Deep down, she had suspected it for a while, but she had never dared to fully piece it together.

Timothy shared the same in-game moniker as Orion, just on a different server, which had muddied the waters.

But with Michel flat-out confirming that Orion was King, there was no more room for doubt.

The legendary player who had taught her the deadly twelve-hit combo in her past life was Orion.

The mysterious benefactor who had wired her a massive sum when she was utterly destitute, giving her a desperate second chance at survival, was also him.

But that entire lifetime of misery had stemmed from the day her parents were slaughtered.

And he had known the truth the entire time, yet he had stood by in agonizing silence.

A heavy, suffocating weight settled on her chest. She remained silent for a long time.

The truth was, she didn't know how to look at him anymore. Running away was the only way she knew how to cope.

Reading the devastation on her face, Michel spoke gently. "Lemira, I didn't hide it to mess with you. I swore I wouldn't tell a soul. I even had to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement."

"Then why are you spilling it now?"

"I figured, given how serious things are between the two of you, you had the right to know."

Her voice was devoid of emotion. "We're broken up. We have no relationship."

Michel hesitated before pushing on. "Look, back in the day, gaming meant the world to him. It was his only outlet. He was groomed to be the heir from the second he could walk. His whole life was studying and corporate training. He didn't get to be a kid."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Just hear me out. Treat it like a story. The game was his only escape. It was the only time he wasn't just 'the heir.' But then he went down to Lyria for a tournament, and there was an accident. After that, he quit the scene entirely."

Lemira's eyes snapped up. "That accident was my parents' crash, wasn't it?"

"Yeah. Because of who he was, his family wiped his presence from the scene entirely. Nobody knew the 'accident' was actually a hit orchestrated by the Sinclair family."

A cynical smirk crossed Lemira's face. "You didn't come here to recruit me. You came here to play peacemaker."

"Lemira, I'm just trying to tell you that he isn't the monster you think he is. The Sinclairs played him just as much as they played everyone else."

She didn't want to hear it.

She spun her chair away. "Get out."

Michel lingered, struggling to find the right words. "In all the years I've known him, you're the only person I've ever seen him care about this much."

"He cares because he's drowning in guilt. Because he wanted to buy my silence so I wouldn't come after the Everharts His care is a traps can't afford the price."

She glared at Michel and pointed sharply at the door. "Leave."

Her hand trembled violently as she dropped it to her lap. Her chest was completely tied in knots.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Michel turned and walked out.

As he exited, he spotted Timothy lingering in the hallway, but merely walked past without a word.

Timothy looked entirely shell-shocked. Orion Everhart was actually King?

The god of the gaming world—the idol he had worshipped for years was the same guy he had just tried to physically challenge for a girl.

Shaking it off, Timothy stepped into the office. "Are you okay after last night? Do you want to call the police? The whole team can testify for you."

Despite his shock, his fierce loyalty shone through.

Lemira looked up, her eyes rimmed with red. "It's fine. Don't worry about it."

A flash of bitter disappointment

crossed Timothy's face. Why wouldn't she go to the cops? Was she still too attached to the

billionaire to ruin his life?

But he didn't have the right to demand answers, and he certainly didn't have the power to protect her.

Burying his frustration, he offered a supportive smile. "We're your friends. If you need anything, just say the word."

Lemira pulled a stack of signed documents from her desk. "Once you sign these the Captain title is officially yours. Keep pushing Timothy. Make sure you snag that spot on the national team

She slid the folder across the desk and grabbed her bag to leave.