him.

Later that night, as I lay on the huge bed, I read the comments.

[Is she really just going to sleep? She's got nerves of steel.]

[What's Blake doing? Looks like he's tracing her phone location.]

[Honestly, this feeling of being watched at all times is smothering.]

I was just drifting off when I heard a brutal kick against the door. I jolted upright.

The chat exploded.

[What the heck was that?]

[Someone's breaking in!]

[Is it Blake?]

[I'm freaking out right now!]

Before I could react, the door slammed open with a heavy bang. Blake stood in the doorway, his bloodshot eyes burning like he was beyond furious.

"Joanna Yarrow." His voice was hoarse as he took one deliberate step after another toward me. I instinctively clutched the collar of my bathrobe.

He stopped in front of me, his shadow completely swallowing me up. "Where's Keira?"

I was taken aback. "What?"

"Drop the act." He seized my wrist in a crushing grip, making pain shoot through me. "Where did you take Keira? Answer me!"

"I don't know what you're talking about—"I tried to pull away, but he only tightened his hold.