Here's the catch—if a male wanted to break off a match, the system hit him where it hurt. Five million star coins gone in an instant, plus a blacklist that barred him from pairing again for a hundred years. No second chances. No new matches. For females? None of that applied. That was why most males ended up groveling, hoping the female would be the one to end it instead. Emma remembered something Laura had once warned her about—some males couldn't afford the penalty. When that happened, they'd try every scam they could think of, bleeding the female for money first. Once they scraped together their five million star coins, they'd cut the match without hesitation. Is Damian one of those males Laura warned me about? It sure feels like it.No way a Rank 5—or higher—is broke. Even half-dead, they can still bring down a mid-tier beast and walk away with a fortune. Hundreds of thousands of star coins in minutes. Broke? Please. I'm not buying it. Emma wasn't about to take the bait. She played it cool, like she didn't notice the hint. 'It's fine, Damian. I'm not in a rush. Just focus on getting your star coins up and catching the starrail. As long as you make it here within three months, we're good.' Every star coin I have, I nearly kill myself earning. That's not just numbers sitting in an account—it's my life. If I hand that over and he dumps me right after? That's game over. I don't mind spending on a male, but only if he's mine for real. These matches? Right now, they're just names: no promises and guarantees. Even Laura—drop-dead gorgeous, sweet, the kind of female every male wants—still has matches who decide she isn't worth it and make her end it. If that happens to her, what chance do I have?Emma wasn't blind. She wasn't as beautiful as Laura, and her rank wasn't as high. It made sense that there would be males who didn't want her. She accepted that. Across the chat, Damian's fiery eyes widened as he read her reply. Seriously? What kind of female is this? Tighter than a locked vault, and that's saying something. Can't even cough up a measly 500,000? Pathetic. His jaw locked tight. He was ready to lose it. Damian pleaded, 'Ms. Tibarn, I really want to see you soon!' He tossed in a pitiful sticker, big eyes shimmering with fake desperation. Emma sighed, her lips quirking faintly as she typed back, 'Yeah, I want to see you too. I'll wait for you.' Still no mention of money. Damian stared at the screen in silence, his jaw tightening. Emma was about to put the lightcore away for the night when her doorbell rang. Her smart robot rolled to the front, activated the security feed, and projected the image into the room. A male in his twenties stood outside her gate—blond hair cropped short, sharp in a black suit. Her breath hitched for a split second. That bright gold hair... Just like the male I dragged out of Astralis Forest and dumped at the hospital a few days back. Really want to know how he's doing now. She shook off the thought. Doesn't matter. I saved him, dropped him off, and got paid—end of story. "Hey, what's up?" Emma's tone stayed cool as she leaned closer to the feed. A flicker of curiosity crossed her mind. Could he be one of my matched males? Adam lifted his gaze to the camera and answered politely, "Ms. Emma Tibarn, I'm Adam Johnson, the assistant to Kael Auris, the one you were matched with." Emma blinked.She tapped a command to the smart robot. "Open the gate." By the time she made it to the living room, Adam had stepped inside. He gave a respectful nod. "Ms. Tibarn, thank you for seeing me. Mr. Auris asked me to speak with you about the match." He picked his words with care, leaving out Kael's title and any hint of his status. If she figures out who Mr. Auris really is, she might start asking for the moon, he thought grimly. Sure, Mr. Auris said she could name her price, but there's no way I'm feeding that fire. Star coins don't sprout out of the ground like weeds. Emma's brow lifted slightly. So, Kael couldn't bother showing up. Sends a messenger instead. Yeah, that screams one thing—he's hoping I'll be the one to dissolve this match. "Why didn't he come himself?" she asked evenly. "Why send someone else?" Adam stayed composed, his tone respectful. "Mr. Auris wanted me to tell you he doesn't wish to proceed with the match at this time. He's hoping you'll apply to dissolve it." Emma's lips parted slightly, though she kept her face calm. Adam added quickly, "He knows this puts you in a difficult spot, so he's prepared to make it worth your while. Name what you think is fair. He won't refuse if it's within his reach."