The Glitch in His Heart: Obsession of the Billionaire Stand-in

After locking down the campus rebel, I let my true colors show. I went full high-maintenance. I banned him from skipping class to hit the gaming lounge.

He had to be at my beck and call, and he absolutely wasnt allowed to snap back at me. Despite all that, the progress bar hovering over his head kept climbing.

I swore he was obsessed with me.

Until Navi finally came back online a year later. I proudly showed off Declans maxed-out stats.

Navi stared at the glowing red numbers above his head, dead silent. Then, through gritted virtual teeth, Navi dropped the bomb.

[THATS HIS DAMN AGGRO METER!]

Chapter 1

"No way! Declan is obsessed with me!"

[IM NOT MALFUNCTIONING,] Navi said, his tone dripping with pity. [THATS HIS ANNOYANCE LEVEL. THE AFFECTION METER IS SUPPOSED TO BE PINK.]

I froze.

Navi sighed. [LOOK, THIS IS PARTLY ON ME. I WAS RUSHING THE INSTALL LAST YEAR AND ACCIDENTALLY LEFT THE AGGRO TRACKER ON YOUR HUD INSTEAD.]

"Can you pull up his affection stats now?" I demanded.

[MAIN SYSTEM IS DOWN,] Navi replied sheepishly. [BUT HONESTLY? WITH HIS ANNOYANCE THIS HIGH, HES DEFINITELY NOT SWOONING OVER YOU. SERIOUSLY, BRIAR, WHAT DID YOU EVEN DO TO PISS HIM OFF THIS MUCH?]

I swallowed hard, my mind racing through the past twelve months. To lock him down, I played the ultimate sweet, innocent angel.

The second he made it official, I dropped the act. I stopped pretending and started demanding. I hated his bleached silver hair, so I threw a fit until he dyed it pitch-black.

I banned the gaming lounge entirely. He had to shadow me at the campus library instead. If he showed even a hint of hesitation, Id unleash a full-blown meltdown. Crying, guilt-trippingthe whole nine yards.

One year. Thats how long it took to drag the untouchable, rule-breaking rebel into the role of a whipped, golden-retriever boyfriend.

And those numbers above his head just kept steadily climbing.

Now the truth slapped me in the face. His "love" was a total sham.

Declan's aggro meter had completely maxed out. He was probably kicking himself for ever agreeing to date me, counting down the days until he could finally dump his high-maintenance girlfriend.

Navi sounded utterly exhausted. [YOU NEED TO DIAL THE DRAMA WAY, WAY BACK. DECLAN ISNT SOME PUSHOVER. YOU HAVE TO STROKE HIS EGO, BACK OFF, AND DRAIN THAT AGGRO METER. MAKE HIM ACTUALLY FALL FOR YOU. GOT IT?]

Before I could even nod, Declans voice cut through the air right behind me. "Spacing out?"

I jolted.

Declan stood there, his jaw clenched as he shoved my textbooks into my backpack. When I didnt answer immediately, his icy glare snapped to my face. "What? Aren't you the one who demanded we go to the library?"

Right on cue, his phone buzzed. Declan answered it, and Ryders voice instantly blasted through the speaker. "Declan! We're queuing up for a raid tonight. You seriously bailing on us again?"

Declan ran a hand through his tamed, pitch-black hair, his expression darkening. "Can't. Taking my girlfriend to the library."

Ryder groaned dramatically over the line. "You've changed, man. The library? Seriously? The whole crew is gonna roast you for this."

Declan scoffed, his dark eyes dropping to meet mine. "If I don't go, who's gonna deal with her inevitable meltdown?" He pulled the phone away, his thumb hovering over the end-call button.

Reality snapped back into place. I practically lunged forward. "Wait"

Declan paused. He lowered the phone, releasing a heavy, exasperated sigh. "What's wrong now, Princess?"

I snatched my backpack from his grip. I took a slow breath, forcing the most genuine, considerate smile I could muster. "You don't need to drag yourself to the library. Go game with Ryder and the guys."

Declan froze. His fingers tightened around his phone. "You sure?"

