Chapter 1

In a meeting room, a client representative passed a contract to Madeleine Emerson and said, "Now that you've signed the contract, Ms. Emerson, everything's in order. As per the terms, we will be helping you fake your death in 17 days."

Madeleine took the contract and skimmed it before confirming with the representative, "Will the corpse look like me?"

"Rest assured, Ms. Emerson. The body will be picked out based on your exact measurements. No one will suspect a thing," the representative confidently replied.

His promise put Madeleine's mind at ease. She took her credit card out and readily settled the fee before leaving. Outside, she was greeted by the sight of a luxurious Lincoln limousine.

Jerry Ingram, her driver who had been waiting for her, quickly opened the door for her.

"Ms. Emerson," Jerry greeted respectfully.

Madeleine nodded in response before getting into the back seat. After closing the door behind her, Jerry got back into the driver's seat and drove off. The ride went without a hitch, and soon, the car pulled up outside a villa in Ivory Heights.

This was the house Madeleine bought specifically to live with Sullivan Carter.

Not long after she returned, the front entrance opened once more, and a man—Sullivan—came in.

Dressed in a white shirt and a black suit that fitted his broad-shouldered physique, he looked every bit the part of a handsome gentleman, save for his icy demeanor that kept everyone at arm's length.

Sullivan slowly undid his cuffs before marching up to Madeleine. Scooping her up in his arms, he started carrying her toward the bedroom.

"No. Stop, Sullivan!" Unexpectedly, Madeleine immediately protested and struggled to get out of his arms.

Sullivan eyed her with his dark, cold eyes. He didn't quite understand what kind of fuss she was making this time. "You're asking me to stop? Didn't you make having sex with you every day one of the conditions when you proposed this arrangement with me?"

Lowering her head, Madeleine mumbled out a lie, "Well, now… for the time being, you don't need to. My period came early this month."

Thankfully, Sullivan didn't care. He simply responded curtly, "I'll carry on with my work, then."

He had indeed been rather busy lately. The business project he was working on had reached its most crucial stage.

Madeleine nodded in response, permitting Sullivan to leave.

She assumed he would be busy working all night. However, he soon received a call and came hurrying out of his study again.

When Sullivan spotted her in the living room, he came to an abrupt stop and said, "Since you don't need my services tonight, I'm going out. I've got an important matter to attend to."

After seeing the concern that clouded his usually aloof expression, Madeleine figured out the truth. His so-called important matter involved Isabel Koch. Nevertheless, she nodded without saying anything.

Having gotten her permission, Sullivan rushed past her and headed straight for the door. He was just about to leave when she called out, "Sullivan, from now on, you don't need to…"

Sullivan had instinctively paused and frowned to listen to what Madeleine had to say, but when she saw the impatient look in his eyes, she trailed off.

In the end, instead of saying what she had meant to say, she simply told him, "Go ahead."

Once he had disappeared into the darkness, she finally completed her sentence, muttering, "From now on, you don't need to do this anymore. I'll be leaving soon enough."

Madeleine was a wealthy heiress. Having both money and good looks, she had done her fair share of ridiculous things—but the most outrageous of them all happened during her first year of college, when she paid Sullivan to become her boyfriend.

Sullivan was famous for being the campus heartthrob at Grant University. Countless women flocked in droves to write him love letters. His admirers could form a queue that would go on for miles.

Alas, he had a cold, reserved personality and had refused everyone. Instead, he kept himself busy with classes and his part-time job.

Madeleine had fallen in love with Sullivan at first sight and wanted nothing more than to make him hers. She found out that both his parents were deceased and that he grew up with his grandmother, Naomi Stewart, but she had fallen ill in recent years.

Thus, when she found out that he was working tirelessly just so he could afford to pay for Naomi's treatment, she approached him to strike a deal with him.

She offered to pay for Naomi's medical fees. In exchange, he would become her boyfriend. Every day, he would need to come over as scheduled and sleep with her as many times as stipulated in the agreement. This arrangement was to proceed until she grew tired of him.

