NOVEL NEXT Chapter 2: The Rooftop Bar
Chapter 2 – Rooftop Bar
[Location: Hantian Hotel – Rooftop, Late Evening]
The rooftop bar was quiet at this hour, the soft murmur of conversations drifting beneath warm pools of golden light. Lilly Li stepped out into the open-air lounge, the cool breeze tugging faintly at the hem of her dress.
The -100 still floated crimson over Rocky's name in the corner of her vision, a silent reminder of the suite she had just walked out of.
It didn't bother her.
What did was the +85 that hovered over Anna Feng.
Lilly made her way to the far side of the bar, settling into a leather-bound stool by the balcony. Below, the city stretched out in shimmering waves, Hong Kong's skyline cutting against the dark horizon.
I know how this story goes.
In the original game, this was where Lilly lost the first round. After filing for divorce, her obsession grew—endless confrontations with Anna, public meltdowns that chipped away at her reputation until she was reduced to nothing more than a bitter ex-wife.
Anna's meter steadily rose while Rocky's affection for Lilly plummeted. The result was inevitable.
Tonight, Lilly had rewritten that.
Calm. Decisive. Unbothered.
She wasn't here to play the villainess.
A small notification flickered faintly at the edge of her vision.
[System Alert: Character Meters Updating…]
Rocky Chan: -100 (Hatred) Anna Feng: +87 (Like)
Lilly's grip tightened around the base of her glass.
Of course.
Anna's affection rose simply because Lilly hadn't given her the satisfaction of a scene.
"Would you like another?"
The bartender's voice drew her attention back to the present. Lilly glanced at her half-empty glass of champagne. "No," she replied smoothly, sliding it away. "Something stronger."
As the bartender turned to prepare the drink, another figure settled into the stool beside her.
She noticed him first by the faint scent of cologne—smoky, rich, and distinct. Then, by the way he moved, casual but deliberate, like he belonged in every room he walked into.
Victor Zhou.
Lilly's gaze flicked to the soft blue hovering above his head.
[Victor Zhou: +35 (Neutral)]
It was the first name she had seen tonight without red attached to it.
"I didn't expect to see you here," Victor remarked, leaning one arm against the bar as he glanced at her.
Lilly smiled faintly, but it didn't reach her eyes. "I could say the same about you."
Victor's meter didn't shift. If anything, it seemed comfortably fixed in place.
He watched her for a long moment, his gaze sharp but unreadable. The soft glow of the lights caught against the faint edge of a tattoo peeking from beneath the rolled cuff of his sleeve, but Lilly didn't stare long enough to make it obvious.
"Trouble in paradise?" Victor asked, though there was no real curiosity behind the words.
Lilly turned back to the skyline. "I wouldn't call it paradise."
Victor chuckled under his breath, lifting his glass. "Rocky never understood subtlety."
[-2]
Lilly's gaze flickered slightly at the soft red drop beside Rocky's name.
Even mentioning him triggered a decline.
She could work with that.
"And you do?" Lilly countered smoothly, her eyes narrowing faintly.
Victor tilted his head, but there was something knowing behind his gaze—like he was watching her far more closely than she realized. "I've made a habit of it."
His meter flickered slightly.
[+3]
Interesting.
Lilly let the conversation lull, the soft hum of the city filling the space between them. The bartender returned with her drink, placing it carefully on the counter.
"On him," the bartender added, nodding toward Victor.
Lilly didn't blink, but she felt Victor's eyes on her, waiting to see if she would reject the gesture.
She didn't.
[+5]
"It's just a drink," Victor remarked lightly, as if sensing the quiet calculation behind her decision.
Lilly swirled the amber liquid in the glass, watching as the ice slowly melted along the edges. "I didn't say thank you."
Victor smirked. "You didn't have to."
His confidence was dangerous—not because it was arrogant, but because it felt effortless.
In the game's original script, Victor wasn't introduced until Act 3—by then, Lilly had spiraled too far down the villainess route for his attention to shift the story. He existed in the background, untouchable unless the player specifically unlocked the hidden path.
That path was never one Lilly had explored.
Yet here he was, seated beside her long before his character was supposed to appear.
"Tell me something, Mr. Zhou," Lilly said, tilting her head slightly. "Do you make a habit of buying drinks for married women?"
Victor's smirk didn't waver. "I make exceptions for women who clearly don't intend to stay married."
Lilly laughed softly, though there was no real humor behind it.
[+7]
Her eyes flickered toward his meter again.
Still blue. Neutral.
Victor was interested, but not invested.
Yet.
As Lilly raised the glass to her lips, her gaze lingered on the skyline beyond.
She wasn't playing for Rocky's attention anymore.
Let Anna keep him.
If the goal was survival, then there were better pieces on the board.
And Victor Zhou?
He was the most dangerous one of them all.