We Quit the Mission and Inherited Billions

For the 101st time, Adrian Sinclair, heir to the city’s most powerful family, and ruthless tycoon Vincent Kane had abandoned us for the sake of a delicate socialite. My best friend, Lily Shaw, and I stood outside the courthouse in the pouring rain, laughing as we tore our marriage certificates to pieces. “System, cancel the mission.” I stared at the trending headline that had just appeared on my phone: [The heads of the Sinclair and Kane families chartered a private jet just to make Belle White smile] My gaze was empty and devoid of feeling. “Even if failing the mission means being erased, I’ve had enough of being a pathetic lapdog.” Lily was even more decisive. She wiped away the blood at the corner of her mouth. Vincent had caused the injury when he pushed her aside to reach Belle, making her hit the car door. “Erase me, then. That’s still better than living like a dog.” “We’re heiresses to billion-dollar families even without this mission. If the system wants to take our lives, let it try.” “Come on. Let’s go celebrate. We’ll book the most expensive suite in town, crack open some champagne, and party with a few handsome hunks!” Chapter 1 In the tenth year of our mission to win over Adrian Sinclair and Vincent Kane, the system informed us that their favorability had stalled at 99 percent. All we had to do was legally marry them to complete the mission. Rain poured relentlessly. Lily Shaw and I stood outside the courthouse in our thin white dresses for four whole hours. Even after the staff left for the day, those two familiar Rolls-Royces never appeared. Then my phone lit up with a notification from my VIP alerts. It was a new post from Belle White. The picture showed two pairs of hands preparing orange segments for her. The caption read sentimentally: “I may be sick, but I have two handsome men taking care of me. Even oranges taste sweeter.” I recognized those hands. The hands on the left belonged to Adrian, the aloof golden boy of high society who had once sworn to peel shrimp for me forever. The ones on the right belonged to Vincent, the powerful city tycoon who had once threatened to make the entire world pay if Lily ever suffered so much as a scratch. A deep chill traveled from my ankles through the rest of my body. I suddenly remembered that this was already the hundredth time Adrian had broken his promise because of Belle. “Clara, maybe… we should just give up.” Lily’s voice trembled in the rain. She covered her swollen, reddened forehead, her face deathly pale. Before leaving that morning, she had tried to stop Vincent from accompanying Belle to the doctor. Vincent refused to stop. He only found her annoying, pressed down on the accelerator, and knocked her to the ground. Her head slammed hard against the car door. He had not even glanced at her in the rearview mirror. “There won’t be any punishment if we fail the mission anyway.” I spoke softly as I tore the prenuptial agreement I had prepared long ago into pieces and threw them into the muddy water. “We’ll lose the reward, but we’ll still be the heiresses of the Lowe and Shaw families.” “Let’s consider these ten years of youth wasted on them. From now on, we’ll enjoy ourselves.” The last spark of hope in Lily’s eyes finally faded. She stared at the message Vincent sent her: “Stop throwing a tantrum. Belle is afraid of thunder, so I’m staying with her tonight.” With a bitter smile, she threw her phone into the drain. “Fine. I’ll do whatever you say. To hell with winning them over. To hell with love.” The next day, Lily and I—two high-society heiresses who had spent ten years lowering ourselves to cook and care for those men—drove our limited-edition supercars straight to the city’s most exclusive club, the White Horse. Without hesitation, we ordered ten rounds of Ace of Spades bottle service. We hired twelve handsome male escorts, each standing six feet two with a perfectly sculpted physique. Inside the private room, Lily and I lounged on a leather sofa, swirling five-figure bottles of wine in our hands. A line of young, handsome men stood before us. Every one of them had gentle eyes and wore an eager, flattering smile. “Darling, have a drink.” “Precious, have some fruit.” Hearing those sweet calls made the resentment I had bottled up for ten years disappear in an instant. “All twelve of them are staying tonight.” Lily outdid me completely, slamming her black credit card onto the table. “Whoever makes me happy gets the five million on this card.” The entire room erupted. The male escorts rushed over, some massaging our shoulders while others rubbed our legs. Being treated like queens made Lily and me realize how ridiculous our lives had been for the past ten years. Why had we tried so hard to please those two men who always favored someone else? Was it because we lacked money, or because we weren’t beautiful enough? I was slightly drunk and had just reached out to touch one of the younger men’s abs when someone violently kicked open the private room’s heavy soundproof door. Adrian stood outside in a custom-tailored black suit. His usually cold, restrained face had darkened with fury. His icy gaze cut through the crowd and locked onto my hand. “Clara, it seems I’ve indulged you far too much. Yesterday, I only took Belle to the ER. Did you really have to come to a filthy place like this and humiliate yourself?” Vincent strode straight over the bottles scattered across the floor. He grabbed the collar of the male escort beside Lily and slammed his fist