Chapter 163

A flicker of discomfort crossed Leonard’s face. He scratched his head, his voice dropping slightly. "It was just... an accident."

"An accident?" Suzy didn’t believe him for a second.

Even though she hadn’t seen it herself, Thomas’ description made it clear—the two of them had been

very

close. Far too close for something trivial.

Leonard let out a breath and fell silent for a few seconds, as if carefully organizing his thoughts.

"I was checking one of the offices," he began slowly. "She suddenly came in after me. I didn’t pay much attention at first—I thought she was just looking for supplies too. But then... she suddenly said she slipped and fell straight toward me."

Suzy frowned. "And then?"

"And then..." Leonard’s expression grew even more awkward. "I don’t know what happened. When I saw her like that, my mind just... went a little blank."

He paused, as if trying to grasp that strange, fleeting sensation again.

"It was a really weird feeling," he admitted, his fingers unconsciously rubbing against his knee.

He had known full well it was Wendy. He had known Suzy didn’t get along with her.

And yet, in that instant, he had still been drawn in—unable to stop himself.

There had been a voice in his head, persistent and intrusive:

Get closer. Hold her.

Even now, thinking back on it, Leonard found it unsettling.

It had felt... unnatural. As if something had been influencing him.

Suzy’s pupils contracted slightly.

Leonard continued, "By the time I snapped out of it, I was already holding her. She was extremely close—so close that... it looked exactly like what Thomas saw."

He was, in hindsight, incredibly relieved that Thomas had shown up at that exact moment.

If he hadn’t... they might really have crossed that line.

Just thinking about it made him shiver.

After finishing, Leonard looked up at Suzy, confusion and unease evident in his eyes.

"Suzy, I know this sounds ridiculous. But I really couldn’t control that moment. It felt like... something was affecting me."

It did sound like an excuse. But it also felt undeniably real.

Suzy took a moment to think about his words. She studied him closely, her mind racing.

She had used a loyalty card on Leonard—so logically, he shouldn’t be capable of betraying her. And he wasn’t the type to lose control over something like this.

But the way he described that feeling...

"So you’re saying," she said slowly, "that you felt an irresistible pull toward Wendy?"

Leonard hesitated, then nodded. "That’s one way to put it. But it’s not constant—it only happens when she gets close. Once she moves away, the feeling disappears."

Suzy’s heart sank.

A realization surfaced in her mind, sharp and unavoidable.

Wendy’s identity was the original plot’s female lead.

In that story... Wendy possessed a "universal charm" aura—one that could captivate nearly anyone.

Could it be... That this so-called charm had already begun to take effect?

The answer felt dangerously close.

Suzy’s fingers slowly curled into her palm.

She couldn’t help wondering—which was stronger: Wendy’s irresistible heroine aura, or the buffs granted by her own system?

Beside her, Thomas and Leonard stood quietly, saying nothing.

Leonard, however, kept glancing at her from time to time, clearly worried she might be upset with him.

Truth be told... even he felt guilty.

"I understand now," Suzy finally said.

Leonard’s eyes locked onto her, his heart still hanging in suspense. "Suzy, you’re not mad at me, are you? I promise—this won’t happen again!"

As he spoke, he raised a hand, swearing earnestly.

There absolutely would not be a next time. He truly had no such feelings for Wendy.

"I’m not mad," Suzy said. "Don’t worry."

She wasn’t angry, just somewhat uneasy.

What if Wendy’s so-called heroine aura really was unstoppable?

If it overpowered her system buffs and ended up charming Leonard, Thomas... even Derek—no, even someone like Leonard again or others around her... Just the thought made her chest tighten.

She admitted it—she was petty. She couldn’t accept something like that.

"Uncle, if you want to find yourself a wife, I have no objections," Suzy said seriously. "But it absolutely cannot be Wendy."

"...God, no." Leonard’s lips twitched. "I have absolutely no such intention."

He seemed even more disturbed by the idea than she was, hurriedly clarifying.

After a while, they finally moved past the topic.

"Right—take a look at this room. There’s more to it than meets the eye."

Shifting the conversation, Leonard’s mood lifted as he began introducing the room he had found.

He walked over to a cabinet and gave it a light push.

It swung open.

"There’s a bedroom inside," he said. "Though... it’s still not quite as good as mine."

The three of them stepped in.

It was surprisingly spacious. In the center stood a two-meter-wide bed. There was a private bathroom and even a walk-in closet.

"Suzy, you take this room tonight. Thomas and I will stay outside."

He gave her the most comfortable space without hesitation.

Thomas had no objections.

"Alright," Suzy agreed easily.

The two men looked around briefly before stepping out.

Now, she was alone in the bedroom.

She sat on the wide bed, testing it. It was incredibly soft and comfortable.

She checked the bathroom next—unfortunately, the toilet seemed to be out of order.

Leaving the bathroom, she wandered into the walk-in closet.

At first, she was just passing time, taking a casual look around.

But then she struck unexpected luck.

Besides clothes, there were quite a few accessories stored in a central display cabinet.

A single glance told her they were genuine. Not extremely valuable, perhaps—but still worth taking.

Every little bit counted.

Without hesitation, she stored them all in her space. Then, inside the wardrobe, she discovered a safe.

She didn’t know what was inside. Forcing it open would take effort, so she simply stored the entire safe in her space as well.

Once inside, the system scan revealed its contents—cash, gold bars, and even several pieces of valuable jewelry.

The unexpected find lifted her mood considerably.

After finishing her search of the bedroom, Suzy returned to the main lounge.

Leonard stood by the window. Thomas sat on the sofa.

Both of them looked up at the same time when she appeared.