CHAPTER 32: THE PRICE OF GOLD AND DANGER

(Evelina’s POV—Vinter Corporation Port—Warehouse Interior)

The warehouse smelled like cold metal, motor oil... and fresh danger.

I walked beside Theo as if stepping onto a runway paved with blood and gemstones. Rowan trailed half a step behind me—silent, alert, and ready to stab someone with a clipboard if needed.

10,000 gold coins.

He actually agreed to it. He actually called someone to bring it. Did this man have a functioning brain cell?

Well... apparently not. He had power instead. And too much of it.

But I didn’t have time to dwell. Because the moment we entered the inner warehouse, Theo stopped walking.

Rowan stopped walking.

I stopped walking.

Because sitting on a massive wooden pallet... was a literal gold chest. Like a pirate treasure dropped out of a fantasy RPG.

And a man—Liam, probably—stood beside it, sweating buckets.

"Boss," he stammered, "10,000 real gold coins delivered... as requested."

Holy shit.

He actually did it.

Theo turned to me with a smile that could melt civilizations and start wars at the same time. He gestured gracefully at the massive chest like it was a royal dowry.

"Miss Hartgrave... your gold coins."

I stared.

He stared.

Rowan stared.

The world stared.

My eyes widened so violently I was sure they would roll out of my skull. Theo tilted his head, amused. "Is this satisfactory?"

My eye twitched.

Rowan’s expression didn’t move—not even a fraction—but the air around him dropped ten degrees.

Then Theo stepped forward—slow, deliberate—and flipped open another lid.

CLINK!! CLUNK!!!!

He poured the gold into a secondary box, coins cascading like liquid sunlight.

It gleamed, glittered, and mocked my entire existence.

10,000 coins.

Real. Heavy. Terrifying.

Theo plucked a single gold coin between his fingers—casual, elegant—and held it up toward me like a man offering an engagement ring.

His voice dipped into velvet. "Tell me, Miss Hartgrave... Is this satisfactory?"

Our eyes locked. Everything else dissolved into silence.

I inhaled sharply, words slipping out heavier than I intended. "Why... why are you doing this?

"

He blinked—slowly. Then the smirk curled onto his lips like a storm forming.

"Because you wanted it."

"No," I whispered, stepping back half an inch. "I’m not asking that. No one—no one is kind enough to give this much gold to anyone. Especially—"

He cut me off.

Smoothly.

Sharply.

He stepped closer—inch by inch—until my pulse stuttered. Blood roared in my ears.

"Especially a person like me?" he finished softly.

I swallowed.

"...Yes. Why would you—"

And then he closed the distance. Completely. One hand lifted—slow, precise, intentional—and he brushed a loose strand of hair behind my ear. His fingers ghosted against my skin. Warm. Possessive.

I froze.

He leaned in—face dangerously close, breath warm, eyes dark enough to drown kingdoms.

"Because, Miss Hartgrave..." His voice dropped into a low, velvet growl—too intimate, too intense. "...you pique my interest."

My heart stopped.

His smile deepened, slow and lethal.

"And I would do anything... absolutely anything... to lure you to me."

My breath caught. Rowan’s jaw tightened—subtle, cold, lethal in protection—but he didn’t interfere. Theo tilted my chin up with a single finger, eyes devouring every inch of my expression.

"Gold," he murmured, "is nothing to me. But you?"

His thumb grazed the corner of my jaw.

"You are priceless. And I intend to claim your attention... one coin at a time."

The air between us burned. And my heart—traitorous, foolish, murderous—skipped in its cage, which I hated very much.

Rowan stiffened behind me—eyes sharp, posture rigid, hand subtly shifting toward his concealed weapon. One second away from slicing Theo’s hand off.

Theo ignored him completely.

His attention was locked—caged—on me alone. And just when his fingers brushed a little too close—

D I N G ! ! !

A bright window exploded in front of my eyes like the universe throwing a glitter bomb at my face.

I flinched; Theo didn’t move. Rowan stepped forward instantly.

