The Villain Who Stole Hearts

The entire room suddenly fell silent.

What a show!

As expected, Kai's brain really worked differently from most people.

While everyone else used their hands, he went straight in with his mouth!

The technicians nearby burst into laughter, their giggles filling the room. The atmosphere in the private lounge instantly shifted—livelier, more relaxed, cheerful even.

The thirteen bodyguards all turned to Kai and gave him a thumbs-up, grinning from ear to ear.

"Holy shit!"

Kai's face changed as he panicked internally. This is bad!

He quickly slapped a hand over his mouth, wishing he could slap himself into the next life.

He knew what the young master was trying to do—yet he still let his expression betray him. Now, his little stunt had been completely exposed!

Veil, who had noticed Kai's sudden panic and swift move to shut his mouth, kept his face cold as he said,

"Knowing what you're doing and still doing it? That's even worse. I'm docking twenty thousand from your salary next month."

There was no way he'd let himself be embarrassed in front of these new recruits. He had to set a precedent—if he couldn't establish a role model, then he'd make an example.

Kai lowered his head immediately. "Young Master, I was wrong. I accept the punishment."

The thirteen bodyguards instantly picked up on the change in the atmosphere. The air seemed to thicken with tension, and their earlier laughter evaporated into nervous silence. Seeing Veil's serious expression, a chill ran through their hearts.

Even Kai—Veil's most trusted right-hand man—was punished without hesitation. If he could be penalized like that, then what would happen to them if they ever slipped up?

Not a single one of them dared to underestimate Veil again.

After a few moments of heavy silence, Veil finally spoke—calmly, indifferently:

"Go home."

He turned and walked out of the hotel without so much as a glance at the thirteen future bodyguards behind him.

That, in itself, was a psychological warning—he was not pleased with their performance tonight.

Kai, left to clean up, quickly arranged the group's evening entertainment before hurrying to escort Veil home.

On the way, Kai apologized repeatedly, pouring out his guilt in a steady stream.

But Veil merely waved him off and said casually,

"It was just for show. Don't take it too seriously. Those guys you found… even if you add them all together, they're still not as important to me as you are. Understand?"

Before, he had to establish dominance.

Now, it was time to solidify Kai's loyalty.

Two completely different stages, two entirely different approaches.

Kai's chest swelled with emotion. "Young Master, I understand. If any of them dares to betray you, I'll be the first to make them pay the price."

His voice trembled with sincerity, and the look in his eyes grew even more loyal than before.

"Mhm." Veil gave a soft reply.

Once they reached the villa, Veil sent Kai off to relax for the night, telling him to go enjoy himself at the club next door.

Sometimes, you couldn't push too hard.

Otherwise, he genuinely worried that Kai might end up… developing some strange feelings.

And that, Veil absolutely could not afford.

As Veil stepped through the dark cyan gate, the house, ever since Alice had moved in, had remained spotless—pristine windows, polished floors, not a single speck of dust in sight.

Even now, despite the change in their relationship, Alice still acted like a little housekeeper, busying herself with everything from dawn till dusk.

According to her, staying idle made her uncomfortable.

From the kitchen came the sound of rushing water. Alice stood at the sink, carefully washing dishes. Veil picked up a bowl from the counter and moved to the adjacent sink, starting to rinse it quietly.

Alice turned around, and the moment she saw him, she jumped in shock. Rushing over, she snatched the bowl from his hands, her voice laced with disbelief.

"Young Master? Why are you back so soon? Go take a rest! There's only a few dishes—I'll be done in no time. Don't touch them, you'll dirty your hands!"

But Veil didn't listen. He simply fished out a small dish from the water and continued cleaning as if he hadn't heard a word.

Since Alice was the only one home, there weren't many dishes—just a few from a modest dinner.

With a teasing smile, Veil said, "So I'm not allowed to touch them, but you are? You're allowed to care for me, but I'm not allowed to care for you?"

Alice let out a flustered squeal. Her cheeks instantly bloomed red, a soft heat creeping across her face.

Still as innocent as ever—her delight was written all over her face, even though she tried to mask it behind a faux scolding pout. "Don't say things like that, Young Master. This is what I'm supposed to do."

She stared at Veil, who refused to leave the kitchen, a hint of suspicion rising in her heart.

This wasn't like him. He usually never touched this kind of stuff. Why was he acting so differently tonight?

Tilting her head, she mumbled curiously, "You're acting kinda weird today… what are you thinking about?"

A soft warmth flickered in Veil's eyes. Without any context, he suddenly said with a smile, "The moon orbits the Earth day and night, always lingering nearby. But the Earth doesn't look back—it still circles the Sun, even if it means enduring the Sun's scorching heat. One day, the Sun asks, 'Earth, why do you follow me when the moon adores you so dearly? What are you thinking?'

And the Earth replies, 'Because I like the Sun.'"

Even if Alice were the slowest person alive, at this moment, she finally caught on. Her legs went weak, her voice trembled to a near whisper.

"Young Master… I… I'm still a little scared."

"Scared? Well… I guess I can hold back," Veil said, lowering his head with a sigh.

The disappointment on his face was a stark contrast to the warm smile he wore when he'd first entered the kitchen.

Alice felt her heart twist with guilt. She regretted her words almost instantly. After hesitating for a moment, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head on his chest.

"I… I'm not scared anymore…"

"Ah!"

Alice let out a startled yelp as Veil swept her off her feet, carrying her up the stairs without warning.

Bang!

The door slammed shut behind them with a firm kick.

