《绝境操控》星吟彩

14、Uncompromising Rationality-Based Risk Threshold Governance The

　　The first faint glimmer of dawn seeped through the window.

　　Gao Jiajia woke up precisely on schedule. Her internal clock ran with clockwork precision—no matter how late she had stayed up the night before, she would always wake at exactly 5:30 a.m.

　　She turned her head and looked at Jin Yu sleeping beside her. The man who had intended to kill her just hours earlier was now sleeping soundly. Dressed in her pink bathrobe, his brows were relaxed, the usual violence and ferocity gone from his face, leaving him looking almost boyish. His arm was wrapped tightly around her waist, as if afraid she might slip away.

　　Gao Jiajia gently pried his arm away, her movements as light as a feather, making not a single sound. She slipped out of bed carefully, put on her slippers, and tiptoed into the bathroom.

　　She closed the door and locked it from the inside. Then she walked to the sink, knelt down, and opened the cabinet beneath it. Tucked away in a hidden corner was a small white pill box.

　　Gao Jiajia took it out and opened it. Inside was a blister pack of birth control pills.

　　Without a moment’s hesitation, she popped one pill into her palm. She turned on the faucet, cupped a handful of cold water, and swallowed the pill down.

　　The cool sensation as it slid down her throat sharpened her already clear mind.

　　This was her non-negotiable bottom line.

　　What existed between her and Jin Yu was never love. It was a life-or-death game, a masterclass in survival manipulation. She could let him dote on her, let him obey her every command, spend his money, and enjoy his servitude. But she would never allow herself to leave any loose ends, least of all a child—a bond that would trap her in a position of weakness.

　　To her, everything that had happened the night before was merely a means to stay alive and gain control over him. And this birth control pill was her final safety net.

　　She was too rational—rational to the point of cruelty.

　　Most women develop a sense of dependence after being intimate with a man, some even falling in love. Especially now that Jin Yu was utterly devoted and compliant, any other woman would have been overwhelmed with gratitude and sworn her loyalty to him.

　　But not Gao Jiajia.

　　She never forgot that Jin Yu had once held a steel pipe to her, ready to beat her to death. She never forgot that everything she did was for one purpose only: to survive, and to make her own life better.

　　She trusted no man, and gave her heart to none. In her world, only she herself was reliable. Any emotion, any attachment, could become a fatal weakness.

　　Even top CIA operatives have a 17% chance of making critical decision errors during long-term undercover missions due to emotional or physiological factors. They fall in love with their targets, spare enemies out of mercy, or blow their cover for the sake of their children.

　　But not Gao Jiajia.

　　She seemed to be born with a diminished capacity for emotional perception. She could perfectly mimic any emotion—joy, sorrow, grievance, infatuation—but never truly felt any of them herself. Every expression of feeling was nothing more than a tool to manipulate others.

　　After taking the pill, Gao Jiajia put the box back exactly where she had found it, carefully wiping away all traces of her presence. She turned on the faucet again, splashed cold water on her face, and smoothed her hair in the mirror.

　　The woman staring back at her had fair skin and clear eyes, looking innocent and pure. No one would ever guess that this seemingly fragile woman had escaped death by a hair’s breadth just hours earlier, and then turned the tables, turning a ruthless killer into her prisoner.

　　Gao Jiajia gave her reflection a faint smile.

　　Then she turned off the light, tiptoed back to the bedroom, and slipped into bed beside Jin Yu again. She closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep, as if nothing had happened.

　　Her life would never tolerate anything beyond her control. Everything, without exception, had to be within her grasp.