"Totally," I said, keeping my voice light and breezy. "I'm meeting Peyton there anyway. We're grabbing dinner after, so I don't really need a babysitter tonight."

Declan's gaze narrowed. He searched my face, scanning my eyes for the trap. He lowered his voice, asking one more time, "I actually get to go then?"

Chapter 2

I nodded, plastering a bright smile across my face. "Yeah, go ahead!" His shoulders dropped in a heavy sigh of relief.

"We probably do need some space." He shoved his hands deep into his pockets. "Alright. Just text me when you girls finish dinner, and I'll come scoop you."

I offered another obedient nod.

Hours later, Peyton and I finished our sushi. I instinctively reached for my phone to call him. My thumb hovered over his contact name.

His raid definitely demanded his full attention by now. Calling him would only ruin his streak, spike his aggro meter, and make him resent me even more.

I shoved the device back into my purse. Peyton and I split an Uber back to campus instead.

Back at the apartment, I cranked the shower handle and stood under the scalding water.

The second I stepped into the hallway, Ivy yelled from the living room. "Briar! Your boyfriend is waiting for you downstairs. He looks really anxious."

My brow furrowed. Shouldn't he remain glued to his headset right now? Declan never hit the gaming lounge without pulling an all-nighter.

I snatched my phone off the bathroom counter. The screen lit up with a barrage of missed calls. My notifications looked chaotic.

*Pick up.*

*Why didn't you text me after dinner?*

*Where are you? Who drove you? What are you doing?*

*You seriously ignoring me now? You literally told me to go.*

*Silent treatment? Cool. Have it your way.*

Fifteen minutes later, a final text broke the silence.

*Baby. Come downstairs.*

I threw on my sweats and sprinted down the stairwell.

Declan leaned against the brick wall under a flickering streetlight. He wore an entirely unreadable mask.

Before he could snap at me, I closed the distance between us. "I just stepped out of the shower. I swear I never ignored you. Peyton and I just shared an Uber home," I continued, feeding him the ultimate considerate-girlfriend script. "Dragging you all the way out here seemed pointless."

I darted my eyes upward, desperately checking the glowing red numbers hovering over his head.

The stats hadn't dropped a single point. He still hates my guts.

Declan absorbed my explanation in absolute silence. He acted as if he wasn't the one who had just bombarded me with jealous interrogations over text.

Instead, he shoved a small pink pastry box into my hands. "Fine. Just glad you aren't throwing a tantrum. Get inside before you freeze. Eat your cake."

The old me would usually latch onto his arm, babble about my entire night, and demand my mandatory kiss. I used to force him. Declan didn't think public displays of affection were a good look.

I'd literally drag him behind a tree, totally unbothered. "What's the big deal? Just do it quick! One second!"

He always caved, delivering the stiffest, most reluctant peck imaginable.

Tonight, I refused to push my luck. I clutched the bakery box against my chest and pivoted toward the building.

A hand clamped hard around my wrist. I spun around, startled.

Declan stepped right into my personal space. The scent of mint and cold night air hit me a second before he ducked his head.

His thumb grazed my jawlinerough and warmbefore his lips crashed against mine. A low, gravelly sound vibrated deep in the back of his throat.

I froze.

He pulled back, his dark eyes searching my stunned face. One eyebrow arched perfectly. "What? I thought you mandated a goodnight kiss?"

My brain flatlined.

Navis warning echoed in my skull. Stroke his ego. Back off. Stop forcing him.

I shook my head, stepping out of his grip. "No. You don't have to do that anymore." I forced an agreeable smile, practically echoing his own past complaints. "Honestly, PDA is kind of inappropriate anyway. People stare."

Declan stiffened. His jaw clenched. His lips pressed into a harsh, uncompromising line. Total silence stretched between us.

I held my breath, waiting for the explosion.

Finally, he shifted his weight. "Oh. Cool." His voice carried absolutely zero emotion. "Doesn't matter to me either."

Chapter 3

Normally, Id be blowing up his phone right now, spilling every pointless detail about my day on campus.

Then I remembered his massive academic competition coming up. He had been incredibly busy preparing for it lately. I swallowed the urge to call him.