Before anything even began, Veil suddenly paused, turned on his heel, and dashed out of the room toward the study. Moments later, he returned, holding a black-and-white maid outfit in his hands.

Bang!

The door slammed again.

A fresh, dry set of bedding was soon laid out.

And then, the world fell into silence.

A dreamless night passed.

—The next morning.

As the soft chime of the system rang in his ears, Veil basked in a moment of satisfaction.

Ding! Heroine Alice experienced intense emotional fluctuation. Congratulations to the Host for earning +500 Villain Points.

Ding! Heroine Alice's affection continues to rise. Congratulations to the Host for earning +1000 Villain Points.

Ding! Congratulations to the Host for earning +1000 Villain Points.

How satisfying.

Veil stretched with one hand, the other lazily draped over Alice's body.

Still drowsy, Alice stirred from his touch. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she snuggled closer, clutching his arm to her chest and resting her head on his bicep with a pouty expression.

Her little head kept sliding off, then stubbornly resting back again—clearly exhausted from the night before.

"Sleep a little more," Veil whispered softly, patting her gently on the head.

Alice mumbled an obedient "Mm," and shut her eyes again.

Veil didn't leave. He leaned back against the headboard and picked up a book, occasionally pulling his hand from under the covers to flip the page.

…

Around 9 AM, Jodie arrived at the villa and met with Veil in the tearoom.

Sitting down, she sipped her tea, her face dark with frustration.

It was obvious—Kosdy Murphy had pissed her off again.

She no longer held any position in the Murphy Group, but the years of business experience and investment insight hadn't left her.

She had planned to recover some of her rightful funds from the Murphy family to make future investments.

But when she approached Kosdy Murphy for the money, not only did she come back empty-handed—he even unleashed a storm of insults on her, practically yelling in her face.

"How could he do this? Is that illegitimate son of his really that precious? Julia and I can't even get a single cent from him?

Even if he doesn't want to give us the money, there's no need to drag my mother into this! Just because she didn't give birth to a son, everything she gave—her devotion, her sacrifice—means nothing now?"

Jodie kept muttering bitterly, venting all her frustrations.

Veil listened, a hint of amusement in his eyes.

Kosdy Murphy saving money for Damon?

Damon's already dead—killed by him, no less.

What's he gonna do? Burn the money for him in the afterlife?

Of course, Jodie didn't know that, and Veil had no intention of bringing it up.

Instead, he asked with interest, "Why do you need the money all of a sudden? Is the company running low on funds?"

Jodie rolled her eyes. "What, am I supposed to just freeload off the salary you're paying me and hold shares in your company for free? I'm not the type to take advantage of people. I want to invest some capital as my buy-in.

Besides, I've been eyeing a few sectors I believe will blow up in the coming years. Even though the company's fine for now, we'd still be underprepared if we wanted to get serious in those markets."

"How much do you need? I'll give it to you."

Jodie frowned, her tone doubtful. "You trust me that much? You're not afraid I'll take the money and run? There's nothing holding me here in Veyport City. I could take Julia and vanish without a trace."

Veil smiled warmly and shook his head. "I trust you. Whatever you want to do, go ahead and do it boldly. If you need money, I'll fund you. If you need people, I'll hire them."

Jodie was a business queen. That had already been proven in the original storyline.

Back then, the faltering Murphy Group had been single-handedly revitalized under her leadership. Through a series of strategic investments, the company didn't just stabilize—it soared to a valuation of hundreds of billions, becoming one of the top players in the country.

You know what that means?

It meant every investment idea in Jodie's mind right now was likely a future unicorn or an industry-defining powerhouse.

All she needed was capital. And once she got it, the returns would be tenfold, even a hundredfold.

How could Veil not support her?

After all, Jodie was one of the major heroines. Once she sided with someone, she gave her all—loyal, devoted, and unwavering. She might banter, but she'd never betray him.

Jodie looked at him, lips gently pursed, her eyes fixed on Veil's deep gaze.

Beyond the warmth she felt, an absurd thought suddenly surfaced in her mind.

When she asked her own father for the money rightfully hers, he responded with fury and insults.

But here, before Veil, she casually mentioned it—didn't even explain the logic behind her idea—and he trusted her, no questions asked?

Suddenly, she felt like Veil was more of a father to her than Kosdy Murphy.

That ridiculous thought made her cheeks burn red. She quickly shook her head and forced it away, raising her hand.

"Five hundred million. Just give me five hundred million for now."

In truth, when it came to investing, the more capital, the better. But because Veil trusted her so much, she didn't want to push him too far and just stated the minimum.

Veil thought for a moment. "Five hundred million, huh… I don't have that much liquid cash on hand right now."

Jodie smiled. "Then forget it. The beauty supplement line is already in production. Once it hits the market, it'll turn a profit soon enough. At most, we'll just miss out on some early momentum, but we'll still catch the wave."

"I only said I don't have it on hand—not that I can't get it." Veil chuckled bitterly. "I'll find a way."

He wasn't stupid. He knew that early investment was the most profitable stage. Wait too long, and the big players would already have scooped up the lion's share. What'd be left?

Crumbs?

He wasn't the kind of guy who liked to drink the leftover soup.

He picked up his phone, opened his contacts, and tapped on the one labeled Mom.

The call connected, and a gentle voice answered on the other end.

"Son? What's this rare occasion? Calling your mom out of the blue—missing me, aren't you? If you are, hurry back home. Don't stay in Veyport City anymore. Your grandfather talks about you all day, misses you terribly. He just won't say it out loud, too embarrassed to call you himself."

Veil didn't waste time with pleasantries.

He got straight to the point.

"I, Veil, need five hundred million."