I Seduced The Villain By Mistake

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Beta, seriously. It's been three years. Where the hell is the Male Lead's 'true love'?

The system stayed silent for three seconds.

Then, a high-pitched electronic screech exploded in my brain.

You moron. You slept with the wrong guy. That man in your bed isn't the hero. He's the psycho villain.

Chapter 1

I woke up in Zane's arms. Again. His chest pressed against my backa solid wall of muscle and heat.

"Awake?" His voice was a low rasp against my ear. Warm fingertips grazed the sensitive skin at the nape of my neck. Calloused. Heavy. Electric shocks danced down my spine.

I shrank away, burying my face in the pillow to hide the shiver. "How did you know?" I hadn't moved a muscle. My breathing was perfectly steady.

"Your rhythm shifted." Zane chuckleda deep, vibrating rumble that I felt in my own chest. He nuzzled into the crook of my neck like a needy wolf. His lips brushed my earlobe. Wet. Hot.

My skin pricked with warning signals. Adrenaline spiked through my hazy brain. "Zane." I turned to glare at him.

"What?" He murmured against my skin, feigning innocence.

"You know what." Seriously? Can't he keep it in his pants for five minutes? I saw the look in his eyes. He was ready to go. Again.

I buried my face in his chest and turned on the waterworks. "I can't. I feel terrible."

Zane froze. His hand stopped moving. "Sick?"

I dialed up the whine. "My legs are sore. My lower belly hurts. It's all your fault."

Oops. Oversold it. My voice actually cracked with a sob.

Zane's large hand covered my lower belly. He rubbed circles, gentle and rhythmic. "What can I do to fix it?"

I bit my lip to hide the smirk. I fished my phone from under the pillow. The screen lit up with the image of the limited-edition diamond necklace. Even through the pixels, it was blinding. Rule number one of being a trophy girlfriend: Secure the bag while the securing is good.

Zane tossed the phone aside without a glance. He pulled me closer, eliminating the space between us. "I wanted it to be a surprise."

I blinked. "What?"

"Ordered it three months ago." He raised a brow, looking smug. "It arrives this afternoon. Two hundred grand. Secured."

I scrambled up and planted a loud, wet kiss on his cheek. "Thank you, Hubby. I love you so much."

Zane's eyes darkened.

His pupils blew wide, swallowing the iris. The air in the room shifted. Thick. Heavy. Sudden. He moved before I could react. The world tilted. He threw me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

I kicked my legs, panic flaring. "Zane."

"You asked for it, Piper."

Smack. His hand connected with my assa sharp sting followed by a flood of heat. "Legs sore? Let's go to the tub. I'll give you a massage."

An hour later. Zane left for the office, looking annoyingly refreshed. I lay in the cooling water. My eyes refused to focus on the ceiling. This wasn't sustainable. I was going to die of exhaustion before I even finished the mission. I closed my eyes and mentally screamed for the useless AI.

Chapter 2

"Hello? Hello? Beta? Seriously. Three years. Where the hell is the 'One That Got Away'? Secretary Beta. Look it up. Now."

The system finally came back online. It still had that distinct, glitchy AI vibe. "Hold on, dearest Host. Let me scan the current plot progression."

"Hurry up." I rubbed my thigh. The muscle was sore. Tender. I glanced down. A small, reddish welt bloomed on my inner thigh. I wanted to cry. Zane has absolutely zero self-control. "I can't take this anymore. Zane?"

The system went silent for three seconds. Then, a high-pitched digital screech exploded in my skull.

"You idiot! You got the wrong guy! Zane is the psycho villain!"

Huh? I froze. My brain short-circuited. "You told me the Male Lead was the Heir of the Harrison family!"

Three years ago. I woke up in this trashy billionaire romance novel. Role: Disposable Trophy Girlfriend. Job Description: Find the heartbroken Male Lead while his "true love" is abroad. Use my facewhich is seventy percent similar to hersto climb the social ladder. Stay by his side until the real heroine returns. Act as the catalyst for their reunion. Once they get back together? Mission accomplished. Reward: I get to survive in this world instead of dying in my original one.

Back then, the system just said "Heir of the Harrison family" and logged off. I was confused. Zane is the Heir of the Harrison family.

Beta didn't answer. I could hear the sound of digital pages furiously flipping in the background. "Found the error! The system gave an awkward, mechanical laugh. Time transmission glitch. My bad. Now is the correct timeline. The real Male Lead is Sawyer. The lost heir. He just got recognized and brought back to the family. Aurora, the heroine, is about to take the family's payoff money and flee the country. Everything is still on track."

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. My life is safe. Great. No point in waiting. I'm dumping Zane. Immediately.

I turned around and grabbed my suitcase. I started throwing clothes in.

"Stop!" The system blocked my movement. "Host, you can't. My sensors indicate Zane's affection levels for you are critically high. If you break up with him now... And worse, if you run off to chase Sawyerthe brother he hates... You will trigger Zane's 'Villain' arc early. The plot will collapse."

