The goons' jaws dropped to the floor. They had no idea what Nina Donovan was playing at.
In the past, hadn't they always been the ones to beat Jasper Sherwood half to death before she made her grand entrance to finish him off with some cruel bullying?
Right now, Nina Donovan stared at the sky, her heart filled with despair. She could feel Jasper Sherwood turn his head to give her a questioning look. Taking a deep breath, she tried to force down the heat rising in her face, comforting herself internally. 'It's fine, it's fine, it's... fine!'
'I'm just a villainess. I can play this part. I have to be worthy of that ten-billion-dollar bonus!'
Nina Donovan scrambled to her feet as if nothing had happened, brushed the dust off her clothes, and continued her threats. "If I hadn't slipped, I would've knocked you out with that kick, you punk! You won't get a second chance to dodge!"
This time, she made sure. No pebbles underfoot. All clear.
She kicked out with all her might. Suddenly, her foot felt light. Nina Donovan watched, wide-eyed, as her shoe flew off, hit a nearby wall, bounced twice, and landed right next to Jasper Sherwood's hand. And there she stood, barefoot on the gravel, feeling utterly disheveled.
Hah...
'How can someone mess up the same thing twice? I wish the ground would swallow me whole right now.'
'What kind of stupid mission is this? Why does it have to be a kick? Can't I just punch him a couple of times?'
Misty had practically crashed. It began to seriously worry whether it would get the Employee of the Year award.
The surrounding goons were dumbstruck. Blondie, their leader, couldn't help but speak up. "Nina..."
Nina Donovan whipped her head around and glared at him. "Quiet! I'm thinking."
Caught between embarrassment and humiliation, Nina Donovan chose aggression.
She kicked out with her bare foot.
A sharp *CRACK* was heard.
Nina Donovan's face went pale. Her eyes instantly welled up, her doe-like eyes filling with tears. "Waaah, it hurts so much."
'Did I just break my own toe by kicking him? Is he made of iron? He's so hard!'
Misty was too speechless to even comment.
It instructed her wearily, [Host... just give him the warning and let's retreat.]
Nina Donovan wiped away her tears. The pain was making her dizzy, but she tried to recall the plot the system had fed her.
She aggressively grabbed Jasper Sherwood by the collar and warned through gritted teeth, "Leon will only be happy if you disappear from his sight. So I'm giving you three days. If you want your family to live, drop out of school and get the hell out of Aldoria. Otherwise, you'll regret ever crossing me."
At the mention of his family, Jasper Sherwood's indifferent gaze instantly turned murderous as he glared at Nina Donovan, startling her. 'Wah, the male lead is so scary! That look... it's like he wants to kill me.'
Misty: [...It's a little early to be mourning your own death. Then again... he's going to kill you sooner or later anyway. Just get ready. In a year, your family's company will go bankrupt, and then the male lead will humiliate and torture you.]
Nina Donovan: "..."
'Can I tell him I'm sorry now? Like, a really, really sincere apology.'
Misty: [Heh. Obliteration warning.]
Nina Donovan was weeping internally. She felt like she was in some low-budget reality show about personal suffering, and in this world she had created, she was the only one getting hurt. Grabbing her lone shoe, she hobbled toward the mouth of the alley.
She had to get to a hospital.
'Please don't let me end up with a limp.'
She left the rest of her goons staring at each other in confusion.
Their boss was gone. Their eyes, full of malice, landed on Jasper Sherwood.
They stepped forward and started shaking his backpack. "Hand over all your money so we can buy some booze and smokes. If you have to blame someone, blame yourself for being unlucky enough to cross Nina Donovan."
Jasper Sherwood scrambled up and tried to grab it back. With what little strength he had left, he started fighting the group again, only to be met with even more vicious retaliation.
His temple was split open, and blood blurred his vision.
The emergency cash he'd hidden in his backpack scattered across the ground from all the violent tugging.
"Damn, this kid's loaded! Looks like a few thousand here. Wonder where he stole it from, ha ha."
"Who cares? Our booze money for tonight is covered."
"So sweet. Following Nina not only gets us a big paycheck, but we get tips, too."
Their voices grew faint as their figures vanished down the alley.
Jasper Sherwood lay in the shadows, staring up at the blinding sun. Two words escaped his lips: "Nina Donovan."
A twisted seed took root in his heart. A corner of his mouth curled into a smirk, his bloodstained lips like a datura flower blooming from the depths of hell. He would personally drag the high-and-mighty Nina Donovan down into the mire. He wouldn't stop until she was kneeling before him, weeping and repenting, right before he sent her to hell himself.
He forced himself to his feet and picked up all the money scattered on the ground. He'd saved five thousand dollars over the last month. Now, only four hundred remained.
"Jasper?"
Hearing a girl's clear, startled cry, Jasper Sherwood turned toward the sound.
Vivian Sterling, dressed in a blue and white school uniform, appeared, backlit by the sun. Her delicate, pretty face was filled with concern. Her hurried movements had loosened her high ponytail, and the gentle breeze blew loose strands across her fair cheeks.
Her bright eyes were fixed with worry on the gash on his forehead.
"What happened to you? Did someone bully you?"
"It has nothing to do with you."
Vivian Sterling reached out to touch Jasper Sherwood's face.
He flinched away.
Her hand froze in midair, a wounded look on her face. "Jasper, don't push me away. I just want to help you."
Jasper Sherwood's expression was frigid. "Staying away from me is the best way you can help."
Vivian Sterling stood there, grief-stricken. Biting her lip, she finally burst out, "Are you still blaming me for what happened all those years ago? If I had known your parents were going to die that day, I never would have left with the Grant family! Jasper, I want to make it up to you. Holly's sick and needs money, right? I've saved up a lot. It's all for you."
As she spoke, she pulled a thick wad of cash from her bag and held it out to Jasper Sherwood.
Jasper Sherwood fought to control his anger. His gaze swept over the cash, but he didn't reach for it. Instead, he gave Vivian Sterling a long, hard look. They had a history, a bond. They'd known each other since they were children and had shared happy memories. But when those happy memories were tainted with blood, everything soured.
He knew he shouldn't blame Vivian Sterling. She had only chosen the fastest shortcut available to her. As for what happened that day... it felt like a cruel twist of fate, leaving behind nothing but bitterness and regret.
From that day on, fifteen-year-old Vivian Sterling's future was bright and clear. And on that same day, fifteen-year-old Jasper Sherwood lost his entire family.
After a long moment, he finished gathering his things and left without a backward glance. His indifferent voice drifted back.
"Vivian Sterling, from now on, we're strangers."
Vivian Sterling's eyes grew moist, and a single tear streamed down her cheek. Her heart ached. She wouldn't let their connection end like this. She would spend the rest of her life begging for Jasper Sherwood's forgiveness.
Wiping away her tears, her gaze fell on something shiny on the ground. It was a necklace. Vivian Sterling picked it up and saw three letters engraved on it: GLL.
Vivian Sterling clutched the necklace tightly. She thought she knew now who was behind Jasper Sherwood's beating.