"Mr. Gilbert makes an excellent point."
"If this is truly a matter of life and death, we shouldn't waste another second."
"But shares alone?" I tilted my head. "That hardly seems enough. If this is a conquest mission, the System must value sincerity above all else."
Orson's eyes lit up. "Renata, what do you suggest?"
I let the words drop slowly, deliberately. "Why not remove me entirely? Make Miss Pruitt co-CEO. That way, the System will register a massive leap in her capture progress—might even clear the stage right there."
The conference room went deathly still.
The smile on Orson's face froze mid-curve.
"Renata, cut the passive-aggressive nonsense. The shares are just to tide things over. The CEO position stays untouched."
"You've already agreed, haven't you?" I slid the document toward myself. "Then sign."
The papers glided across the table and stopped in front of me.
I picked up the pen. No hesitation. My signature flowed onto the page.
[Strip Progress: 15%]
The System's voice echoed in my mind.
[Detected: Host has voluntarily severed financial ties with the male lead. Strip acceleration initiated.]
Orson watched me sign and exhaled, visibly relieved.