into his face. The escort was sent flying before he could even cry out, his face covered in blood. Screams filled the room. Vincent looked like a madman, his eyes bloodshot as he glared at Lily. “You dared to find another man? Lily, didn’t I tell you? In this life, you belong to me, alive or dead!” My chest constricted, sobering me up considerably. Lily simply laughed. She staggered to her feet and pointed at Vincent’s face. “So what if I found another man? You knocked your fiancée to the ground and left her bleeding by the roadside for another woman! “You knew I was afraid of pain, yet you didn’t even ask if I was all right. Why are you pretending to care now?” The despair in her eyes was impossible to hide. Vincent’s brows drew together impatiently. Then he slapped Lily across the face. “Belle’s heart condition flared up! It was a matter of life and death, and you’re making a fuss over a few superficial injuries? “You clearly need to be taught a lesson!” The slap left blood trickling from the corner of Lily’s mouth, and she swayed unsteadily on her feet. “You dared to hit her!” I trembled with rage, grabbing a bottle from the table and rushing toward him. But Adrian clamped a hand around my wrist. “Have you had enough? Since you like places like this so much, I’ll take you home and make sure you scrub every trace of this sleaze off yourselves.” Before I could fight back, a sharp pain struck the back of my neck. Just before I lost consciousness, I saw Adrian’s cold, emotionless eyes and Belle hurrying over from the corner with an innocent look on her face. Chapter 2 I woke to find Lily and me dumped at Adrian’s secluded hillside villa. It was the dead of winter, and a thin layer of ice covered the outdoor pool. Two bodyguards held Lily down by the pool. She was drenched from head to toe, her lips blue from the cold. Meanwhile, the supposedly helpless Belle sat on a lounge chair by the fire, wrapped in Adrian’s overcoat. “Clara, Lily, don’t blame Adrian and Vincent. They were only furious. After all, a place like that is filthy. “Just apologize and back down. Then this will all be over.” She cradled a mug of hot chocolate in her hands, speaking with the polished innocence of a master manipulator. “Apologize?” Lily let out a cold laugh and spat forcefully at Belle’s feet. “What makes you think you’re worthy of an apology?” “Ah!” Belle recoiled like a frightened deer, swaying to the side as some of the hot chocolate splashed onto the back of her hand. “It’s so hot…” “Belle!” Two panicked voices called out at once. Adrian and Vincent rushed out of the house, looking as if the world were ending. Adrian carefully examined Belle’s reddened hand, looking as though her minor injury caused him unbearable pain. “Call a doctor! Bring the burn cream!” Vincent turned around, his eyes blazing with fury. “Lily, do you have a death wish?” He strode forward, grabbed Lily by her soaked hair, and forced her head beneath the icy surface of the pool. “Glub, glub…” Lily struggled desperately, but her strength was nothing compared to Vincent in his rage. “Vincent! Stop!” I rushed forward like a madwoman, only for Adrian to shove me away. My bare feet landed on the snow, and shards of ice sliced my soles until they bled. Adrian did not even spare my injuries a glance. “Belle was only trying to reason with you, yet you repaid her kindness with cruelty. “Clearly, you still haven’t come to your senses. “Since you like water so much, you can stay in it.” He waved a hand. Several bodyguards stepped forward and forced me into the pool as well. The ice-cold water closed over my head, choking me as the freezing cold pierced through me. I opened my eyes underwater and saw Adrian on the poolside, carefully blowing on the back of Belle’s hand. Vincent was grinning viciously as he held Lily’s head beneath the water. The last trace of hope in my heart finally froze solid. “System, I don’t want to win them over anymore. I only want them dead.” Chapter 3 We spent half an hour submerged in the icy water. Only when Lily and I had turned blue and nearly lost consciousness were we dragged ashore like limp corpses. Adrian looked down at us as we trembled violently. “Are you clear-headed now? If you still haven’t had enough, I can make sure the Lowe and Shaw family stocks come crashing down tomorrow.” Threats were Adrian’s favorite weapon. In the past, I always compromised and humbled myself to complete the mission. But now… My hands trembling, I wiped the water from my face and forced a smile through the pain. “I understand now, Mr. Sinclair. You're right.” Lily lowered her head as well, her voice hoarse and broken. “I understand now, too.” When Adrian saw that we had finally backed down, a flicker of satisfaction crossed his eyes. Vincent merely snorted and tossed a towel over Lily’s head. “This could have been avoided if you’d listened from the beginning. “The wedding is tomorrow. Don’t show up looking like you’re attending a funeral. “Belle is in poor health and can’t handle much. As her friends, you’ll take care of her throughout the wedding tomorrow.” How absurd. Tomorrow’s wedding was supposed to be ours. Yet now, was it going to be a celebration for him and Belle? Lily and I exchanged a look, and we saw the same resolve in each other’s eyes. It was the deal we made with the system. If we were leaving, we would make sure everyone remembered it. That night, we were confined to the villa. Lily and I lay on the same bed, holding each other for warmth. Her high fever refused to break, and even