LOL The Villain's Mom in the Reality Show

"Cecilia Laine, I'll remember every lash you gave me. When I grow up, I'll pay you back a hundred times over." Late night at the Hawk House. The lights blazed in the luxurious second-floor children's room. A young, childish voice, each word distinct, echoed from the corner. The tone was soft, yet heavy with resonance. Every syllable dripped with hatred. Kneeling in the corner was a small, frail figure. The little boy possessed a delicate, pale face, marked by a cinnabar mole on his forehead, vivid as blood. His skin was almost translucent, making the red mole appear strikingly alluring. A captivating coolness emanated from his dark eyes and brows. His exquisitely sculpted features resembled a doll in a display window. Under the boy's plaid shirt collar, several scars crisscrossed his skin. He delivered the icy words, his gaze fixed on Cecilia Laine as if he were looking at something lifeless. Wow, Cecilia mused, that kind of look on a child's face… inspires genuine terror. As expected of the novel's main villain—remarkable even from a young age! Cecilia Laine was a top agent from the Transmigration Bureau. This was her final mission. She approached this assignment with great seriousness, as it was her last project before retirement. ...Although the damn system had tricked her. More on that later. "Hiss." A sharp pain shot through Cecilia's head. Fragmented memories flooded her mind like a tidal wave—the life story of the original host. Cecilia Laine was 'She.' She was a famous actress, known more for her looks than her talent. Cecilia had a different dream than her peers. While they chased ambition, she just wanted to marry into real wealth. Opportunity soon knocked. With a smile that could win over anyone, Cecilia slipped into a fancy dinner party in the capital. There, she met the tycoon Jason Hawk. A year later, she secretly gave birth to a boy, hiding it from everyone. Three months after that, she became the envied wife of a wealthy magnate. The tycoon was rich, handsome, and rarely came home. He made regular deposits into her account. He also visited the child sometimes, but he never stayed. Even when he did visit, conversations with Cecilia rarely exceeded a single sentence. He certainly never spent the night. Jason Hawk was a rising star in business. He was always around beautiful women. Gossip magazines were filled with rumors about his affairs. Her mother-in-law, Serena Hawk, disliked Cecilia. Cecilia had a typical background. She relied on her looks but fell far short of being Serena’s ideal daughter-in-law. Her annoying stepsister, Alice, added to the pressure. She boasted about bringing her stepson on the second season of the hit reality show, Almost Trio. Under mounting stress, the original Cecilia finally snapped. She would burst into tears without warning, fly into rages, throw things. Her complexion worsened, and her hair fell out in clumps. As everyone knows, stress doesn't disappear; it merely transfers to others. Ethan Hawk, just five years old, was his mother’s only outlet for frustration in the big, cold villa. "...Damn." Cecilia wiped a trickle of drool from her lips, envy clear in her voice. A rich husband who never comes home? That's the dream for countless women. Unfortunately, the original owner didn't appreciate it. Instead, she courted disaster by abusing her son. Her stepsister 'accidentally' exposed this a***e during the live broadcast of Almost Trio. Hundreds of millions across the nation saw the scars covering young Ethan's body. The topic exploded on Twitter/X, with non-stop reports about Cecilia's a***e case. The police got involved. Ultimately, the court convicted Cecilia of child a***e. After years in prison, she dealt with retaliation from Jason Hawk. Then, her now-adult son, who was bitter, committed her to a psychiatric hospital. A profoundly miserable end. The perpetrator was gone, but the psychological trauma she inflicted on Ethan Hawk scarred him for life. Right now, Ethan was only five, kindergarten age. When hit, Ethan didn't cry or beg for mercy. Despite his injuries, beneath his long, thick lashes, his calm, dark eyes held only cold indifference and contempt for his mother. How could the original owner, already mentally unstable, not be further enraged by this? Even a small child dared to defy her, to oppose her! Cecilia sighed and stepped forward. Ethan's eyes flashed with alarm. He instinctively backed away, but his back hit the cold wall. Nowhere to run. Ethan squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for the expected pain. Only then did Cecilia notice the designer women's leather belt clutched tightly in her hand – barely a finger-width wide. Thinner belts inflict sharper pain. Especially on such a young child with tender skin, a strike could be devastating. Cecilia cleared her throat softly, hiding the 'evidence' left by the original owner behind her back. "If I said it wasn't me who hit you just now, would you believe it?" Ethan's eyelashes fluttered. He slowly opened his eyes, a bone-chilling coldness in his gaze. His expression screamed one thing: Like hell I would. Cecilia raised a