“Say hi to Avery Lee, an editor on the edge of burnout. Stuck in a high-pressure job with a tough boss, Mr. Choi, she's barely hanging on. But what she doesn’t know—everything’s about to change.”

 Avery Lee, small frame, dark hair, and pale skin, typed away like mad on her laptop. Her eyes were bloodshot, exhaustion written all over her face. The office lights buzzed above, cold and harsh, while rain slammed against the windows, matching the storm inside her. Take out boxes, empty cups, and crumpled papers were scattered across her desk—proof of all the all-nighters she’d been pulling.

A message appeared on her phone screen: "The deadline is 9 pm tonight. Please ensure the editing work is completed before you leave."

Mr. Choi. Of course. Her manager, the type who wanted nothing but blood, sweat, and perfection. His cold stare and sharp words could make even the toughest writer quake. Avery sighed, the sound swallowed by the endless clatter of her keyboard. "Just finish this, Avery," she whispered, eyes growing blurry. " Just finish..."

The air in the office was thick with the scent of stale coffee and desperation. Avery, a dedicated editor at a renowned publishing house, had been pushing herself to the brink. The recent management takeover had brought with it a wave of new pressures, and Mr. Choi, the new head of the editing team, was a force to be reckoned with. His demands were relentless, his expectations impossibly high.

She rubbed her aching temples, the throbbing pulse a constant reminder of the hours she'd been pouring into this project. The manuscript, a fantasy romance novel, lay open on her desk, a sea of red ink marking her corrections. Every sentence, “Mr. Choi. Of course. Her boss, the type who wanted nothing but blood, sweat, and perfection. His cold stare and sharp words could make even the toughest writer quake. Avery sighed, the sound swallowed by the endless clatter of her keyboard. ‘Just finish this, Avery,’ she whispered, eyes growing blurry. ‘Just finish...’”every word, scrutinized and dissected under the unforgiving glare of Mr. Choi's impossible standards.

Suddenly, a wave of dizziness washed over her. The world tilted, the keyboard blurring into an indistinguishable mass. A sharp pain pierced her temples, and then… nothing.

Avery awoke with a gasp, disoriented and confused. She found herself in an unfamiliar room, sunlight streaming through the windows. Panic clawed at her throat. Where was she? The last thing she remembered was the pounding rain, the throbbing headache, and then… darkness.

She blinked, trying to orient herself. The room was vast, opulent, with silk curtains pooling on the floor and furniture that seemed to whisper tales of forgotten wealth. A massive four-poster bed dominated the room, draped in a canopy of shimmering silk. This was no ordinary room.

"Madam, wake up," a voice startled her.

Avery turned to see a man standing by the bed, his face etched with concern. He had the physique of a soldier, his features sharp and alert. "Eric Chua, bodyguard," he introduced himself.

Avery, still groggy, could only stare at him. "So handsome," she murmured involuntarily.

Eric Chua's eyebrows shot up. "Madam, please behave yourself." He cleared his throat. "Mr. Tan is in the villa's dining room."

Eric left the room, leaving Avery alone with her bewilderment. "What? Who is Mr. Tan?" she mumbled to herself, sitting up slowly.

She looked around the room, taking in the luxurious surroundings. "Wasn't I working overtime in my office?" she whispered, her voice trembling." This place… Where am I?"

A sudden, disembodied voice echoed through the opulent room, startling Avery out of her skin. "Welcome, Avery Lee, to the fictional world of The Price of Passion."

Avery whirled around, searching for the source of the voice. "The Price of Passion?" she echoed, bewildered. Wasn't that the very book she'd been editing just moments ago? A shiver ran down her spine. "The supporting female character even has the same name as me," she thought, a strange sense of foreboding settling in her stomach.

"Since you fainted suddenly in real life and became comatose," the voice continued, "you are currently inhabiting the body of the supporting female character. As long as you complete a mission, you can return to the real world."

"A mission?" Avery's voice trembled slightly.

"Yes," the voice replied. "You must make the male lead, Jaxon Tan, fall in love with you completely."

Avery stared at the empty space, processing this bizarre information. "This… this isn't a dream, right?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"No, it's not a dream," the voice assured her. "By the way, I am Abby, the novel system assigned to guide you."

A beat of silence followed. "Today is your wedding anniversary," Abby continued. "Unfortunately, the male lead, Jaxon Tan, is currently celebrating the birthday of his first love, who's abroad."

Avery's initial shock began to morph into something else. A sly smile played on her lips. "So, you're saying that as long as Jaxon Tan falls in love with me, I can go back to my real world? Back to a salary of three thousand dollars a month, a tiny flat, and a boss who drives me crazy?"

