[Ding! Plot Points +5. Total progress: 15%.]
The sudden announcement made Nina Donovan jump. What was going on? She hadn't done any tasks.
She looked up again and saw Vivian Sterling's eyes were red, her gaze filled with heartbreak as she stared at… oh, not at her, but at Jasper Sherwood.
Nina was speechless. 'It feels like we just got caught having an affair.'
She quickly shook off that illicit feeling and hastily asked, [Misty, what's going on? I didn't do anything, but the plot points went up on their own.]
Misty pondered for a moment before answering: [It's probably because the female lead saw you being so intimate with the male lead. It caused her a lot of angst, which also counts as advancing the plot.]
Nina was speechless again.
Forget being a villainess, she should just become a broker, mediating between the two of them.
She narrowed her eyes, a plan suddenly forming. She could just treat this angst trigger as a bug to be exploited. Wouldn't she reach a hundred percent in no time?
Nina felt she was an absolute genius.
And so, she leaned close to Jasper Sherwood's ear and whispered a command. "Walk past them. You'd better not defy me. Think about your family. I have ten thousand ways to get your relatives kicked out of the hospital…"
Carrying her on his back, Jasper Sherwood walked toward Leon Grant, his expression placid. "Besides threatening me with my family, do you have any other tricks?"
Nina shook her head honestly. "Nope, because this is the easiest and most effective one."
Jasper Sherwood almost laughed out of sheer anger.
He must have had the worst luck in eight lifetimes to transfer to this school and run into a crazy woman like Nina Donovan.
"Truly vicious," he scoffed.
Nina took a light breath. 'Was that a compliment? An affirmation of my character portrayal?'
A total success!
She pursed her lips into a smile and cleared her throat, a little embarrassed. "Thank you for the compliment."
Jasper Sherwood was speechless.
His face expressionless, he walked past Leon Grant, treating himself as just another piece in the game between Nina and Leon.
'Heh, isn't she just trying to use me to provoke her beloved Leon Grant?'
'I hope she doesn't play with fire and get burned.'
"Jasper…" Vivian Sterling called out, trying to stop Jasper Sherwood.
But Jasper Sherwood paid her no mind, treating her like a complete stranger.
Seeing the devastated look on Vivian Sterling's face, Nina's heart clenched in sympathy.
Damn, this is so angsty!
This trashy novel was over a million words long, and two-thirds of it was pure angst. The remaining third was probably just a bit of sweetness thrown in out of pity for the readers.
It started in their school days and dragged on for eight years before they finally got their happy ending. During that time, there were all sorts of scheming, villainous side characters causing the two leads to misunderstand each other over and over. And both of them were the type who never communicated properly. As for Nina Donovan, the villainous boss of their early-stage tribulations, her role was to make their parallel lives intersect once more.
Suddenly, Nina felt a cold gaze fixed on her back, like a poisonous snake coiling around her bones. It made her instinctively wrap her arms tighter around Jasper Sherwood.
He was forced to stop. His voice was cool. "Miss Donovan, so you don't find me dirty anymore?"
Only then did Nina realize her slender, fair arms were wrapped tightly around Jasper Sherwood's neck. She could even feel the warmth of his skin and the prominence of his Adam's apple. She let go awkwardly. "Sorry."
The original Nina had indeed looked down on Jasper Sherwood for being poor, thinking he was from the slums. She would seize any chance to call him dirty. Forget having him carry her, if he so much as touched her, the original Nina would have immediately needed to disinfect herself.
A flicker of sarcasm crossed his eyes, his dark irises growing even more obscure.
Nina took a deep breath and began her "assistance." "Vivian Sterling called out to you. Why didn't you even acknowledge her?"
"You mean you want me to call Vivian Sterling over here, so Leon Grant can take you back to class?" As he spoke, he started to loosen his hold.
Nina panicked, tightening her grip and clinging to him like an octopus. Would Leon Grant care if she lived or died?
'He'd probably leave me here to fend for myself, that deadbeat scumbag.'
"No! He won't help me." Fearing that Jasper Sherwood would actually put her down, Nina scrambled for an excuse. "Besides, we're not even in the same class. Let's just go."
And so, the two of them left.
Nina heard the sound of heaven: [Ding! Plot Points +5. Total progress: 20%.]
The atmosphere was quiet.
Vivian Sterling shoved Leon Grant away, her eyes defiantly fixed on him. "Are you satisfied now? You just had to make Jasper misunderstand me, had to tie me to you, and make everyone get the wrong idea. Is that what makes you happy? Leon Grant, you make me sick."
Leon Grant's gaze finally pulled away from Nina's retreating figure.
He ignored the flicker of discomfort he felt seeing Nina with Jasper Sherwood.
He let out a cold laugh, pointing to his forehead. "Vivian Sterling, have you no conscience? I got this wound on my head protecting you."
Vivian Sterling put more distance between them. "I didn't ask you to save me. That was your own choice."
Her words completely infuriated Leon Grant.
He stared intently at Vivian Sterling's stubborn little face, then laughed in anger. "Actually, I saw the whole thing. You fell on purpose. Nina Donovan never even touched you, did she?"
Vivian Sterling's body went stiff, a wave of shame washing over her at being exposed.
But she remained defiant. "So what? Doesn't she humiliate me all the time? I was just getting my own back. What did I do wrong?"
"Right, you did nothing wrong. So do you know why I stood by you? Because I like you. But don't take my affection for granted and treat me like I'm nothing."
Vivian Sterling's expression grew even colder, and she looked at Leon Grant as if he were her mortal enemy. "The biggest regret of my life was accepting the Grant Family's sponsorship and getting to know you. I couldn't care less about your affection. You can go run to Nina Donovan."
At this, she let out a mocking laugh. "Only a simp like Nina Donovan cares about you. To her, you're her everything. To me, you're nothing."
Vivian Sterling wrenched her hand from Leon Grant's grasp and walked away without a backward glance.
"Fuck!" Leon Grant lost control and slammed his fist into the wall.
The skin on his knuckles instantly split, and a trickle of blood began to well up.
"Leon? Why are you taking your anger out on the wall?" A young man's voice came from nearby.
Leon Grant looked up, his gaze dark as he turned to the newcomer, one of his good friends, Evan Sinclair.
Evan Sinclair had a buzz cut and sharp, handsome features. At that moment, his eyes were wide, giving him a slightly goofy look.
He ran a hand through his hair and asked uncertainly, "Leon, when I was coming over, I saw Nina Donovan with Jasper Sherwood. Isn't that little tyrant on bad terms with the guy? How did those two get tangled up?"
After a long moment, Leon Grant let out a derisive laugh. "So she knows how to switch up her tactics, starting to play hard to get. Does she think finding Jasper Sherwood will make me angry? I couldn't care less about her. She can run off with any man she wants. It would be best if someone actually took her off my hands."
Evan Sinclair looked at him, speechless. His gaze shifted to the wound on Leon's forehead. "Leon, that's not cool. The few of us grew up together. Nina is so devoted to you she'd practically rip her own heart out for you. I told you not to be so obvious about protecting Vivian Sterling. When that little tyrant goes off, who can stop her? Vivian will just get hurt again. It's a vicious cycle."
Leon Grant was unmoved, his tone cold. "Then let's make Nina Donovan disappear."