The System Patched the Bug, Sending Me Home and Leaving Him in Ruin Chapter 05

The System Patched the Bug, Sending Me Home and Leaving Him in Ruin Chapter 05

The car tore down the empty highway at breakneck speed.

The binding cord had chafed my flesh open, leaving me drenched in blood. The last squad car fell far behind, swallowed up by the pouring downpour.

The kidnapper let out two icy sneers. “Quit holding out hope. Those cops ain’t gonna ride to your rescue.”

“What do you mean?”

He turned on the radio and hummed a tune under his breath. A news segment came on—an interview with Renee Lane.

She rambled incoherently, acting as if she’d had a total nervous breakdown from shock.

“The kidnappers said their rendezvous point was South Haven,” she claimed frantically.

“Please, you have to save her.”

But we were heading straight for North Haven.

Soon, all available units would be rerouted south.

The kidnapper drove me to a dilapidated rural cabin deep in the backwoods. He pulled out a knife.

“Ms. Lane is leagues more beautiful than you’ll ever be. I never understood what Mr. Carter saw in you.”

Even I could tell by now—he and Renee were in on this together.

I dodged his blade.

“Please. Just let me make one phone call.”

The kidnapper sneered.

“Who’re you gonna dial up, your field sergeant? In your wildest dreams.”

“Finn Carter.”

The moment I said his name, the kidnapper laughed. He kicked me hard.

“Officer Hale, are you really such a love-struck fool? You think you actually mean something to Finn Carter?”

He fisted a handful of my hair and shoved my phone against my face.

“Suit yourself, then. Let’s see how this goes.”

It rang a few times. Finn hung up.

The kidnapper grinned and called again. Finn rejected it again. He seemed to be enjoying himself, watching my face as he dialed and hung up over and over, hunting for any flicker of despair on my face.

But I didn’t give him the satisfaction.

Burning with humiliation and rage, he drove the knife into my lower back. A sharp, blinding pain shot through me, and I let out a muffled groan.

He leaned close to my ear, breathing gleefully against my neck, thoroughly sadistic.

Wanna play a little game? Spill your location to Finn. If he can’t make it here in thirty minutes flat, you’re gonna bleed out slow.

Warm blood seeped down my back, soaking through my uniform.

The next time, the call finally connected.

Finn’s voice was cold.

“What?”

My teeth chattered from the pain.

“He’s in North Haven—”

“Who?”

“It’s the suspect—he abducted me, I’m trapped here with him right now.”

A pause. Then Finn spoke, his voice sharp.

“Chloe, do you think this game is amusing?”

I coughed up blood, barely able to get the words out.

“Finn—”

“Enough.”

His tone was cutting, sharper than I’d ever heard from him.

“Let me make something clear. Renee is my absolute bottom line. Don’t stage a crisis to test my loyalty. If you’re jealous, stay put in North Haven. I never asked you to lay your life on the line for her.”

Another stab. Another surge of pain.

“It hurts,” I sobbed into the phone, clutching the phone like my only lifeline..

“Finn, please—will you marry me? Come find me, please?”

A long silence. Then his voice came through, cold and final.

“Renee’s pregnant now. Every word I said to you earlier is completely revoked.”

[Ding! Mission objective complete: One hundred rejections from the male lead accumulated.]

[Congratulations, Host. Mission complete.]

[Calculating rewards…]

[Rewards calculated.]

[Base mission reward: $80,000,000. Severe injury compensation: $30,000,000. Total settlement: $110,000,000. Special bonus trait unlocked: Officer’s Intuition. Countdown: 3 seconds until world exit. Welcome back to your original reality. Enjoy your life.]

The darkness faded. I was standing in bright sunlight, holding a bouquet of flowers.

Summer light filtered through the sycamore trees, scattering golden specks across the ground.

I remembered this day—the summer I graduated from the police academy.

A senior I’d had a crush on had come to my ceremony.

A hand reached out to me. Its owner stood in uniform, smiling warmly.

“I heard you helped your instructors solve several big cases. Would you mind if I got to know you a little better?”