The longest twenty-four hours of Anthony’s life didn’t pass with chaos or danger—but with something far more exhausting.
Isabella constant nagging!.
From the moment dawn cracked over the villa, she had been everywhere.
Trailing him.
Sitting too close.
Standing behind him.
Whispering into his ear.
Complaining.
Nagging.
Circling back to the same topic like a broken record.
“The lunch is important.”
“You have to come.”
“My grandparents don’t wait for people.”
“You’re coming, right?”
Anthony exhaled slowly, leaning back against the couch, staring at her as she paced like a restless storm.
“Aren’t we moving too fast?” he finally said, his tone calm—but laced with deliberate provocation.
Isabella froze.
Slowly… she turned.
“What did you just say?”
Anthony shrugged.
“I mean… you already invited me to a family lunch. Grandparents included. That’s a territory i don’t want to step in, not at this stage. And I haven’t even—”
He paused intentionally.
“—agreed to anything yet.”
Silence.
Dangerous silence.
Then—
Snap.
Isabella lunged.
Her fingers found a very unfortunate, very fleshy part of Anthony’s arm—and twisted.
Hard.
A clean, brutal one-eighty.
“Ah—! Are you insane?!”
“When will you be a man?!” she roared, her voice sharp with fury.
“You think this is a joke?!”
Anthony winced, trying to pry her off.
“You’re assaulting me over lunch!”
“This isn’t about lunch!” she snapped.
“This is about you acting like a coward!”
“I’m not a coward. I just don’t want the trouble that comes together with staying with you!”
“That doesn’t change the fact you’re still a coward!”
They circled each other, words clashing, tension crackling.
Teasing turned to bickering.
Bickering turned to something sharper… something raw.
Then suddenly—
She stopped.
Her chest rose and fell, her eyes burning—not with anger anymore.
But hurt.
“So that’s it,” she said quietly.
“Everything I’ve done… means nothing to you.”
Anthony frowned slightly.
“That’s not what I—”
“You think I’m cheap.”
The words hit differently.
“You think I’m easy,” she continued, her voice trembling despite her effort to steady it.
“Like I’m just throwing myself at you.”
Anthony’s expression tightened.
“Isabella, that’s not—”
“Save it.”
She stepped back.
Composure returned—but colder this time.
“Don’t worry,” she said, her tone flat.
“You won’t have to deal with me again.”
Anthony’s brows furrowed.
“What are you—”
“I won’t waltz back into your life ever again.”
And just like that—
She turned and walked out.
No hesitation.
No looking back.
Moments later, the sound of her car tearing out of the compound echoed into silence.
For the first time in what felt like forever…
The villa was quiet.
Anthony stood there for a while, unmoving.
Then he exhaled.
“…Peace at last.”
He dropped onto the couch, stretching his arm.
“That woman is violent…”
But even as he spoke—
Something felt… off.
Too quiet.
Too empty.
“…Did I make the right call?” he muttered, half to himself.
“Obviously not.”
Pelumi’s voice cut in immediately.
Anthony glanced sideways.
“You’ve been waiting to say that, haven’t you?”
Pelumi folded her arms.
“You messed up. Big time.”
“She overreacted.”
“You provoked her.”
“She attacked me!”
“You deserved it.”
“Whose side are you on?”
Pelumi raised a brow.
“The side with common sense.”
Hours passed.
Slowly.
Painfully.
By the 23rd hour after the system upgrade began—
The silence had become unbearable.
Anthony found himself glancing at the door.
At his phone.
At empty spaces she used to fill.
Her voice… her presence… her chaos…
Gone.
And somehow—
Missed.
“…Tch.”
He leaned back, staring at the ceiling.
“When did I get used to her?”
No answer came.
Because he already knew.
And worse—
He knew he had taken it for granted.
But pride lingered.
Heavy.
Unyielding.
“I’m not chasing her,” he muttered.
Even he didn’t sound convinced.
Then—
A soft chime echoed.
Different.
Not abrupt.
Not chaotic.
Clean.
Structured.
Precise.
Anthony sat up immediately.
His eyes sharpened.
“…Finally.”