At the time, Naomi's condition had been rather dire, and Sullivan was in urgent need of money to save his only living relative. Therefore, he agreed to the arrangement, effectively making him Madeleine's sugar baby.

Five years had passed since then. Both Madeleine and Sullivan had graduated from college and started working, but their relationship remained the same.

Naomi was still ill, and since Madeleine hadn't grown tired of Sullivan yet, he was still living in the villa with her. His attitude toward her remained unchanged, too. He continued to be just as cold and indifferent as ever.

Up until recently, the status quo didn't discourage Madeleine in any way. She believed that given enough time, she would be able to win his heart.

That all changed several days ago when she accidentally fell down the stairs and bumped her head. Only then did she realize she was in fact living in the world of a novel.

Sullivan was the male protagonist, and Isabel, his childhood friend, was the female protagonist. Meanwhile, Madeleine was merely the female antagonist.

Based on the novel, Sullivan's project would become a major success in 17 days. This result would greatly elevate his standing in the business world, but it would only be the start. He would go on to become a true giant in the industry.

And the moment he achieved his success, the first thing he did was return Madeleine a significant sum of money before asking to terminate their relationship. However, she refused and continued to badger him relentlessly.

When she saw Sullivan and Isabel getting more intimate, she grew jealous and did many things to hurt or make life difficult for Isabel. Alas, that only drew Sullivan's ire and detestation, and in the end, she died a tragic death.

Madeleine didn't want to believe that such a ludicrous thing could be true, and she didn't think she would be that stupid, either. Yet, everything that happened in the subsequent days matched the novel exactly.

After one too many times of seeing Sullivan leave her to go to Isabel's side, she was forced to accept that the two protagonists were meant to be together.

Following an entire week's worth of torment, Madeleine finally came to her senses.

She couldn't risk her life like that. In order to escape from the clutches of the plot and change her outcome, she came to the decision that she couldn't be involved with Sullivan anymore. She needed to fake her death and get away from this place—get away from Sullivan!

Chapter 2

Madeleine spent the entire night tossing and turning as she mulled over what would happen in the future. Sullivan didn't return to the villa that night, and she didn't call him to ask him about it, either.

The next morning, she got up early and freshened up before heading down to the dining room to have breakfast alone. All was quiet in the villa. Only the sound of her chewing could be heard.

Once she was done with breakfast, her butler, Alfred Lane, approached with a doubtful expression and said, "Per your instructions, Ms. Emerson, I have dismissed all of the household staff. I will also be heading back to the Emerson residence today. Are you sure you won't be needing any staff here?"

"Nope," Madeleine replied.

She wasn't going to be staying here much longer anyway.

Despite noticing the concern in Alfred's eyes, Madeleine didn't bother explaining much further. She went upstairs to retrieve a letter. Passing it to Alfred, she instructed him to make sure he delivered it safely to her parents, Frank Emerson and Cynthia Green.

Worried that Frank and Cynthia would be beside themselves with grief at the news of her supposed death, Madeleine wrote a letter informing them of her decision to fake her death.

It clearly stated that in 17 days, she would move abroad and live under a new identity. She also told them not to worry about her and promised to sneak back to the country to visit them once the opportunity arose.

Madeleine had considered taking her parents with her, but they were both in the latter half of their lives, and the family business was also based here.

Moreover, it was still rather incredulous to think that she had suddenly awakened to the realization that this was a world within a novel. There was no way to explain this situation easily, and her parents might even think she had lost her mind.

She was also concerned that Sullivan would get suspicious if her parents disappeared at the same time she did. Thus, after much deliberation, she decided to leave her parents behind and go off alone.

Now that Madeleine was done with all of the arrangements on her end, she started wrapping up loose ends that involved Sullivan. Once Alfred left as well, she prepared a fruit basket and went to visit Naomi.

Madeleine wasn't a typical spoiled heiress. Over the last few years, she often dropped by to see Naomi whenever she had some time to spare, always bringing a lot of things with her when she did.

She would talk to Naomi, tell her jokes to make her laugh, and do things to kill Naomi's boredom. She even taught Naomi how to use a cell phone so that Naomi could see what was going on out in the world.

