Jason awoke to the faint hum of a ceiling fan spinning lazily above him. His body felt heavier than usual, his muscles sluggish as he blinked the haze from his eyes. The room was unfamiliar—too luxurious for the small apartment he remembered living in. Polished wooden floors, lavish curtains, and a king-sized bed. It took him a moment to realize something was wrong.
He wasn't in his world anymore.
Slowly, Jason sat up, the memories rushing back. He had been reading a web novel, The Cold CEO's Girlfriend, when something strange had happened. He had fallen asleep and now… now he was here, in the world of the novel itself.
The door to the room creaked open, and Jason froze, his pulse quickening. A figure appeared—Amelia Grey, the villainess of the story. Tall, blonde, and coldly beautiful, she was dressed in an elegant black dress, her icy blue eyes narrowing as they landed on him.
"You're awake," Amelia said, her voice as sharp as her appearance.
Jason swallowed hard. In this world, Amelia was known for her ruthlessness, second only to Damon Blackwood, the powerful CEO who was hopelessly in love with Lila, the novel's heroine. And here Jason was, thrust into the role of one of Amelia's lackeys, tasked with doing her dirty work.
"You remember what you need to do?" Amelia's eyes were unyielding as she approached, her heels clicking against the floor.
Jason nodded slowly, though his mind was racing. According to the plot, he was supposed to drug Lila and… worse. But that wasn't who he was. He might be stuck in this world, but he wasn't going to let himself become a monster.
Amelia handed him a small vial, the liquid inside shimmering ominously. "You know what to do. Lila is in the hotel room next door. Don't screw this up, or I'll make sure you regret it."
Jason took the vial, his heart pounding. He couldn't do this.He wouldn't.
Jason approached the hotel room, his mind spinning with options. How could he get out of this situation without making Amelia suspicious? The keycard slid into the lock, and the door clicked open. Inside, Lila lay on the bed, her chestnut-brown hair spread across the pillow like a halo. She looked peaceful, almost too peaceful.
But as Jason stepped closer, he realized something was off. Her breathing was too steady, her eyes fluttering beneath her eyelids. Lila wasn't fully unconscious. She was pretending.His heart raced, but he kept his movements slow. The drug Amelia had given him must not have had the full effect on her. He couldn't let Amelia know that he hadn't followed through. He needed a way out.
That's when the notification appeared.
[Sign-In System Activated]
Jason blinked in disbelief. A sign-in system? Was this another twist in the plot, or was it something that had come with him from his world?
First Sign-In Reward: Advanced Parkour Skills Unlocked.
Jason's lips curled into a smirk. Maybe this world wasn't as unforgiving as he thought.He leaned down over Lila, his pulse racing as he whispered in her ear. "I'm not going to hurt you. Stay still. I'll take care of this."
Then, without warning, he pressed his lips against hers—just long enough to make it look real in case anyone was watching. He didn't linger, pulling back quickly as Lila's eyes fluttered open in surprise.
Before she could speak, Jason was already moving. He turned and sprinted toward the window, flinging it open. The sound of footsteps thundered down the hallway—Damon's footsteps. There was no time to lose.
With his newfound parkour skills, Jason leapt out of the window, landing gracefully on the fire escape below. He moved quickly, his body adapting to the skills as if he'd trained for years. Behind him, Damon burst into the room, but Jason was already gone, disappearing into the night.