The system window glowed violently.

[SYSTEM ALERT—AFFECTION SURGE DETECTED:Theo Vinter—48% → 68%. Reason: Dangerous teasing + physical proximity + emotional vow.]

I choked on air.

68%?!

In one moment?! From ONE line?! What is he, a romance speedrunner?! A flirtation glitch exploit?! A walking "+30 affection bonus" bug?!

The system agreed with my suffering because another line lit up in violent, flashing red:

[System: You have unlocked the Special Feature...][Reward Gained: ONE TELEPORTATION POINT]Would you like to accept it?

[ YES ]  [ NO ]

My eyes widened.

A TELEPORTATION POINT.

My hands trembled—not from fear—but from pure, unfiltered survival joy. This was the kind of skill a gamer prayed for, cried for, and offered sacrifices for.

Because in this world?

Romance wasn’t flowers and rainbows.

It was like walking every day on lava.

I slammed YES so fast I think I broke physics.

TRING!!!!

[System: Congratulations. You have gained ONE TELEPORTATION POINT.][It will automatically trigger whenever you are in life-threatening danger.]

"Thank God," I whispered.

Then the window vanished with a happy whish, as if it didn’t just save my future corpse from becoming a wall decoration.

But now...now the real problem towered over me like a gilded, muscular apocalypse.

The gold coins.

10,000 GOLD coins.

Real. Shiny. HEAVY. Sitting inside a literal treasure chest like pirate loot.

Theo was watching me—closely—waiting.

Rowan was watching me—quietly—calculating.

And me?

I stood there with internal screaming loud enough to shatter the diamonds we shipped.

If I accept the gold, I owe Theo. Personally.

I owe him a gift. A promise. "Whatever you desire, Mr. Vinter."

And Theo was not a safe, normal human being who would ask for a tie or a new car.

No. He was a two-legged volcano in a tailored suit. A man who smirks at assassins. A

man whose flirting style is, ’Here is a gun; let’s build an empire.’

What if he asked for something absurd?

What if he asked to sleep with him??

I trembled internally.

NO.

Absolutely NOT. Never. Over my dead body—(And the way my life is going, that is VERY likely.)

I shivered hard enough to rattle my earrings.

But...If I don’t accept...

I stay stuck in my current route. The Villainess route. With political murder, family chaos, sibling betrayal, and constant danger. It could take months—YEARS—to earn enough reputation and money to unlock the hidden route.

10,000 gold coins?

At this rate, I’d have to start mining the earth like a medieval goblin.

I clenched my fists.

WHAT. SHOULD. I. DO?!

Theo watched me struggle.

Rowan watched me panic.

I was standing in front of a mafia king with 10,000 gold coins and a deadly bodyguard with 52% affection.

And a system telling me, "Choose wisely, Player."

I inhaled sharply. The gold gleamed under the light.

Theo’s smirk sharpened.

Rowan’s jaw flexed.

My sanity evaporated.

"..."

I whispered to myself, voice dead and hollow, "Why is every decision in this world a potential death sentence...?"

Silence pressed around me.

And yet...

To go back to my old life—to escape this scripted hell—to unlock the hidden route—I needed the gold. So I lifted my chin, my spine straightening like a blade, and met Theo’s eyes with a calm I didn’t feel.

Slow. Steady. I delivered my own damn fate.

"I will accept your gift, Mr. Vinter."

His expression shifted—not surprise. Not relief. But a slow, predatory smirk that curled like smoke and danger.

D I N G ! ! !

A system window exploded into view, gold and triumphant.

[System: Congratulations—you have acquired 10,000 gold coins.]

The light faded.

Theo didn’t. He stepped closer—too close—voicing a low, pleased whisper that slid under my skin like velvet and knives.

"Excellent choice... Miss Hartgrave."

I smiled.

Cold.

Sharp.

Ready.

Because one thing was clear: I might have just traded my safety for power, but I will never kneel.

I will and have to make him kneel.