Compared to the aloof Sullivan, Naomi very much preferred Madeleine.

"Maddie, when do you and Sullivan plan on getting married?" Naomi asked.

It wasn't the first time Naomi asked this question, but this time, Madeleine didn't blush in embarrassment the way she usually did. Instead, all she felt like doing was letting out a wry chuckle. Why would she and Sullivan ever get married?

She was leaving in 17 days, but even if she weren't, things would probably end up happening the way they did in the novel.

Sullivan loved Isabel. There was no way he would marry her.

Naomi couldn't help but sigh at Madeleine's prolonged silence, but she tried to assure Madeleine, "I know what Sullivan's like. It's not that he doesn't have any feelings for you. It's just that your relationship started off on the wrong foot. I'm sure that affects him.

"As long as he no longer minds that, things will surely work out between you two."

Madeleine forced herself to smile at Naomi, but she knew the plot of the novel. She was aware that there was only one person Sullivan ever loved, and that was Isabel.

It was only natural for the male protagonist to love the female protagonist. Why would he fall in love with the female antagonist?

Still, she didn't say anything to refute Naomi. Instead, she brought out a debit card and said, "Mrs. Carter Senior, when you find the chance, please pass this to Sullivan for me."

The card gave access to a bank account that held the funding Madeleine had prepared for Sullivan a long time ago. However, worried that the gesture might end up hurting his pride, she kept hesitating, not knowing how to give it to him.

Now that she knew the truth about this world and had decided to leave, she figured she could just have Naomi pass it on for her. She hoped that by doing so, Sullivan would think ever so slightly better of her. That way, once she successfully faked her death, he would at least treat her body with respect.

Naomi instantly noticed that something was up with Madeleine, so she asked worriedly, "Did you and Sullivan have a fight?"

Shaking her head, Madeleine said, "We didn't fight. It's just that I'll be leaving for a faraway place soon and—"

Before she could finish her sentence, a crisp voice interrupted to ask, "Where is this faraway place you're leaving to?"

Chapter 3

Madeleine whipped her head around, only to find a grim-faced Sullivan staring at her. He was standing behind her—and Isabel was with him.

Averting her eyes, she scrounged up an excuse. "I'm heading off on a holiday soon."

Based on Sullivan's understanding of Madeleine, her two favorite activities were sex with him and traveling around the world. Therefore, he didn't pry any further once he heard her answer. Instead, he smoothly led Isabel to sit beside Naomi's bed, effectively pushing Madeleine toward the furthest corner.

As soon as Isabel sat down, she pouted and started venting her dissatisfaction. "You have no idea how petty Sully is, Mrs. Carter Senior! I wanted to get an ice cream cone on the way here, but he refused to buy one for me! You need to give him a stern talking-to!"

Sullivan gave her a helpless glance as he chimed in, "To think you're even making a fuss about that! Have you forgotten that your period's coming? I'm surprised you're still thinking about having ice cream.

"I wonder who's the one who suffered from such intense period cramps that she swore never to consume anything chilly before her period and even told me to keep an eye on her, too."

Although he was protesting against Isabel's claims, his concern for her was evident in everything he said.

Isabel giggled and stuck her tongue out at him while he gazed at her with affection.

There were four people in the hospital room, but from the moment Sullivan and Isabel arrived, he only had eyes for her. Seeing this, Madeleine couldn't help but let a self-deprecating smile out. It was the same as ever. She was always the outsider. However, she would no longer be upset about it anymore.

This time, she had given up on Sullivan and chosen to forgo her feelings for him, returning him to Isabel, his rightful love interest.

Naomi noticed the forlorn look that flickered briefly in Madeleine's eyes. She glanced at Sullivan, who was purposely ignoring Madeleine, before sighing quietly to herself.

"Sullivan, Maddie, I'd like to have some of the grapes. Can you wash some for me, please?" she asked.

Naturally, neither one of them declined her request. Sullivan picked up the basket of fruit on the table and walked out of the hospital room with Madeleine following from behind. However, as soon as she stepped through the door, he grabbed her hand.

