Aaron Miles walked into the wrong building.
That single mistake almost ended his emotional stability for the week.
He had only wanted coffee.
Not luxury coffee.
Not "ethically sourced beans harvested by monks at dawn" coffee.
Just caffeine.
But Eastwood City had a habit of punishing the careless.
The glass doors slid open silently, revealing a lobby so polished it reflected Aaron's confused expression back at him in high definition.
Marble floor.
Minimalist art.
A receptionist desk that looked more expensive than his entire apartment.
Aaron stopped.
"…This is not a café."
Before he could retreat, a sharp voice cut through the space.
"Excuse me."
He turned.
And the temperature dropped.
She stood there in a fitted black suit, posture straight, heels precise, expression carved from absolute indifference.
Long dark hair, neatly tied.
Eyes cold, focused, measuring.
Not beautiful in a soft way.
Beautiful in a dangerous way.
Like a blade polished too well.
The system reacted instantly.
Target Detected.
A red outline flashed—different from Lucy's gentle blue.
Name: Emma Stone
Age: 26
Occupation: CEO
Affection: 0%
Difficulty Rating: Extremely High
Then, in bold letters Aaron had never seen before:
High-Difficulty Target.
Emotional Resistance: Severe.
Affection Gain: Slow.
Failure Risk: High.
Aaron's spine stiffened.
"…Of course."
Emma Stone looked him up and down.
Slowly.
Calmly.
Like a judge reviewing evidence.
"You're late," she said.
Aaron blinked.
"…I am?"
She checked her watch.
"Five minutes. That's unacceptable."
Aaron opened his mouth.
Closed it.
His brain scrambled.
She thinks I work here.
No.
She thinks I'm someone important.
He looked around.
Executives in suits. Assistants moving briskly. Quiet efficiency everywhere.
And then there was him.
White hair. Calm face. Casual clothes that somehow still made him look composed.
The curse of looking like a CEO while living like a broke student struck again.
"I—" he started.
Emma interrupted.
"Come with me."
She turned and walked.
Did not wait.
Aaron hesitated.
The system chimed softly.
Recommendation: Follow.
Escape may reduce future opportunities.
"…Why does my life hate me?"
He followed.
They entered a glass-walled conference room.
Emma sat at the head of the table.
Aaron sat opposite her automatically, posture straightening without permission.
She opened a tablet.
"Let's make this quick," she said. "I have another meeting in twelve minutes."
Aaron nodded.
That felt… correct.
"So," Emma continued, eyes finally lifting to meet his, "your proposal."
Aaron's mind went blank.
Proposal?
"Uh," he said intelligently.
Her eyes narrowed by a fraction.
"You are the representative," she said flatly. "Correct?"
"Yes," Aaron said instantly.
The system did not even need to activate Perfect Liar.
Panic did the work for him.
"Good," Emma said. "Then explain why your people think this partnership is worth my time."
Aaron stared at her.
Then leaned back slightly.
Not because he was confident.
Because he was too tired to sit rigidly anymore.
He exhaled.
"…Honestly?"
Emma paused.
"Yes."
Aaron rubbed his chin, buying time.
"Your company is efficient," he said slowly. "But rigid. You dominate your sector, but you're not expanding creatively."
Silence.
The room cooled further.
Emma's gaze sharpened.
"You're criticizing me in the first minute?"
Aaron shrugged lightly.
"You asked."
The system flashed a warning.
Unorthodox Response Detected.
Risk Level: Rising.
Emma leaned back.
"Continue."
Aaron didn't know why he kept talking.
Maybe exhaustion.
Maybe instinct.
"Your competitors are smaller," he said, "but adaptable. If you don't change your internal structure, you'll plateau in three years."
Emma stared.
Then—
She smiled.
Barely.
A razor-thin curve.
"Interesting," she said. "Most people flatter."
Aaron smiled back, calm on the outside, screaming internally.
"Flattery is inefficient."
Emma's eyes lingered on him longer now.
The system displayed:
Affection: 0%
Status: Unchanged
No movement.
Not even a flicker.
Emma closed her tablet.
"Who do you work for?"
Aaron answered without thinking.
"Myself."
She nodded, unsurprised.
"Figures."
She stood.
"That will be all."
Aaron stood too.
"Wait," she added. "You didn't state your demands."
Aaron blinked.
"Demands?"
She met his gaze.
"If you're confident enough to criticize me, you must want something."
Aaron thought of money.
Power.
Survival.
Then said, honestly, "I wanted coffee."
The room went silent.
Emma stared at him.
Then—
She laughed.
Once.
Short. Sharp.
Uncontrolled.
The system chimed.
Affection Change: None.
Emotional Reaction Detected.
Emma composed herself instantly.
"Leave," she said. "Before I change my mind."
Aaron nodded.
Turned.
Walked out.
His legs only started shaking once the doors closed behind him.
Outside, Aaron leaned against the wall.
"…That was terrifying."
The system displayed a message.
Target Summary: Emma Stone
Affection: 0%
Progress: None
Threat Level: High
Then, smaller text appeared.
Note: Not all targets respond to warmth.
Some respond to challenge.
Aaron exhaled slowly.
Lucy had been easy.
Natural.
Human.
Emma Stone was different.
She was armored.
And worse—
She wasn't impressed.
The system added one final line, almost amused.
Reminder:
This is not a dating game.
This is a survival test.
Aaron pushed himself off the wall and headed toward the exit.
"…So this is hard mode."
Behind him, in the conference room, Emma Stone stood by the window.
Watching him leave.
Her expression unreadable.
She tapped her fingers lightly against the glass.
"…Interesting man," she murmured.
Back on the street, Aaron didn't know that.
What he knew was simpler.
Some women wouldn't melt.
Some wouldn't budge.
And some—
Would turn his entire life into a battlefield.
The Cold CEO Queen had entered the game.
And for the first time since the system appeared—
Aaron Miles felt genuinely outmatched.