CHAPTER 20: THE MASK BEHIND THE PERFECT HERO

(Evelina’s POV—After the Meeting, Executive Hallway)

The conference room door clicked shut behind me, sealing away the storm of corporate tension, mafia presence, and Kael’s ego behind polished glass.

I exhaled slow, shaky air. But the System message kept looping in my head—

Assassination Attempt.

Not a metaphor. Not a warning. An actual assassination attempt.

I pressed my fingertips against my forehead.

"Great. Amazing. Perfect," I muttered under my breath. "I have the self-defense skills of a damp noodle. How exactly am I supposed to survive a mafia-infested casino with a literal murder flag hovering over me?"

Then—Memory hit.

The items I bought at the auction.

The small high-tech gun. The time-stopping device. The emergency teleporting ring.

"Right..." I whispered. "I did buy weapons."

A pause.

"...but I don’t know how to use them."

I stared dead at my phone screen, thumb hovering helplessly. "Fantastic. I own weapons—but in my hands, they’re just expensive metal decorations."

I unlocked my phone and typed frantically: ’Best gun training classes near me.’

Search results exploded.

Tactical training centers. Private instructors. Suspicious "learn to shoot like a pro in 7 days" ads.

"I guess... I have no choice," I murmured. "If someone’s going to try to kill me, I should at least know how not to die."

I turned down the hallway, scrolling through reviews.

’If you’re weak, don’t come here.’’Instructor made me cry.’’Almost died but learned a lot.’

I blinked.

"...These are not comforting testimonials."

But I kept walking toward my new office, absorbed in figuring out which class was least likely to assassinate me before the actual assassins did.

Until—BUMP!

Something solid collided with me.

Hard.

My phone nearly flew out of my hand. "What the—!"

I stumbled back, instinctively grabbing the wall—and looked up.

Oh.

Not a wall.

Not a pillar.

But a man.

A very tall, very cold, very judgmental man.

Kael Valtore.

His jaw tightened as his eyes snapped downward, pinning me with that signature frostbitten glare—like I had just insulted his entire bloodline by existing in his orbit.

His voice cut through the air—smooth, clipped, and edged with something sharp. "Seems like... you’re doing well, Evelina."

I blinked.

Huh?

What kind of weird opening line was that? He bumped into me, glared like I committed a war crime, and then casually dropped that?

I exhaled slowly. "I am sorry, Mr. Valtore; I was scrolling through the internet and bumped into you. It was a pure accident. Then excuse me."

I turned to walk around him—But his hand shot out and wrapped around my wrist.

Firm. Commanding. Not painful—but strong enough to make my breath pause.

I turned back sharply. "What are you doing?"

His jaw clenched. He released my hand instantly—as if he realized too late what he’d done. His fingers curled into a fist by his side.

"We need to talk," he said.

Cold. Unapologetic. Not a request.

My brows rose.

"... Can I say no?"

"No."

The answer came without hesitation.

A wall. A command. A verdict.

Of course. Why ask?

I sighed, letting my shoulders slightly drop. "Alright. Fine. What is it you want to talk about?"

His eyes flicked to the sides—checking the hallway, checking the glass walls, checking the shadows. He didn’t want anyone else listening.

"Let’s talk somewhere else."

***

[Café Down the Office—Later]

SPARKLE!!!GLITTER!!!SHINY SHINY!!!

I blinked at the luxurious café tucked neatly beneath the executive floor.

Crystal chandeliers. Velvet seats. A literal wall made of chocolate truffles. Coffee machines that looked more expensive than my actual life.

This wasn’t a café. This was heaven with Wi-Fi.

Of course—this was a game. And in a game, everything came pre-packaged for convenience and aesthetic appeal. Even coffee shops.

I took a deep breath... and my eyes automatically shifted to the walking disaster across from me.

Kael Valtore.

Even here, doing absolutely nothing but breathing, he had every woman in the café stealing glances, giggling like they’d been sprinkled with fairy dust.

This man didn’t flirt.

He just existed.

And that was apparently enough to ruin the collective emotional stability of half the women in the building.

I crossed my arms. "Alright. What did you want to talk about?"

Kael looked at me—sharp, cold, and with an expression I absolutely did NOT appreciate.

"I heard from Sera," he began slowly, "that you keep picking fights with your family because of me."

My eye twitched.

. . .

. . .