Madeleine was taken aback to find that he was voluntarily making physical contact with her, but it was immediately followed up with him saying icily, "Kindly avoid visiting Grandma in the future. I did sell myself to you, but she didn't."

His words sounded like a mockery of the thought that ran through her mind just a moment ago.

In the past, she would've hurriedly tried to explain herself—to clarify that her intentions were pure. She would say that he had been far too busy lately, and it was usual for an old woman like Naomi to feel lonely, so she wanted to accompany her.

But this time, Madeleine merely kept her head lowered as she calmly replied, "Alright."

Then, she headed for the pantry without waiting for him—without insisting on walking beside him the way she used to.

Sullivan got a strange feeling as he stared after her. It felt like since yesterday, she had begun acting a little differently.

Chapter 4

After washing the grapes, Madeleine and Sullivan went back to Naomi's hospital room. The group continued chatting for a bit longer before leaving. As soon as they exited the hospital, Isabel suggested, "Sully, Ms. Emerson, it's almost time to eat. Let's have a meal together!"

Naturally, Sullivan wouldn't decline Isabel's request. And, as if to prevent Madeleine from making things difficult for Isabel by putting on airs, he even agreed on Madeleine's behalf.

Once they arrived at the restaurant, the waiter led them to a private room. Sullivan placed the order for the table, but when he was done, Madeleine realized he only ordered Isabel's favorites.

Perhaps that was the difference love made. She had once requested that he take note of all her likes and dislikes as well. But alas, there was a great disparity between something one was forced to do and something one was willingly doing.

Fortunately, Madeleine had expected as much, so she wasn't all that disappointed. She merely ate in silence. They were halfway through their food when Sullivan got an urgent call, which he went out to take.

Madeleine froze when she inadvertently spotted the ring Isabel was wearing. "Where did you get that ring from?"

Isabel glanced at the ring on her thumb. Seemingly not noticing anything unusual, she smiled and replied, "From Sully, of course. I said it looked pretty, so he gave it to me right away."

Madeleine's expression immediately turned dark. She had carved that ring herself, injuring her hands in the process. Then, she had personally given the ring to Sullivan on their anniversary. There was even a sentence carved on the inside that read, "Madeleine Emerson will love Sullivan Carter forever".

The ring was a token of her genuine love that she offered up to Sullivan on a silver platter, but he didn't care for it and even gave it to Isabel without a second thought!

A surge of indescribable rage washed over Madeleine, but at the very next moment, she recalled the plot of the novel.

Isabel had been the one Sullivan loved all along. Was it a surprise that he didn't care about the gift from Madeleine? He would only detest her further if she made a big deal out of this.

Instantly, she calmed down, composed herself, and even flashed a faint smile as she said, "It's very pretty. It suits you."

Isabel had been waiting for Madeleine to have a fit. Thus, her eyes flickered with surprise when Madeleine was able to move on from this situation in such a calm manner. Clenching her jaw, she abruptly stood up and served a bowl of soup to Madeleine.

"You should try more of the food, Ms. Emerson. Here, have some of this lobster bisque. It's quite good."

Madeleine was allergic to seafood. She was just about to decline when she noticed that Isabel wasn't serving the bowl of soup to her at all. Instead, Isabel flicked her wrist, and the bowl went crashing on the ground.

Isabel's eyes immediately pooled with tears of indignation that threatened to spill over. Before Madeleine could figure out what Isabel was up to, Sullivan flew into the room and shielded Isabel defensively before glaring daggers at Madeleine.

"What did you do, Madeleine?" he questioned.

Still red-eyed, Isabel buried herself in Sullivan's arms and stoked the flames. "It's my fault, Sully. She only threw the soup at me because I made her angry. It's just a burn. I'm fine. Please don't blame her for what happened…"

Madeleine's eyes widened at Isabel's blatant lies, and she protested, "I didn't do anything!"

She wanted to explain what happened, but Sullivan ignored her. After tossing her one last icy glance, he snarled, "You're out of line, Madeleine."

Then, he picked Isabel up and carried her off.