finger, her face earnest. "I swear to you, I will never hit you again." Ethan continued to stare warily. "But you're holding up your middle finger," he stated coldly. Cecilia: ... Ethan had never seen anyone swear like that. He became even more convinced Cecilia was playing tricks. "Alright then." If the soft approach didn't work, she'd have to be firm. Cecilia strode forward, scooped up the small boy, and headed towards his room. "It's very late. Time for bed." Let's just forget what happened earlier. "But first, let me see your injuries." Cecilia’s embrace was warm and carried a faint, pleasant floral scent. Ethan intensely resisted her touch, but overwhelmed by her strength, he was carried into the room nonetheless. Holding her breath, Cecilia moved carefully. Beneath the plaid shirt, several bright red welts crisscrossed his small torso, starkly visible. The small boy's back was tense, like a fully drawn bow. He was terrified. Without a word, Cecilia applied some ointment. Thankfully, there were only surface wounds, no broken skin or bleeding. They will likely fade in a few days. Finished, she checked Ethan again for any other marks. The result was satisfactory; things weren't that bad yet. Cecilia gently placed Ethan down, tucked him into bed, turned off the light, and left. In the darkness, Ethan trembled violently, clutching the corner of the blanket. His wide, red-rimmed eyes stared unblinkingly at the door, as if fearing the return of that raging demon at any moment. Following the original owner's memories, Cecilia returned to her room, closed the door, and her expression instantly turned frigid. She furiously shadow-boxed the air with 'cat paws', roaring menacingly, "Damn System! Wasting my youth! Get out here and face your doom!" "Where's the retirement world you promised? The yacht? The beach? The eight-pack abs and bikini babes?!" All! Gone! Cecilia stood frozen, two streams of tears slowly tracing paths down her cheeks. "System, all these years of affection and time… ultimately misplaced." Cecilia couldn't fathom that the System she'd partnered with for so long would deceive her. "Host, as a top agent of the Transmigration Bureau, retreating in the face of difficulty is not your style." The System, no longer daring to play dead, spoke in a forced, calm electronic voice, though a slight tremor betrayed its fear. Everyone knew how formidable Cecilia was. But the System was desperate. This current mission world has been collectively deemed 'impossible to conquer' by Bureau agents. If no one could complete this mission, its annual performance review would be a disaster. "Host, only someone as fierce—I mean, as beautiful and kind-hearted as you—can possibly tame the major villain, Ethan Hawk. "Heh, heh." The System ended with a fawning chuckle. No matter how beautiful or gentle the previous agents were, none could reach Ethan Hawk's heart. Countless agents had not only failed but had even developed terrifying thoughts of early retirement. The villain, Ethan Hawk, was that formidable! Forget it, forget it. After a long pause, Cecilia shook her head and sighed. "Well, I'm already here..." System: "Exactly! You're already here!" Since I'm here, what else can I do? "System, brief me on the world's plot." "Right away! The mission world you've entered is designated M8434. "Your main task is to reform the future arch-villain, your biological son, Ethan Hawk, and completely change his tragic fate." Based on the System's comprehensive assessment, there are two viable approaches to winning over Ethan Hawk. First, rely on your own experience and intuition. Second, fulfill Ethan Hawk's wishes one by one to achieve ultimate reformation." Cecilia was curious. "Ethan Hawk's wishes? What are they?" Going to an amusement park? Buying lots of toys? Or for his mother to stop hitting him? System: "He wants to see his father every day." Cecilia paused, perhaps thinking of something, and took a strategic sip of water. "... Wait, was the original owner really that reckless? She dared to d**g Jason Hawk? Wasn't she afraid of retaliation?" "In Jason Hawk's eyes, you're practically air! He doesn't care about women; he only cares about his son! The son who carries his blood!" The System roared for a moment before calming down. "Recently, your mother-in-law has been busy arranging potential partners for your husband. I've got to say, he's really in demand. Lots of women are lining up to be your son’s stepmother—socialites, heiresses, girls-next-door..." The System tried to motivate Cecilia, add some pressure. But Cecilia remained calm. "Oh. Well, if things go well, my husband will have a new wife soon." She blinked her beautiful eyes, long lashes fluttering, concerned only about one thing. "Will he still send me money?" Her expression was utterly sincere. "As long as he still pays me, I'll personally attend to his new wife when she gives birth, no problem." "Yeah, right... [Expletive deleted]" the System replied coldly, using language unfit for broadcast. Whoa, this System has issues; it can actually curse. Cecilia rubbed her chin, thinking seriously. "Well, if the price is right, it's not entirely out of the question."