"Aiden, do you think you're something special just because you're pretty well-off? Giving me all that money isn't actually helping! "In fact, it's an insult to my dignity!" The searing pain in his chest hadn't faded yet, but his memories flooded back like a tide. Had he been reborn? Aiden Kroger stared blankly at the girl in front of him. Piper Langley seemed pretty and innocent, but she was full of pride and arrogance. Aiden had loved Piper for more than half his life, and she was the woman he loved the most. Well, he once did. He had been obsessed with her to the point of self-destruction, and it wasn't an exaggeration. Everyone at Kroger High knew Aiden was rich, loyal, and a hopeless romantic.Piper came from a poor family, so Aiden paid for her tuition. He'd give her whatever she wanted—be it food, clothes, or the most expensive things. She used to be a broke student who could barely afford to stay in school, yet under his care, she lived more comfortably than ninety-nine percent of people in the world. It all started with Doomsday, the virtual game. Those who grew stronger in the game gained extraordinary powers in real life. The world's order collapsed, and society fell into chaos. Even in that hellish reality, Aiden did everything he could to protect Piper. At the start of the game, he spent a fortune to train her, afraid she might get hurt while leveling up. When she complained about her lousy equipment, he sold off all his family's assets just to buy her a divine weapon. Whenever he obtained a rare opportunity or valuable gear, Piper was always the first person he thought of.He poured his heart, effort, and every resource he had into Piper, turning her from a mere newbie into one of the top-ranked powerhouses of Dominion. Aiden believed his sincerity would be reciprocated, but on the night of their engagement, Piper cut open his chest and ripped out his heart with her bare hands. That memory was forever ingrained in his mind. Asking her why she'd done that, Piper simply held his beating heart in her hands and sneered. "Aiden, did you really think money could buy my love? Did you think giving me resources meant you could guilt-trip me emotionally? You're wrong! I might have accepted your gifts, but that doesn't mean I accepted your feelings." She continued, "I'm worth way more than that. For the record, I achieved all that I have today through my own hard work. That rich-boy attitude of yours disgusts me, and you'll never understand my pain. Martin's the only one who does, but he's dying. Giving him your heart is the only useful thing you'll ever do." "Don't worry, though. Didn't you say you love me? Once I give your heart to Martin, I'd still be able to hear it beating every day. How does that sound? Aren't you touched by my final gift to you?" she said. At that moment, Aiden felt nothing but emptiness. After all, his heart was gone. All those years of devotion had only been a one-sided illusion. He thought he'd die a cold and painful death, but fate had other plans when the Heavens gave him a second chance. I gave up everything for you, Piper. I protected you with all my heart, he thought to himself. You had divine weapons and hidden classes—things that others could only dream of! In the end, you called it an insult to your dignity? This life, I'll take back every gift you took as charity and humiliation. Let's see if your so-called pride could ever match the achievements you had in your last life. And when the time comes, I will return blow for blow and make you die in the worst kind of pain! Aiden felt a coldness creep through him. He pressed his hand to his chest, feeling the phantom ache of having his heart ripped out."Aiden, are you deaf? Do you even hear me?" On the street, Piper frowned at him. Seeing him stand there in a daze and refusing to let go of the bank card in his hand made her expression grim. "Do you think I need your money? I'll have you know that I'm only accepting your money to preserve your pride, got it? "If you don't let go, don't ever come looking for me again!" Aiden pulled himself out of his memory and glanced down at the card. He had planned on giving her 200,000 to spend this month. In the past, he would've panicked if Piper told him not to visit her anymore. He'd quickly explain himself, doing everything to make her accept the money. But now, he couldn't care less about anyone's pride. Aiden's expression remained cold as he withdrew the bank card."You're right. Giving you money was my mistake," he uttered flatly. "Finally! It's about time you understand," Piper muttered with a scoff. "You have no idea how much pressure I feel whenever I take your money. Everyone calls me a gold digger who can't let you go, but they have no idea I'm only doing it for your sake." Aiden almost laughed from anger, and he slipped the card into his pocket. "Relax. From now on, I'll never give you another cent." Piper froze, her hand still hanging in the air. What was going on? In the past, whenever she said something like that, Aiden would have panicked and rushed to hand her the card with an apologetic smile. What kind of new trick was this? She figured he must be pulling some stunt to get her attention, but since she was short on cash right now, she didn't have the patience for his games. "I didn't mean it like that," she said, softening her tone. "Just take note next time, got it? Since you've come all this way, I'll do you a favor and take the card." She reached out her hand again, expecting him to obediently hand it over. "Get lost." Aiden's words hit like ice, and he turned on his heel before walking away. He couldn't believe how blind he'd been before. Why was he obsessed with her? Had she cast a spell over him? Piper blinked, stunned. She'd never seen the usually spineless Aiden act like this. At once, her face twisted with anger. "Aiden! Do you think this pathetic push-and-pull routine is going to get my attention? "I'm warning you! If you walk away now, don't ever come looking for me again!"I'll never take anything from you again, even if you beg me to!" Aiden stopped in his tracks. Piper smirked, thinking she'd won again. She only needed to blackmail him, and he'd come crawling back. But instead, Aiden turned around, his expression cold and distant. He pointed at her feet. "I almost forgot that I bought those shoes on your feet. Since you said you'll never take anything from me again, take them off now," he ordered. "Aiden!" Piper's expression froze, and her face twisted in fury. She trembled, her voice shaking with rage. "Don't think you're something special just because you're rich! Do you think I'd fall for this? Martin's right—the rich will always look down on us! I see it now." She added, "Also, once you give something away, it's not yours anymore. You don't get to ask for it back!" "What's wrong? Can't bear to part with them?" Aiden sneered. "You!" Piper gritted her teeth, her expression dark. She yanked off the pair of designer shoes worth tens of thousands, then threw them at his feet. Her entire body trembled in anger. "Remember this, Aiden! Even if you beg, I'll never speak to you again!" "Thank God for that." Aiden let out a snort, kicked the shoes into a nearby trash pile, and walked away. Behind him, Piper shrieked, "I'm giving you one last chance! If you beg right now, maybe I'll forgive you! "Aiden? Aiden! You'll regret this! You'll definitely regret this!" Aiden didn't even look back. To him, her words were nothing but background noise.He had no time to waste on a manipulative woman like her. After all, he had something far more important to do, which was to load up his account. Upon checking, Doomsday's private beta launch would kick off in a week. And for ten short minutes before it began, the game's top-up system would be activated. Before then, he needed to gather as much money as possible.