"Erm, yes, that's correct," Abby stammered, a hint of uncertainty creeping into her voice.

Avery's smile widened. "But if he doesn't fall in love with me," she mused, her eyes gleaming with a newfound glint, "I get to stay here, right?"

"Well, yes," Abby confirmed hesitantly.

"And I have access to all the money I want," Avery continued, her voice laced with excitement. "Millions of it, at my fingertips! Every day, without lifting a finger!"

A mischievous glint lit up her eyes. "Plus, I can have my pick of men," she added, counting on her fingers. "A cold villain, a bodyguard who makes me feel safe, and even a clingy superstar who's younger than I! And let's not forget the alimony if Ms. Milly, this first love of Jaxon's, comes back and snatches him away."

Avery threw her head back and laughed, a sound that echoed eerily in the vast room. "This is perfect! The rat race is finally over!"

A flicker of concern crossed Abby's voice. "But this life is… well, it's not real, you know?"

Avery waved her dismissively. "No, no, no," she scoffed. "You don't understand. Life is like a dream anyway. My life of luxury starts now!"

With a newfound determination, Avery skipped out of the room, a stark contrast to the timid character she was supposed to embody. The opulent surroundings no longer filled her with fear, but with a sense of giddy anticipation.

The opulent dining room buzzed with conversation and laughter. A feast fit for royalty lay spread across the mahogany table, gleaming silver cutlery glinting under the soft glow of crystal chandeliers. Avery, her heart pounding with a mix of excitement and apprehension, pushed open the double doors and stepped inside.

Her eyes scanned the room, taking in the group of people gathered around the table. There was Eric Chua, the bodyguard, radiating an aura of quiet strength. Beside him sat Blake Orion, the superstar, his youthful good looks accentuated by a trendy outfit. A woman, presumably Jaxon's younger sister, Celeste, sat across from them, her features twisted in a look of disdain.

But the two men at the head of the table held Avery's attention. One, sporting a pair of spectacles, exuded a studious air. The other, with a sharp jawline and a Stoic expression, possessed an undeniable charisma.

"Oh, my! Oh, wow!" Avery exclaimed, unable to contain her excitement. "They are all so good-looking!"

Abby, the ever-present voice in her head, chimed in, "The one on the far right is Eric Chua, the bodyguard. The one beside him is Blake Orion, the superstar of Nova Entertainment."

Avery's eyes darted to the woman beside Blake. "But… Could she be Milly?" she thought, a flicker of doubt creeping in.

"No, silly," Abby reassured her. "Milly's still abroad. Remember?"

Taking a deep breath, Avery decided to make her entrance. With a confident stride, she approached the table, her eyes flitting between the two men.

"Honey," she chirped, leaning down and planting a quick peck on the cheek of the bespectacled man.

The room erupted in chaos. The man choked on his drink, his face contorting in surprise. Eric Chua's eyes widened in disbelief. Celeste's disdain morphed into disgust. Blake, caught off guard, sprayed his drink across the table. The remaining man, his face hardening with anger, slammed his fist on the table.

"Who are you calling honey?" he growled, grabbing Avery's arm with a force that sent a jolt of pain through her.

Avery's heart lurched. Looking at the man holding her arm, a wave of panic washed over her. "Oh no," she thought, her initial excitement evaporating.

Pushing Jaxon's hand away, she stammered, "Who did I call honey?"

A tense silence filled the room, broken only by the clinking of silverware that had fallen to the floor.

"Today is our wedding anniversary," Avery finally managed, her voice barely a whisper.

Jaxon, the man holding her arm, raised an eyebrow. "So, what?" he replied, his tone cold and indifferent.

"You weren't home yet, so I was worried about you," Avery continued, her voice trembling slightly. She reached out, tentatively touching his hand. "Is everything alright?"

Celeste, unable to contain herself any longer, scoffed. "Big brother," she interjected, "she must be here to check up on you. She knows it well that today is Milly's birthday, but she's here to give you a hard time."

Jaxon's grip on Avery's arm tightened. He tilted her chin up, his eyes boring into hers. "Who do you think you are?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous. "Our marriage is just a contract," he said. "I married you out of filial piety" "Don't take it too seriously."

He flung her hand away, the force sending a stinging pain through her wrist. Tears welled up in Avery's eyes, a mixture of humiliation and anger burning in her chest.

"Listen to his harsh words," she thought, tears blurring her vision.

Wiping her tears away, she straightened her back and met his gaze. "Yes, I know our marriage is a contract," she said, her voice surprisingly steady. "But before it ends, I am still your wife. It's our wedding anniversary, is it wrong for me to spend time with you?"

Celeste let out a derisive snort. "You're just taking advantage of my brother by marrying him. So stop playing innocent."