Staring at his retreating back and Isabel's taunting gaze, Madeleine was rooted to the spot. She felt as if her heart had been plunged into ice.

Meanwhile, it felt like Isabel realized how effective this trick was. As a result, Madeleine was even more dumbfounded to find that over the next few days, Isabel seemed to have gotten addicted to framing her.

Not only did she claim that Madeleine made her lose her job, but she also said that Madeleine forbade all the companies in the industry from hiring her. She even reported that Madeleine had gotten someone to vandalize her house, making it impossible for her to live in peace.

Sullivan couldn't take it anymore, so he went to the villa and confronted Madeleine, saying, "If you're unhappy, Madeleine, come at me instead. Why are you making life difficult for Isabel?"

Throughout their five-year relationship, Sullivan had always been curt and cold around Madeleine. It was her first time seeing him in such an emotional state—but it was in defense of Isabel.

"I didn't do anything to her. It wasn't me," Madeleine refuted.

She did her best to explain the truth, but Sullivan didn't believe her.

"Who else could it be, if not you?" Sullivan snarled. "You'd even pay me to date you! Is there anything you're not capable of doing? This had better be the last of it. I've given you everything you asked for. So, why are you going after the people around me?"

Sullivan was so utterly disappointed that he didn't want to talk to Madeleine anymore. He marched straight to the guest bedroom.

Madeleine did her best to quell her sadness as she watched him leave. To him, she would never be worthy of his trust.

That being said, apart from feeling sad, she was even more gripped by fear. She was leaving in a few days, but if things carried on like this, Sullivan would kill her before she could fake her death.

Madeleine tossed and turned all night before finally coming up with a solution. That very night, she drove to Isabel's place. As soon as the door opened, she said, "Let's call a truce, Isabel. From now on, I'll set you up with Sullivan."

Chapter 5

Upon hearing what Madeleine said, Isabel widened her eyes in disbelief and exclaimed, "What the hell are you talking about?"

Isabel knew better than anyone just how much Madeleine loved Sullivan. Why else would she willingly pay for Naomi's medical expenses for five years straight? Why else would she patiently remain beside Sullivan despite his cold indifference and rejection?

But now, Madeleine was approaching her to say she wanted to set her up with Sullivan?

Madeleine replied, "I'm serious. I'm genuinely here to discuss a truce. You can stop going to all that effort to frame me. I don't have much time left. I'll be leaving Sullivan soon. You don't need to treat me as your rival in love."

Although Madeleine looked like she was telling the truth, Isabel still didn't believe her. She suspected it could be a trap.

Nevertheless, Madeleine didn't care if Isabel believed her. All she had to do was put her thoughts to action.

…

The next day, before Sullivan left the house, Madeleine gave him a ticket to an amusement park and said, "I bought two tickets to the amusement park. Come with me tonight."

Expression icy, Sullivan said, "I'm busy with the project—"

However, Madeleine cut him off, saying, "When we started this arrangement, it was stated that apart from having sex with me every day, you're also not allowed to refuse any of my requests."

That sufficed to stop Sullivan from protesting any further. Frowning, he took the ticket, but he hurried off right after. Once he was out of sight, Madeleine called Isabel, who picked up within seconds.

Skipping the small chat, Madeleine said, "You got the ticket I sent over, right? I've given Sullivan the other one. Get dolled up today. It's your chance to spend some alone time with him."

Isabel didn't expect Madeleine to actually be serious about setting her up with Sullivan. Still somewhat doubtful, she hummed in acknowledgment. But before Madeleine could hang up, she abruptly asked, "Why are you helping me?"

Madeleine remained silent for a moment, but in the end, she chose not to answer that question. Instead, she said, "You don't need to know that. Just hold up your end of the deal. I'll create opportunities for you two to spend time together, and in exchange, you'll stop framing me."

After terminating the call, Madeleine continued to stare at her phone in a daze as Isabel's question played in her mind.

Why was she helping Isabel?

She wasn't. She was helping herself.