while delirious, she kept murmuring, “Vincent, don’t go…” My heart felt as though it had been cut open, and tears slipped silently down my cheeks. We had once been beloved heiresses, adored by everyone. For those two men, we sacrificed not only our dignity but nearly our lives as well. “Lily, just hold on a little longer.” I whispered softly in her ear. “Tomorrow, it all ends.” The next day, the city’s highly anticipated “wedding of the century” was held at a six-star hotel owned by the Sinclair family. The absurd part was that this was supposed to be the wedding of Adrian and me, and Vincent and Lily. Yet Belle hijacked it and turned it into her own grand celebration. Inside the dressing room, Belle twirled in front of the mirror, wearing the designer wedding gown that was supposed to be mine. “Clara, Adrian said this dress suited my complexion better. You don’t mind, do you?” She smiled with perfect innocence, as if she were the one marrying Adrian today. I looked at myself in the mirror, dressed in a plain bridesmaid gown. Just last night, Adrian said casually, “Belle grew up without parents and has always dreamed of wearing a wedding dress. Just let her have this one day.” I could let her have everything: my wedding, dress, and man. I stared at Belle’s reflection without expression. “I don’t mind. If you like something that belonged to a dead woman, you can have it.” Belle’s face stiffened. “What do you mean?” I ignored her and walked out. The real show was about to begin. Chapter 4 The wedding convoy was crossing a bridge over the river. Lily and I sat in the back seat, while Adrian and Vincent rode in the stretch limousine ahead with Belle. Their laughter and cheerful conversation crackled over the radio. Suddenly, several runaway tractor-trailers came barreling down the wrong side of the road and crashed straight into the convoy. Our car crumpled on impact and became lodged against the bridge railing, dangerously close to tipping over. The river raged far below us. Pain tore through me. I felt several ribs crack, and blood blurred my vision. The limousine ahead had also been damaged, but not severely. Adrian and Vincent leaped out of the car and rushed toward us like madmen. They saw us hanging over the edge, while Belle screamed over a minor scratch. “Adrian! Vincent! I’m so scared!” Belle had only suffered a tiny scratch, yet she sobbed as if she were gravely injured. In that moment, I saw it clearly. The two men who had been rushing toward us came to a sudden stop. They hesitated. The system’s countdown sounded in my mind: [The death-escape protocol has been activated. The vehicle will plunge into the river in thirty seconds.] Lily’s face was covered in blood. She looked at Vincent and summoned the last of her strength to cry out: “Vincent! Save me… The car is going to fall…” Vincent shifted his foot. But the next second, Belle screamed, “My heart hurts… My medication… It’s in the car…” Vincent’s expression twisted instantly. He gritted his teeth, turned his back on us, and ran toward Belle. “Lily, hold on a little longer! Belle’s heart condition is acting up. I have to save her first!” Adrian looked at me as well. There was guilt in his eyes, but even more was the decision he made after weighing the consequences. “Clara, you’re the older one. You need to be reasonable. I can’t allow Belle to get hurt. I’ll come back for you right away.” Without hesitation, the two men ran toward the woman who had only been frightened. Be reasonable? Hahahaha. I laughed aloud, tears mixing with blood as they trickled into my mouth. We had been far too reasonable that we had even let death wait in line. “Lily.” I clasped my best friend’s icy hand. “Look. These are the men we loved for ten years.” Lily closed her eyes, a relieved smile touching her lips. “I don’t love him anymore.” [Countdown: 3, 2, 1.] Just as Adrian and Vincent carried Belle out of the car, Lily and I exchanged a look through the shattered window. Neither of us cried. Ten years’ worth of tears had dried up long ago. At the same time, we released our tight grip on the seat belts and leaned back into our seats. We didn’t struggle. We didn’t call for help. We simply watched the two men running away with their backs to us, watched as they carefully shielded Belle in their arms. It was exactly what they did every time over the past ten years. “Lily,” I said softly. “Hmm?” “In our next lives, we won’t be doormats for men anymore.” She smiled, blood glistening at the corner of her lips in the setting sun. “We won’t wait for the next life. We’ll stop being doormats now.” The car lost its final balance and smashed through the railing with a deafening crash. As we plunged downward, I saw Adrian whip around. The raw terror on his face was beautiful. Too bad it came too late. The freezing river swallowed everything in an instant. Behind us, two anguished screams tore through the surface of the water: “No!” “Clara! Lily!” Their voices were filled with terror and despair unlike anything they had ever felt before. But none of it had anything to do with us anymore. The river was ice-cold, yet it felt warmer than the hearts of those men. In my mind, the system chimed cheerfully: [Congratulations, Clara Lowe and Lily Shaw. Your mission to win them over has officially failed, but the death-escape protocol was executed flawlessly!] [Initiating departure from this world…] [Your ten-billion-dollar fortunes will be waiting for you in the real world. Congratulations, ladies. May you thrive on your own from now on!]