"What?! No! We didn’t! We were terrified! Please, you have to investigate this properly!" Mrs. Brown screamed, fighting against the officer snapping cuffs onto her wrists.
Behind Raymond, a dark, devilish smirk returned to Nova’s lips.
"Don’t..." Nova whimpered softly, stepping forward as if to kindly defend them.
But suddenly, her body went entirely limp. She collapsed backward, falling right into Raymond’s waiting arms.
Raymond caught her easily, carrying her in bridal style. "She is deeply traumatized and in shock. I will take her to the hospital first," he stated.
The lead officer nodded his approval, gesturing for them to leave the scene.
As Raymond carried her past the screaming, struggling parents, Nova subtly tilted her head. She slowly opened her eyes, flashing one final, chillingly victorious smirk directly at Mr. and Mrs. Brown, before letting her eyes slowly shut again.
Both parents felt their blood freeze in their veins, their bodies going entirely numb as they watched Raymond carry the female devil away.
.....
Flashback.....A Few Hours Ago
Raymond raised both his hands immediately in surrender. "I’m not plotting against you. You should get into the car. I’ll get you out of here before the police arrive," he offered urgently.
Nova simply stared at him. "Target information," she commanded mentally. Instantly, the familiar translucent blue screen appeared right before her eyes.
[Ding!]
Target Information Downloaded:
* Name: Raymond Thomas
* Age: 28
* Occupation: Highest-ranked undercover officer
* Threat Level: None
* Status: Single
* Disposition: Fell for you at first sight
* Other information data processing...
Nova chuckled, easily processing the data. "Aren’t you one of them? Mr. Police Officer," she teased.
Seeing Raymond stunned, staring at her with a thoroughly shocked expression, Nova’s beautiful blue eyes gave a soft glow. She had just caught sight of the tiny, hidden camera lens concealed within the courtyard’s security bulb.
A low, dark smile spread across her face.
"Urgent operation! Hacking system activate," she instructed her system inwaey. "Order code 09: Hack into the surveillance network. Change the entire recorded scene to the exact opposite. Target Abigail—she should be the one recorded attacking me, and then mutilating herself. As for Mr. and Mrs. Brown, edit their faces to show pure excitement. Fill in the existence of Raymond with panic, making it look like he’s just a bystander trying to smooth things! Execute order."
Suddenly, the whole world seemed to pause for a fraction of a second. A massive blue screen expanded widely in her field of vision, displaying a rapid loading bar.
"Order received... Beep... Beep... Order processing...
Opposite Reality Camera Footage Activated!
Order completed successfully!"
With that, the giant screen vanished, and time returned to normal.
Nova’s dark smile widened as she fixed her gaze intensely on Raymond. "Stay out of this, Raymond. You look pretty, and I don’t like injuring pretty men," she whispered.
End of Flashback.
Noon.
Nova slowly opened her eyes, staring blankly at an unfamiliar ceiling. Surprisingly, she felt no panic or fear.
"I can’t believe I actually fell asleep. What a disgraceful surprise. I was just playing weak, but my body actually shut down," she thought, sitting up against the headboard.
She looked down at herself, only to realize her blood-soaked skin had been cleaned and her clothes had been completely changed. Her brows instantly knitted together in deep annoyance at the color of her new attire.
It was a free-flowing, knee-length blue gown. It fit perfectly and brought out the brilliant color of her blue eyes. Paired with her black-framed glasses, she looked pure, innocent, and irresistibly beautiful.
"Is the person who dressed me possessed by a blue coloured ghost or what?" she grumbled in irritation.
With a ruthless, swift motion, she grabbed the collar and tore the beautiful gown right off her body, leaving herself in nothing but her perfect black underwear. She marched over to the large wardrobe across the room and yanked the doors open, only to freeze in disbelief.
Inside hung shirts and pants in every color of the rainbow. Some garments were even blindingly multicolored. There was absolutely no black, save for the hangers themselves, and only a single oversized button-down shirt in red.
Nova’s eyes narrowed dangerously. "Whose house am I in, exactly?" she wondered.
[Ding!]
System Notice: You are currently in Raymond’s hidden private villa.
Nova sighed helplessly. "Tell me, is this guy the reincarnation of a colorful demon or what?" she complained aloud, snatching the red shirt off its hanger and slipping it on.
The shirt cover up her small frame. Unbothered, Nova grabbed one of Raymond’s black leather belts from a drawer, cinching it around her waist to adjust the oversized shirt into a fitted dress. She folded up the long sleeves to free her little hands, walked over to the full-length mirror, and nodded in satisfaction.
"Absolutely perfect," she thought, turning the door handle and walking out of the bedroom.
