Chapter 3

The sound of the shower finally stopped.

Inside the bathroom, Bowen grabbed a thick towel and scrubbed the cold water from his face. He stared at his reflection in the mirror and forced himself to take ten deep, slow breaths.

He pulled the belt of his black robe tight, knotting it aggressively. He convinced himself the nosebleed was just dry air. He was Bowen Greene. He was a monster in the boardroom. He could handle one woman.

He pushed the bathroom door open and marched back into the living room. His eyes locked onto Aria.

Aria was sitting sideways on the expensive leather sofa. She was holding a heavy silver lighter she found on the coffee table, flipping the lid open and shut with a rhythmic, metallic click. She didn't even look up when he walked in.

Bowen walked over and stopped right in front of her. He stood tall, trying to cast a dark shadow over her body.

He cleared his throat. He dropped his voice into a deep, vibrating register that sounded completely unnatural.

"Don't think you've won anything, woman."

Aria's left eyebrow twitched. The forced gravel in his voice was physically painful to listen to.

Before she could speak, Handler 377 flashed a bright gold notification box across her vision.

[High-Reward Task Triggered: Counter the male lead's provocation. Say the exact phrase: "Is that it?" with a mocking expression. Reward: Flawless Skin Gene Upgrade.]

Aria's heart skipped a beat. As an actress whose face was her entire livelihood, a genetic skin upgrade was worth more than a million dollars. She accepted the task instantly.

Aria snapped the silver lighter shut. She slowly lifted her chin.

Her eyes started at Bowen's face. She dragged her gaze down his neck, over his chest, and let it drop lower.

She intentionally stopped her eyes right at the knot of his bathrobe, staring directly at his crotch.

Bowen felt the physical weight of her stare. A cold sweat broke out on the back of his neck. His knees jerked, and he subconsciously pressed his legs closer together.

Aria let out a short, breathy laugh. The sound bounced off the high ceiling, filled with absolute contempt.

She tilted her head to the side. She curled her upper lip into a perfect sneer, mixing pity with disgust.

"Is that it?" she asked.

The three words hit Bowen like a physical blow to the stomach.

His jaw dropped. His eyes widened in pure, unadulterated shock. It was as if she had just pulled a gun and shot him in the chest.

The fragile shell of his male ego shattered into a million pieces. His bottom lip actually trembled.

He raised a shaking finger, pointing at her. He opened his mouth, but his brain couldn't form a single word of defense. He just stood there, stuttering over empty air.

A sharp, pleasant chime rang in Aria's head. [Task Complete. Reward Distributed.]

A rush of cool, minty energy washed over Aria's body. She felt her pores tighten. The dull ache of exhaustion vanished from her face.

She lifted her hand and stared at the back of it. The skin, which had felt slightly dry and tight just moments ago, was now as smooth as silk, even glowing with a healthy radiance under the light.

Aria smiled, completely mesmerized by her own hand. She ignored the towering man standing in front of her.

Bowen sucked in a ragged breath. He desperately tried to glue his pride back together. "I... I was just off my game today. The market was stressful."

Aria didn't look at him. She just gave a vague, dismissive nod, waving her perfect hand in the air. "Sure. I'm very busy right now."

A crushing wave of defeat slammed into Bowen. His brutal negotiation tactics, the ones that made old Wall Street billionaires sweat, were completely useless against her.

He grabbed a handful of his damp hair and yanked it in frustration. He spun on his heel and walked stiffly toward the master bedroom. He needed to hide.

The bedroom door clicked shut.

Aria stood up. She walked straight to the floor-to-ceiling mirror near the entryway to inspect her new face.

She touched her cheek. It was flawless. She realized right then that this system wasn't a curse. It was a tool. And she was going to use it to bleed this world dry.