You're not leaving this time.

Chapter 1: Chapter 1: I’m Not Falling for That Anymore

Outside the window, brilliant lights shone into the dim room, casting a play of light and shadow over the barely conscious man on the bed.

The air was thick with the heavy scent of alcohol, though it was somewhat pleasant. Lynn Winslow squatted by the bed, hugging her knees, and quietly gazed at the drunken man. His normally cool, pale skin was flushed crimson, stripping away his usual rebellious air. The corners of his eyes were moist, making him look surprisingly fragile and pitiful.

Lynn suddenly leaned closer and gently began to unbutton his shirt.

She had only undone a few when her hand was suddenly seized in a powerful grip. Lynn’s heart hammered as she looked up at the man.

The man’s eyes were hazy, as if veiled by a thin fog, and his gaze couldn’t focus. He blinked his narrow eyes a few times before he could finally make out the person straddling him.

"Lynn Winslow." He called her name, his voice thick with drunkenness.

Lynn gave a guilty "mm," averting her face, not daring to look at him.

"You’ve finally come to see me in my dreams..." His voice grew muffled, yet his tone was one of utter grievance. "It’s been three years. What took you so long?"

"Ian Sterling, I..."

But before she could finish, Ian Sterling flipped her over and pinned her down, crushing his lips against hers. Lynn let out a pained "mgh," and just as she was about to tell him to be gentler, she heard Ian whisper softly, "You heartless bastard. I’ve missed you so much."

Lynn couldn’t bring herself to say anything more. She let him bite her, wriggled free of his hold, and went back to undoing the remaining buttons on his shirt.

Their shadows merged and tangled into one. Scattered clothes littered the floor, a black shirt and a black skirt gradually piling up. The scent of alcohol in the air began to mingle with another aroma, one that would make anyone blush.

Ian Sterling sensed something was off. The sensation was both strange and familiar, but it wasn’t something that should exist in a dream.

He lowered his gaze to the woman before him, her cheeks flushed scarlet. He clenched the hands propped on either side of her, and the pain brought a sliver of clarity.

Lynn looked up at him, dazed, clearly feeling his wild heartbeat and feverish heat. Thinking he was just extremely drunk and needed a moment, she hooked her slender, fair arms around his neck and flipped their positions.

He had drunk a lot, after all. The alcohol saturated Ian Sterling’s thoughts and burned away his last shred of reason, letting himself be dragged into the deep sea to tumble and turn.

The heavy atmosphere thickened and then gradually dissipated. Lynn lay draped over the edge of the bed, catching her breath, when Ian Sterling suddenly recoiled from behind her as if he’d seen a monster.

"Lynn. Winslow." He spat her name out, syllable by syllable.

Lynn turned to look back, her gaze hazy, and met his eyes—the lustful glaze not yet faded but already tainted with rage. A shiver ran through her.

"When did you get back? Why am I here?!" he demanded.

Lynn snapped back to reality at his words. Biting her lip, she scrambled up and pulled the blanket over herself, hiding half her face under it as she confessed guiltily, "I got back yesterday. I... I had someone bring you here."

Fragmented memories of what happened before entering the hotel returned to him. Ian Sterling let out a cold laugh, irritably running a hand through his already messy hair. He sneered, "So those bodyguards were your people. What? Couldn’t find any men in the last three years? Had to come crawling back to your ex-boyfriend for this?"

The blush drained from Lynn’s face, leaving her pale as she stammered out an explanation, "It’s not like that. I—I was afraid you wouldn’t want to see me, so I..."

Ian Sterling let out a cold "heh." His chest heaved as he suppressed a surging wave of anger. He gritted his teeth and said, "Quite the move, Miss Winslow. Dumping someone and then coming back. You think you can just say you regret it and have them at your beck and call?"

"It’s really not. Please, just listen to me. It’s not what you think. Back then, it was because—" She leaned closer, wanting to reach for his hand, but she only got halfway through her sentence before a pain as if countless tiny needles were pricking her brain shot through her head. The agony made her collapse back onto the bed, instantly breaking out in a cold sweat.

Ian Sterling just assumed she was putting on a pathetic act. He pressed his lips into a thin line, picked up his clothes, and pulled them on. "Stop pretending," he said coldly. "I’m not falling for that act anymore."

Back before they were even together, Lynn had often feigned misery and discomfort to make him soften up. That was how she’d won him over, step by step. And just when he had fallen for her completely, she’d suddenly turned on him and dumped him, ignoring all his pleas to stay.

Lynn pressed her fingers to her temples and forced herself to sit up, shaking her head. Before she could say anything, she saw Ian Sterling turn and stride away.

Hearing the door slam shut, Lynn collapsed limply onto the bed. The needle-like pain in her head had vanished the moment she stopped trying to speak. She stared blankly at the ornate chandelier above.

’So I can’t tell Ian Sterling... then why can I tell Zane Lancaster? Is it just because Ian is the male lead of the book?’ Lynn frowned and sighed. ’I died once, and only then did I awaken to my role as the male lead’s unattainable first love, the villainous ex-girlfriend. This is so tragic. I can’t even tell the simple truth.’

The phone she had dropped on the floor suddenly rang, its sound piercing the quiet room. The noise startled the dazed Lynn, making her jump. She got out of bed, picked up the phone, and pulled on a robe as she answered.

The man’s voice on the other end was casual, sounding not entirely serious.

"So? Did you tell him?"

The corners of Lynn’s mouth turned down. She pouted and said, "I was just about to explain the reason to him, but my head started hurting like it was being stabbed with needles. I couldn’t get the words out at all."

Hearing Lynn’s words, the man laughed out loud without a shred of sympathy.

He only stopped laughing when he sensed Lynn was about to get angry. "Anyone would think your story is absurd," he said lazily. "That’s why I’m still telling you to take it slow. Otherwise, even if you could tell him, he’d just think you’re trying to trick him into getting back with you."

"..."

Lynn was silent for a moment after hearing that. She collected her thoughts, her determination renewed. Speaking as much to herself as to the man on the phone, she said, "It doesn’t matter. I’ll win him back sooner or later anyway."

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!