"Anah... you are awake," Raymond greeted warmly.
He stood at the bottom of the staircase, staring up at her as she descended. Nova cast an admiring glance over the extremely handsome man. With his short black hair and striking green eyes, he looked incredible. He was dressed in only a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up—showing off his perfectly muscular arms—and long black pants, covered by a black apron. He looked like he had just finished cooking.
"Call me Nova instead," she corrected smoothly. She paused on the bottom step, taking note of his trousers. "That is probably the only pair of black pants he owns," she thought, shaking her head. "You look extremely handsome without the disguise," she complimented.
Raymond chuckled, charmed by her innocent smile. "If I hadn’t personally witnessed the whole scene that happened earlier, I would never believe such a delicate-looking girl is actually a female devil," he murmured aloud.
"I can hear you," Nova commented playfully. She walked right up to him, her beautiful smile never fading. "Carry me. I’m too lazy to walk," she demanded.
Raymond’s brows shot up in surprise. "How can you be so straightforward? You are a girl," he pointed out.
Nova cast another lazy glance over his chest. "I know I’m a girl. My breasts might not be that big, but they are absolutely perfect for you to rest your head on, Hubby," she chuckled, looking entirely innocent.
Raymond choked on his own breath. He stared at Nova with a dumbfounded expression, his heart suddenly pounding wildly against his ribs. "What... what did you just call me?" he stammered, his voice barely audible.
"Hubby," Nova repeated, crossing her arms with a self-satisfied smirk. "What? Do you not want me to call you hubby?" she asked.
"No! I mean... yes, I want that... wait, do you even know what you are saying right now?" Raymond questioned, staring unblinking at Nova.
Nova tilted her head slightly. "You changed my clothes, didn’t you?" she observed.
Raymond’s entire body went stiff. "I... I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to take advantage of you," he stammered."When I brought you back, you were completely unresponsive. You wouldn’t wake up no matter how much I tried. You were covered in so much blood, I thought you would be uncomfortable. That is why I... I cleaned you up and changed your dress."
He swallowed hard, his cheeks dusting with a faint pink. "Also, this is my secret private villa. I am currently on a highly classified mission, so it wasn’t safe or convenient to fetch a female maid to change you," he confessed.
Taking a deep breath, his green eyes turned deadly serious. "I will absolutely take full responsibilities. If you don’t mind, we can get married. I... I am already in love with you," he said.
[Ding!]
Identity Updated:
* Name: Nova
* Age: 18
* Male Companions: 2 (Cassian, Raymond)
* Other information: Locked
Identity Registered!
Nova raised her head, staring deeply into Raymond’s green eyes before a light chuckle escaped her lips. "So it isn’t wrong for me to address you as Hubby," she said.
A breathtakingly smile broke across Raymond’s handsome face. "You... you accept me?" he asked, needing absolute confirmation.
Nova nodded.
"Great!" Raymond cheered. He pulled Nova into a tight, happy hug, lifting her effortlessly off the floor and pressing a gentle kiss to her cheek. "We will go to the bureau tomorrow to get our marriage certificate, okay?" he promised.
Nova nodded lazily against his shoulder. "What about your mission?" she asked.
"I’ll finish it tonight," Raymond answered, practically glowing as he casually shifted her weight, letting her sit comfortably on his strong forearm like she weighed nothing at all.
"Right, Raymond. Where is Abigail’s real boyfriend?" Nova questioned.
"Oh... he is still unconscious, locked up securely in the basement. He should wake up sometime tomorrow," Raymond replied. He stared at her, his green eyes full of awe. "You seem to know almost everything about me," he noted.
"Not almost. But everything. As long as I want to know it, I know it," she corrected, her dark, psychotic smile returning. "You will take me to him the moment he is conscious. I have a very specific blow I need him to deliver to my dearest sister."
Raymond just stared at her. He wasn’t terrified of her in the slightest; rather, he found himself falling even harder for her terrifying dark side. "You... are really beautiful," he breathed uncontrollably.
Nova chuckled, her face flushing slightly under his intense gaze. "I am even more stunning without these stupid glasses," she bragged confidently.
She reached up and pulled the black frames off her face, ready to flaunt her perfect features.
Instantly, the entire room dissolved into a smear of blurry shapes. Her proud smile vanished instantly. Grumbling, she shoved the glasses back onto the bridge of her nose.
"Okay, fine. I forgot I am a supreme beauty with zero clear vision without my glasses," she hissed in frustration.
Raymond threw his head back and laughed heartily. Securing his arm around her waist, he carried his deadly, half-blind fiancé toward the dining room. "Let’s get you something to eat first, okay?" he offered warmly.