After the Countdown

The next morning, Victoria pushed open the villa door.

There was still a trace of Noah's tobacco scent on her, and her expression carried the fatigue and irritation of a sleepless night.

"Julian, I'm back. Julian?"

As she took off her coat and changed her shoes, her eyes swept casually across the living room, then froze.

Beside the sofa, Julian Hayes lay quietly on the carpet, motionless.

Victoria frowned, disgust flashing through her eyes.

"You're a grown man. Why are you lying on the floor?"

"The floor is cold. Get up. Don't think this will make me soften."

The person on the floor did not react.

Victoria strode over and grabbed his shoulder.

"Are you still trying to argue with me..."

Before she could finish, her voice stopped abruptly.

What came through her palm was a piercing cold, like ice.

Stiff.

Dead.

Victoria froze. Then she turned Julian over.

What entered her sight was Julian's gray-white face, and the large patches of dried black blood at the corners of his mouth, on his chin, and across his collar.

The eyes that had once always looked at her gently were now tightly closed, never to open again.

"Julian... Julian?!"

Victoria's mind went blank. With shaking fingers, she reached under his nose.

There was nothing.

She stumbled backward in terror and kicked an envelope on the coffee table.

On the envelope were the words: [For Victoria Quinn.]

With trembling hands, she tore it open and scanned the letter.

When she saw the phrases "gave up one billion," "luck points exchanged for the recovery of your legs," and "betrayal triggers erasure," Victoria's pupils shook violently.

"No... impossible. This is impossible, Julian! You must be lying to me!"

Just as she screamed on the verge of collapse, a flat mechanical voice suddenly rang through the air above the villa.

[Detected: host has fully died. Erasure protocol complete.]

Victoria snapped her head up and looked around as if she had seen a ghost.

The cold voice continued to echo, like a death sentence being read aloud.

[Due to contract termination, the leg-healing reward previously granted to bound target Victoria Quinn will now be officially revoked.]

"What..."

Before Victoria could react, a tearing pain exploded through both of her knees.

"Ah!!!"