Fatal Game of Hearts

A month before the SAT exams, I was finally brought back to the Bowen family.

In fear that I would take back all the love and attention, Archer Bowen, the adopted heir, pouted to his childhood sweetheart.

"Keira, Zane pissed me off. Teach him a lesson. Go after him and make him fall for you. Then get photos of him naked and ruin him completely."

The next day, the school queen, Keira Johnston, showed up in front of me with a huge bouquet of roses while smiling like a dream.

"Zane, I like you. Be my boyfriend."

At the same time, a cold mechanical voice rang out in my mind: [Target has appeared. Host, begin conquering Keira Johnston immediately.]

I looked at Keira, who had once bullied me, and curled my lips into a faint smile.

"Sure."

Keira Johnston froze for a split second, then her smile turned even softer as she shoved the bouquet of roses into my arms. "Then come back with me tonight—"

"I don’t like roses. Bring me sunflowers next time." Before she could finish, I tossed the bouquet straight into the trash.

Her expression tightened, irritation flashing across her face like she was about to snap.

[Keira Johnston’s affection level: negative. Increase immediately.]

I beat her to it, my own face turning cold. "You said you like me. Don’t tell me you’re just fooling around?"

She instinctively opened her mouth to argue.

I looked her up and down, eyes narrowing slightly. "You were the one who confessed, which means you’re the one chasing me. Naturally, you should be giving me what I actually like. If it’s not sunflowers next time, we’re breaking up."

With that, I turned and walked off.

[Affection falling. Recalibrate.]

At the program’s urging, I let out a quiet, mocking laugh.

'Women are predictable. The better you treat them, the less they value you. Just watch. Within a week, Keira's affection level will turn positive.'

From that day on, Keira started bringing me breakfast in different variations.

Every morning, the surrounding students would stare at me in envy. After all, I was just a bookish nobody with thick black-framed glasses and an oversized uniform. There was nothing remarkable about me except for ranking first in the grade.

And yet somehow, I had the attention of the school queen.

For two days straight, I ate the breakfasts she brought without a word of thanks.

On the third day, I walked up to her holding a carton of milk. "I’m allergic to milk. As my girlfriend, you should remember that."

Keira responded gently, saying okay, without the slightest hint of anger.

Of course, she wouldn’t be angry.

Last night, Archer Bowen tried to provoke me, and I shoved him straight down the stairs.

When he ran to our parents to complain, I bit my lip, panicked, and denied everything. "I didn’t—"

Then something seemed to occur to me. I looked at him in disbelief. "Archer, did you fall on purpose to frame me?"

Just like that, Archer lost a month’s allowance, and he now hated me to the bone.

Last night, he’d spent hours calling Keira, pushing her to take me down as soon as possible.

[Host, affection level has dropped again.]

I reassured the program calmly. "Right now, Keira is more anxious than we are."

On the fourth day, she swapped out the milk in my breakfast for soy milk. I took off my black-framed glasses, tidied up, and tossed a hunk of bread onto her desk.

"Good job today, girlfriend. That’s your reward."

Keira looked up at the sound of my voice, and the moment she saw my face, her eyes widened sharply.

The program exploded in my head.

[Affection +1, +1, +1…]

[Affection level: positive.]

[Affection: 10%.]

Compared to the program’s overreaction, I lowered my gaze slightly, pretending to be shy. "Keira, why are you looking at me like that?"

I knew exactly what my advantage was. My eyes were so clear and expressive that they seemed to speak.

Alas, for someone poor, beauty is a liability. I usually hid behind thick glasses and heavy bangs.

Keira quickly averted her gaze, her tone turning haughty. "It’s nothing. Put your glasses back on."

I hesitated, a little embarrassed. "I took them off just for you. Don’t you like it?"

The tips of her ears turned red.

Before she could answer, I jogged back to my seat.

[Affection increased by 5%. Cause unclear.]

I smiled faintly.

If you want a woman to fall for you, the simplest and most effective method is temptation. After all, who wouldn’t want a handsome guy to like them?

Keira kept bringing me breakfast for an entire week, yet she still hadn’t gotten her hands on any compromising photos of me.

Archer was starting to lose his patience.