Instead, I filtered through the day's highlights, firing off a few short, punchy texts. Declan always played the perfect listener. Before I knew it, I had practically sent him an entire essay.

He replied to every single message. Then, a new text popped up.

*Don't your thumbs hurt from all that typing?*

I stared at the screen. My chest tightened. Obviously.

Declan still hated my constant clinging. That was his passive-aggressive way of telling me to stop spamming his phone.

I bit the inside of my cheek, swallowing the bitter taste of rejection.

*Yeah, kinda.*

The typing bubble instantly appeared under his name. I didn't wait for his excuse. I fired off another text.

*Going to sleep anyway. Night.*

The three little typing dots vanished, and silence stretched for a long minute before his reply finally landed.

*Alright.*

I officially dropped the high-maintenance act. No more clinging. No more demands. Instead, I catered to his every whim.

"Baby, didn't you want to dye your hair again?" I suggested one afternoon. "You can pick literally any color."

Declan blinked, genuine shock crossing his face. "Didn't you hate it bleached?"

Guilt twisted my stomach. I remembered exactly what I pulled months ago. I forced him to dye his silver hair pitch-black.

I made him button his flannels all the way to his collarbone. I even made him wear those fake, black-rimmed glasses.

I literally dragged the campus rebel into a preppy, straight-A aesthetic.

"The dark academia vibe is top-tier," I had told him back then, shoving the glasses onto the bridge of his nose. "Trust me."

Declan never understood it, but he swallowed his pride and did it anyway.

Now, I looked him dead in the eye. "I love whatever you choose!" Honestly, with his bone structure, he could pull off neon green.

Declan actually seemed to buy it. He hit the salon that exact same day. He walked out rocking a sharp, icy rose-gold fade.

He ditched the nerdy glasses. The raw, dangerous edge he used to carry instantly snapped back into place.

Ryder and the rest of the crew practically cheered when they saw him. "Hell yes! This is the Declan we know! Bout time you dropped that prep-school cosplay, man!"

Despite my massive shift in behavior, his aggro meter barely twitched.

[HEY, LOOK AT THE BRIGHT SIDE,] Navi offered. [IT ISN'T GOING UP. WE TAKE THOSE WINS!]

Until my phone rang late one night.

"Briar," Valerie's voice drifted through the speaker. "Janice and her family just moved back to the States. Come grab dinner with us."

Sensing my hesitation, my mom pushed harder. "You remember them, right? They lived right next door. You used to follow that older boy around like a lost puppy."

A hazy memory clicked into place. I agreed, texted Declan my location, and hailed a ride to the upscale restaurant.

My parents stayed tight with Janice's family over the years. I hadn't seen them in a decade, so the vibe felt incredibly stiff.

Their son, Miles, just wrapped up his master's degree in London. He kept quiet mostly. But whenever he directed a question my way, his tone shiftedwarm, soft, and painfully attentive.

The check finally arrived. I checked my watch, stressing about my early morning lecture.

Janice caught my eye. "Miles stuck to water all night. He can drive you back to campus."

Before I could politely decline, Miles grabbed his keys off the table. "Let's go."

I gripped my phone in my pocket. I wanted to call Declan to come get me. I let the screen go dark and followed Miles out the door.

Chapter 4

Miles pulled up to my dorm building. The campus was already pitch black. We were mid-conversation when Miles suddenly stopped. "Briar. Why is that guy staring at you?"

I followed his gaze. Declan leaned heavily against the oak tree near the entrance, his dark eyes locked dead onto me.

He pushed off the bark, stepping into the streetlights. His new rose-gold hair practically glowed in the dark.

Declan's gaze slowly shifted to Miles. For the first time all night, I actually processed what Miles was wearing.

Pitch-black hair. Black-rimmed glasses. A crisp button-down, fastened all the way to his collarbone.

Miles stepped in front of me, a protective shield. "Briar, who is this?" he asked, his voice smooth and perfectly composed. He was the literal blueprint of the gentle, straight-A academic.

Declan ignored him, staring at Miles for a long, tense minute. Then, his deadpan gaze snapped back to me. "When you forced me to dye my hair black" His voice dropped, dangerously quiet. "you really were trying to build a replica."

My mind reeled. Replica