In any case, Isabel was the one Sullivan loved. Madeleine merely wanted to speed up the plot and, at the same time, ensure that she didn't have to come to a tragic end.

The sky had turned completely dark when Madeleine received an update from Isabel. It was a photo of Sullivan and Isabel. She was looking at the camera while he was looking at her in adoration.

Madeleine would never be able to see such an expression on Sullivan's face when he was with her. Throughout the last five years, she kept mentioning that she wanted to take a photo with him, but he would always claim to hate taking photos.

Alas, nothing else mattered when it came to the person one loved. Even one's principles could be broken.

Madeleine scrolled through the rest of the photos Isabel sent. Her eyes were drawn to one of them. It looked like they were in a restaurant, and there was a pile of shelled prawns in front of Sullivan.

Throughout their years together, Madeleine had always been the one who peeled the prawns for Sullivan. He had never done it for her.

The photos had captured all the displays of warmth and affection that she had yearned to receive from Sullivan. She sat in silence for a while before typing a response to Isabel.

"How nice. You two look good together."

Chapter 6

All along, Isabel assumed that Madeleine had an ulterior motive for everything she had been doing. She sent those photos to Madeleine as a provocation to force her to reveal her true colors. Thus, Madeleine's pleasant response left her confused.

Isabel typed and retyped her message countless times before finally asking, "You were serious about what you said yesterday? You really do plan on setting me up with Sully?"

This time, Madeleine's response was immediate. "Yes."

"From now onward, Sullivan is yours," Madeleine thought to herself.

Madeleine assumed that Sullivan would be in a good mood when he returned that night. Yet, when he came in through the door, his expression was as cold as ever.

In fact, an unusual hint of anger laced his words as he questioned, "What's the meaning of this, Madeleine? What are you up to this time?"

Startled, Madeleine couldn't figure out why he was reacting this way, but she explained, "Are you asking about the amusement park? Something came up, so I gave my ticket to Isabel.

"Did you guys have fun? Did you two ride the Ferris wheel? What about the haunted house? If you didn't get to do everything you wanted, I still have two more tickets. You can go with her again tomorrow."

Sullivan couldn't figure out what Madeleine's motives were. He stared at her for the longest time, but her expression seemed completely sincere. It was as though she genuinely gave Isabel the ticket because she was busy.

In the end, Sullivan ended the stalemate and headed to his room.

Since the first attempt had been a success, Madeleine kept at it, creating all kinds of opportunities for Sullivan and Isabel to spend more time together.

On one occasion, she invited Sullivan to have dinner with her at a romantic restaurant. However, as soon as they sat at their table, Isabel approached them with a look of delight.

"What a coincidence, Sully!"

Before Sullivan could say anything, the waiter came forward and said, "Sir, miss, the restaurant is having an anniversary event. As you two are the 50th couple to dine here with us today, we are honored to present you with a set of rings. We will also take a photo for you to commemorate the event."

The moment the waiter finished speaking, Madeleine stood up and said, "I don't feel well, so I'll head off first."

Sullivan got up to join Madeleine, but as if the idea had just struck her, she turned to him and said, "It'd be a shame to let the prize go to waste. You can share it with Isabel instead."

Without waiting for Sullivan's reply, she hurried out of the restaurant and drove off. Sullivan was still in a daze as the bashful Isabel eagerly urged him to collect the rings and take the photo with her.

Another opportunity arose during their university's alumni event. Madeleine insisted on dragging Sullivan along with her, but when they arrived, Isabel was there as well.

Once the event ended, Madeleine took the initiative to push Isabel over to Sullivan, saying, "It's not safe for a young woman to head back alone at this hour of the night. You can drive her home. I'll take a cab.

"Oh, and you don't need to rush back, either. She's had a bit too much to drink. You can stay at her place to take care of her."

Madeleine stuffed the car keys into Sullivan's hand before heading off to hail a cab.

After several times, Sullivan finally sensed that something was afoot. In recent days, he kept running into Isabel during all sorts of situations at all hours of the day, and every single time, Madeleine would step away first, leaving him alone with Isabel.

It was as if… she wanted to set him up with Isabel.