My soul actually left my body. "Huh—wait—what—when did I—"

He cut me off, his tone colder than the iced Americano in his hand. "I heard you threw a tantrum about a mere necklace. And Sera said..."

He paused dramatically—as if delivering a diagnosis. "...it must have been because I canceled the engagement."

. . .

SORRY?

WHAT???

I stared at him. No, actually—I stared through him. Like he was a glitch in the Matrix. "That’s a very—VERY—grand misunderstanding you’re having—"

He cut me off again.

"I know you’re pretending to be fine."

What?

He leaned back, voice soft in that arrogant CEO way. "I can feel how lonely you must be without me."

A second of silence. Two seconds. Three.

I blinked.

He blinked.

The café blinked.

WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL DID THIS MAN JUST SAY???

Is this... Is this really the main lead of the game?!

This—This delusional, self-obsessed, romance-genre embarrassment—THIS is the man Sera ends up with?!

Why did I not notice this while playing her route?! Ah right. Because I was the dumbass player falling for the hero’s pretty pixels.

I inhaled through my nose, pinching the bridge of it with elegance only women pushed past their limit developed. "Mr. Valtore."

He straightened slightly, as if expecting an emotional confession. I gave him none.

"You’ve gravely," I emphasized, "gravely mistaken yourself."

His brows furrowed.

"There is absolutely nothing," I said calmly, "like that."

He opened his mouth, but I continued, slicing through his delusion with my voice:

"I do not miss you. Not for a millisecond. Not for a sneeze. Not even in parallel dimensions."

Kael froze.

I leaned back, crossing my legs like a queen about to pass judgment. "I am Evelina Hartgrave. A woman made of stone. Titanium. And a little spite."

His jaw tensed.

"A Mere broken engagement cannot faze me," I said lightly. "In fact, you did me a favor."

The silence was thick. Heavy. Embarrassing—for him.

Kael stared at me. Like someone had just unplugged his entire operating system.

A beat. Another, Finally—

"...You’re lying," he muttered.

I choked.

Of course. The male lead’s ego. The one boss battle no one can win.

He exhaled a long, heavy sigh, as if he were the one suffering.

"I know you’re lying, Evelina," he said quietly—with that annoying, gentle-patronizing tone that said I believe in the story I made up in my head more than your actual words.

I stared at him.

He continued anyway.

"But... since you threw tantrums," he said, lifting his cup calmly, "I can only assume you still love me deeply."

My soul attempted suicide.

He leaned in slightly, eyes softening—as if this were some dramatic romance-drama reunion scene.

"And because of that... I might reconsider."

"...Reconsider?" I echoed.

He nodded solemnly. "Yes. Fixing the engagement again."

I blinked. Then blinked again. Because apparently, reality no longer applied in Kael Valtore’s vicinity.

He leaned forward further, lowering his voice conspiratorially.

"However..." His tone shifted—calm, deep, threaded with something harder. "There is one condition."

Ah.There it is.

The real male lead: Manipulative, strategic, calculating. Wrapped in angelic visuals. A wolf in CEO suit.

"What condition?" I asked.

Kael’s expression hardened—all softness gone.

"Vinter Corporation," he said, voice dropping, "is a threat."

I stayed still. He continued, fingers tapping once against the table.

"If Hartgrave Corporation cooperates with him... it could gravely injure Valtore Group."

Ah.

So that’s the reason. Not love. Not regret. Not concerned.

Business. Competition. Greed.

Kael wasn’t here because of me. He was here because of Theo Vinter.

He stared at me sharply.

"Vinter and Hartgrave working together will shift the entire corporate balance," he said. "Shares. Market influence. Power chains." His jaw tightened slightly.

"And Valtore Group will take the blow."

I understood in an instant.

Because if Vinter and Hartgrave join together, an empire will rise. And Valtore might crush.

Kael’s eyes locked onto mine—cold, direct, and unyielding.

"You’re close to Uncle Hartgrave," he said. "So convince him to cancel the partnership with Vinter."

Silence hit the table like a stone dropped into still water. He sat back, crossing his arms confidently.

"And in return... I will consider restoring our engagement."

There it was.

The truth. Not even sugarcoated. Not even disguised.

He didn’t want me back. He wanted my influence. My family. My leverage.

A pawn.A tool.A bridge to sabotage another corporation.

I stared at him, and slowly—painfully—a laugh built in my chest. And the truth settled in my chest like a final piece falling into place:

Kael Valtore wasn’t the hero of my story. He was another villain wearing gold.