Part 2Three Alphas to Capture, Three White Moons to Conquer

Ethan was the first tycoon I met in this world.

He was the illegitimate son of a wealthy family. When I met him, Claire had just dumped him for money, and his own family had cast him out after he was diagnosed with liver cancer. To complete my mission, I took him into my tiny apartment, cared for him, and worked myself to the bone to pay his medical bills. When we discovered our blood types matched, I even donated a part of my liver to him.

With his health restored, I helped him build his business from the ground up, transforming him into a powerful CEO.

And then, just as his Heartbeat Value for me reached 99%, Claire came back.

She claimed she had never left him for money; she said Ethan’s family had threatened her. She spun a tale of suffering abroad, of how she never stopped thinking of him for a single day.

Ethan didn’t say much, but I knew he was moved. On the very day she returned, his Heartbeat Value for me dropped to 90%.

Then he brought her home to live with us.

When Claire accused me of giving her the cold shoulder, his value dropped to 80%.

When she framed me for pushing her down the stairs, it fell to 70%.

For five years, Ethan’s feelings for me fluctuated, finally settling at a miserable 30%. I had given up hope of it ever moving again.

So when I woke up in a hospital bed and saw his Heartbeat Value had jumped to 50%, I was shocked.

It wasn't just the number that had changed. His entire demeanor was different.

As I sat up, he rushed over, placing a pillow behind my back. "Careful. The doctor said you have a mild concussion."

The lake had been frozen over. I must have hit my head on the ice. The pain was excruciating. But his gentle tone felt so foreign it was disorienting.

He shifted uncomfortably under my stare. "They found the bracelet," he said, looking away. "I was wrong about you."

"The maid took it. She said she mistook it for her own. I've already fired her."

"Sophie, Claire was just overly anxious and jumped to conclusions. I've already told her she needs to apologize to you."

Apologize? Claire was going to apologize to me?

Before I could even process it, Ethan had pulled a reluctant Claire into the room. She shuffled to my bedside and mumbled a half-hearted "sorry."

Then, unable to resist a parting shot, she added, "Sophie, can we please just talk things out next time? You scared everyone half to death jumping into the lake like that. We're all adults here; we can solve problems rationally."

In the past, to keep Ethan’s Heartbeat Value from dropping, I would have let it slide. But I was done pretending. "Who wasn't talking things out? I told you from the start it wasn't me, but you didn't believe me. And you, Ethan, this is what you call an apology? When you wanted me to apologize to her, you were ready to make me kneel all night. Since she's the one who wronged me, shouldn't she take a turn on her knees?"

Claire's face went pale.

Ethan frowned, but before he could speak, Claire launched into another performance. "Sophie's right. I'll go kneel right now, as long as it makes her feel better."

With that, she fled the room.

Ethan turned to me, his face grim, but he refrained from his usual harsh words. "Sophie, how could you say that to her? Her health is fragile; she can't kneel for that long. I'm going to stop her. Don't make jokes like that again."