A translucent interface unfolded before him—but unlike before, it was refined.
Organized.
No flickering glitches.
No overwhelming flood of data.
Everything was… controlled.
Systematic.
[SYSTEM UPGRADE COMPLETE]
[VERSION 2.0 INITIALIZED]
[CORE FUNCTION: REWARD-BASED PROGRESSION ACTIVATED]
Anthony’s gaze darkened with focus.
“Now this… is more like it.”
[NEW MECHANICS UNLOCKED]
Tasks will now be assigned based on opportunity, influence, and growth trajectory.
Each task carries defined rewards and penalties.
Deadlines are mandatory.
Failure will result in consequences.
Anthony smirked slightly.
“Fair.”
[PENALTY SYSTEM]
Point deduction.
Temporary misfortune (Minimum: 6 hours of “Bad Luck Phase”).
Influence suppression.
“…Interesting.”
For the first time—
The system felt like a true game of stakes.
Not chaos.
Not randomness.
Structure.
Discipline.
Control.
Then—
The first task appeared.
[TASK #001: STRATEGIC ACQUISITION INITIATION]
Objective:
Secure the production line contract from the Adeyemi Family Group.
Details:
The Adeyemi Group is initiating a high-priority production line expansion.
Multiple elite firms are competing.
Requirement:
Lekki Tech Dynamics Company must win the pitch.
Anthony’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“…Adeyemi.”
[REWARD]
Massive system points
Corporate influence boost
Access to Advance Tier-2 system privileges
[FAILURE PENALTY]
Severe point deduction
6 Hours: Extreme Bad Luck Phase
Temporary business suppression effect
“…So failure isn’t an option.”
A slow smile spread across his face.
“This is more like it.”
But just as he leaned back—
A thought crossed his mind.
Unavoidable.
Unwanted.
Yet persistent.
The Adeyemi family.
The lunch.
Isabella.
Fate had a strange way of working.
Because whether he liked it or not—
This task…
Would bring him right back to her.
Anthony closed his eyes briefly, exhaling.
What’s this massive point system.
Corporate influence boost.
And
Access to Advance tier-2 system privileges.
The system responded.
[REWARD STRUCTURE — LOCKED]
All rewards will be released only upon successful completion of Task #001.
1) Massive System Points (Quantified Growth Currency)
Reward Value: +50,000 System Points
Function:
Points serve as the core currency for upgrading Anthony’s abilities, business assets, and system tools.
Can be spent on:
Skill enhancement (negotiation, analytics, leadership perception)
Instant resource acquisition (data access, market intelligence, talent recruitment)
Emergency overrides during critical situations Effect After Release:
Your overall capability ceiling increases immediately, allowing you to operate at a higher strategic level than competing executives.
2) Corporate Influence Boost (Reputation & Authority Amplifier)
Reward Tier: +1 Major Influence Rank
Function:
Expands your recognized authority within elite business circles.
Increases success probability in:
Negotiations
Partnerships
Investor trust
Causes subtle psychological pressure on competitors during engagements.
Effect After Release:
Your name begins to circulate within top-tier corporate networks, making future deals easier to initiate and harder to oppose.
3) Tier 2 System Privileges (Advanced System Access Unlock)
Unlock Condition: Immediate upon task completion New Capabilities Unlocked:
[Predictive Insight Module]:
Limited foresight into business outcomes, allowing you to identify winning strategies before execution.
[Talent Mapping Interface]:
Instantly evaluates individuals’ value, loyalty potential, and hidden capabilities.
[Resource Optimization Engine]:
Suggests the most efficient allocation of capital, manpower, and time for maximum returns.
[REWARD STATUS: PENDING]
[CONDITION: COMPLETE TASK WITHIN DEADLINE]
“…So even if I don’t go…”
His lips curved faintly.
“…I still have to go.”
Somewhere else—
Isabella gripped her steering wheel tightly, her eyes slightly red—but determined.
She didn’t know it yet.
But the same invisible force had already begun pulling the threads.
Not apart.
But closer.
Fate… had no intention of letting them walk separate paths.
And good morning.
@hartit. is it to your liking?