Chapter 1: Transmigration

Silverlake Estates, midnight.

A man sat up in bed, the silk sheets sliding down to reveal a frame of lean, lethal muscle and a perfectly sculpted neck and shoulder line.

He cast a cold, predatory glance at the breathtakingly beautiful woman lying beside him.

It seemed he had been far too lenient with Seren Thorne lately. So much so that she had forgotten her place, actually daring to harbor delusions of becoming the true mistress of the Vane family. She had even resorted to drugging him just to crawl into his bed.

His voice cut through the silence, laced with icy disdain. "Let’s get a divorce."

Seren, who had just been put through a relentless three-hour ordeal and felt as if her aching body were about to give out, was momentarily stunned. "?"

What kind of bullshit was this man barking? He uses her up and then refuses to acknowledge it?

"I’ll divorce your m—"

"Fifty million dollars," Alaric Vane interrupted, his tone flat and indifferent. "Plus this villa in Silverlake." He paused, his eyes narrowing. "Now, what were you about to say?"

"Nothing! I said yes, let's do it. A divorce is a fantastic idea." Seren snapped into focus instantly. She opened her banking app, her eyes sparkling as she gazed at Alaric. "Send the money! Transfer the deed!"

Seeing her over-eager attitude, Alaric’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. "What kind of trick are you trying to play now?" he asked coldly.

This woman had once used every possible scheme to force the alliance between their two families. After the wedding, she had spent all her time acting out just to catch his attention, wanting nothing more than to revolve around him twenty-four hours a day. Why the sudden change in personality?

What he didn't know was that the soul within the woman before him had already changed.

Was Seren playing tricks?

She was simply a poor wretch who craved money.

In her past life, she had been a Grandmaster of the Mystic Arts, a professional fortune teller.

Those in her line of work usually suffered from some form of cosmic imbalance, and her greatest flaw was an inability to hold onto wealth. Every time money reached her hands, it would slip away in various ways—theft, robbery, or mysterious loss. She had lived her twenty-odd years in utter destitution.

In the end, she couldn't even afford a meal and died of starvation under a bridge.

Fortunately, Fate wasn't entirely heartless. It gave her a second chance, allowing her to transmigrate as the wife of the great villain in a billionaire romance novel.

Not only had she just slept with a top-tier villain possessing peak looks and physique, but she was also about to inherit fifty million dollars and a villa worth over a hundred million. This was pure bliss!

More importantly, now that she was in a new body, her previous "poverty curse" was gone. The overwhelming wealth of this lifetime was finally her turn to enjoy!

She opened her wide, beautiful eyes and said with utter sincerity, "I'm not playing games with you. Let’s do it. Bring the divorce papers; I’ll sign them right now."

Alaric scrutinized her with a frozen expression, then let out a cold sneer. "Playing hard to get?

"Seren, the union between the Thorne and Vane families is nothing more than a business arrangement. No matter what tactics you use, it is impossible for me to ever love you."

Seren: "?"

Is this bastard really that narcissistic?

Whatever. As long as there's money.

Endure a moment for cash and a villa; take a step back for a lifetime of luxury.

"Yes, yes, I'm playing hard to get. Let’s just hurry up and sign the papers."

Seren rubbed her small hands together in anticipation.

Fifty million! A grand mansion!

Here I come!

Seren's words made Alaric feel a hint of discomfort, but her easy agreement to the divorce was ultimately a good thing for him. He said nothing more and directly called someone to draft the agreement.

Before long, Brooks arrived with the divorce papers.

Seren had already changed her clothes and was sitting upright at the table. She picked up the pen and signed her name with a grand flourish, then pushed the agreement toward Alaric with a smile brighter than a blooming flower.

"I've signed. Your turn."

Alaric glanced down at the signature on the document, his cold eyes harboring a trace of disdain.

Chicken scratch.

He raised his pen to sign his name, but just as the tip touched the paper, Seren’s voice rang in his ears.

{The book I transmigrated into... I think it was called "Midnight Craving: The President's Ruthless Love," right? If I remember correctly, Alaric Vane is the biggest villain in this story. Later on, he’ll fall madly in love with the heroine and start a war with the male lead.}

{And my current body belonged to Alaric’s political bride, a marginal character who never even met the heroine. Her only role in the book was probably to add a "divorced" stain to this perfect villain’s record to make the male lead look better by comparison.}

{In the book, Alaric never had feelings for his wife and never touched her after the wedding. After six months of zero progress, she couldn't take it anymore and spiked his drink tonight, hoping to force an intimacy. Who would have thought it would end up benefiting a transmigrator like me instead?}

Alaric's hand froze. He looked up at Seren.

What kind of nonsense was this woman talking about?

Seren didn't notice his gaze. She was still resting her chin on her hand, staring at the ceiling, carefully recalling the details of the plot.

{In a few months, the big villain should run into the heroine. He'll inevitably fall for her and the "crematorium" competition with the lead will begin.}

{When that happens, the two of them will probably stir up a bloodbath in the country. Once I get the money, I'd better go abroad as fast as possible. Stay far away from the battlefield.}

Alaric's brow furrowed deeply.

Seren clearly hadn't opened her mouth. Why could he hear her voice?

Was it a hallucination?

Or was he hearing her inner thoughts?

Before Alaric could figure it out, Seren's voice echoed in his ears again.

{In my last life, I was so busy surviving I never even touched a man's hand. Now that I’m rich in this life, I have to find a few "pretty boys" to keep me company.}

{I remember the author saying that whether it was the lead or the side characters, everyone's "equipment" was quite impressive. Looking at it now, Alaric the villain is indeed... well-endowed. I wonder if the boys I find later will also be so...}

Thinking of certain R-rated images, Seren’s face flushed red.

Alaric, however, looked grim. He snapped the pen in his hand right in half.

This woman had quite the nerve. She had just stepped out of his bed and already dared to think of other men!

Seren was startled by the noise. She snapped back to reality and saw him holding the broken pen. Surprised by his strength and a bit confused, she asked, "What’s wrong? Is it signed?"

Alaric tossed the broken pen into the trash can, his face like a mask of frost. "No. I'm not signing it."

Seren: "???"

{Is he even human?}

"Why aren't you signing? Where's my fifty million and my villa?"

Alaric spoke expressionlessly, "Dream on."

Thinking of using his money to go out and keep other men? Not a chance!

Seeing her money fly away, Seren was beyond furious. She stole a few glares at Alaric.

As for why she didn't glare at him openly, it was naturally because the money hadn't arrived yet.

The Thorne family favored their fake daughter; the original Seren was just a tool they found for a marriage alliance. She couldn't get money from them and could only rely on Alaric. For now, she couldn't turn against him.

{You dog of a man, breaking your word. No wonder you became a "simp" for the heroine later on and still couldn't win her over. You ended up getting set up by the leads because of your misdeeds, stripped of your power, and sent to Northern Myanmar to be sold for parts. You didn't even leave a whole corpse. Serves you right!}

Alaric’s face was as black as the bottom of a pot.

This woman usually pretended to love him so much, but in her heart, she was cursing and mocking him like this!

Transmigration, male and female leads... her brain was truly malfunctioning.

He gave an order to the assistant standing nearby: "Schedule a psychiatrist for my wife. The sooner, the better."