I scratched my head. "I matter that much?"

I always treated Zane as the Male Lead. Which meant I assumed he treated me as a substitute. Every time he was nice to me, I rolled my eyes internally. Fake deep. Performative affection. I ignored the sweet talk. I cashed the checks. I guarded my heart like Fort Knox. But he... actually likes me?

A weird ripple went through my chest.

The system chimed in, cutting off the sentiment. "Don't be a simp. Fail the mission, and you die."

Right. Right. Romance is cool, but breathing is better. I shook my head. I cleared out the messy thoughts. Focus on the job. "So, what do I do now?"

Beta's voice turned conspiratorial. "First, we need to tank his stats. We have to lower Zane's affection for you."

Chapter 3

Beta started brainstorming. "Make him hate you. Reverse psychology. Have you tried 'Love Bombing'? Suffocate him with affection until he can't breathe. Be clingy. Be annoying. Be a Stage Five Clinger."

I hesitated. "Will that actually work?"

"Just try it. Start by blowing up his phone."

Something felt off about this plan. But my brain was fried from the morning's activities. I couldn't pinpoint the flaw. I decided to be a good little host and listen to the AI.

I picked up my phone. Twelve unread messages popped up. The oldest one was from three minutes ago.

*Baby.*

*Awake?*

*The necklace is en route. Pick out whatever else you want.*

*Carmen will be there in ten. Let her keep you company.*

*Do not open the door for anyone.*

*Understood?*

*Hello?*

*Why aren't you answering?*

*I'm turning on the cameras.*

Shit. I realized what was wrong. Zane is already a control freak. He's the clingy one. The man acts like he has severe touch starvation. If he's home, he's glued to my side. If he's at work, he sends eight hundred texts a day. And he expects an instant reply.

I used to wonder how a CEO had this much free time. When I asked him, he just smiled and kissed me. "Silly Baby. I'm the boss, so I can slack off whenever I want."

I groaned. "Beta, this strategy is garbage."

"Baby? Who are you talking to?"

Zane's voice filled the room. It didn't come from the phone. It came from the surround sound speakers.

His tone was gentle. My blood ran cold.

Beta was unfazed. "Don't panic, Host. Plan B. Be irrational. Be a brat. This is the perfect setup. You ignored his texts? Flip the script on him. Accuse him of ignoring you. Flip the script."

I wasn't sure, but I didn't have a better idea. I pinched my throat to affect a whiny, high-pitched tone. "You have the nerve to ask? Can't you tell I'm mad at you? Why do you always send Carmen?" I huffed, injecting maximum grievance into my voice. "You just don't want to see me yourself. You're brushing me off! I kicked him out this morning. Literally an hour ago. This was peak unreasonableness."

Silence stretched over the speakers. Did it work? My heart hammered against my ribs.

Chapter 4

Zane was quiet for three seconds. When his voice finally came through the speakers, it was dropped an octave. Rough. Vibrating with something dark.

"Baby. You're so different today. That's the first time you've ever said you needed me. I like it. I like it when you're mean to me."

Beta: "..." Host, what the hell did you turn him into?

Me: "..." I swear I didn't do anything weird.

I was just following the Sugar Baby Survival Guide. Rule #4: Keep the affection semi-sweet. Never give them the whole cake.

Zane's tone softened, dripping with indulgence. "Didn't you say Carmen has better taste than I do?"

I was trying to figure out how to keep the bratty act going, but he just handed me the ammo. Carmen. The only female assistant in his orbit. She's been with him for years. She literally took a knife for him once. In the past, he even sat me down to explain it. "She's my savior. She's like a sister." I knew there was nothing going on between them. Which made it the perfect target for a irrational meltdown.

I put my hands on my hips and channeled my inner drama queen. "Carmen, Carmen. It's always Carmen. Do you have a thing for her or something?" I took a breath and launched the nuclear option. "If we both fell into the ocean, who would you save first?"

I held my breath, waiting for the classic line. "She's just a sister, Piper. Stop being crazy."

Instead, a laugh bubbled through the speakers. He sounded thrilled. "Are you jealous, Baby? Do you want me to fire her? I'll do it right now."

Excuse me? Is this guy for real? She is your literal life-saver. I watched the monitor. Zane was already unlocking his phone to make the call. He didn't hesitate. People were just resources to him. Disposable the second I frowned. Panic spiked in my chest.

"No! Stop! Carmen is a saint." She has impeccable taste and she actually helped me.

Back when I first woke up here, I was playing gigs in dive bars to survive. It was a messy scene. One night, some creep tried to slip something into my drink. Carmen was the one who stopped it. She's been my biggest fan ever since. She brings me gifts. I can scam Zane all day long. But hurting Carmen? That's bad karma.

I scrambled for an excuse, twisting my fingers together. "I just I wanted you to keep me company. Not Carmen. It's not her fault."

Zane chuckled softly. "Mm. My baby is so kind. Fine. I'll come home early tonight. Just for you."

Chapter 5