Affection Buys Survival

International detective Kerry Weldon is thrown into a workplace Mary Sue novel as cannon fodder and must survive by activating a Cannon Fodder Survival System that feeds on others' emotions. When she accidentally soothes the volatile CEO Logan Williams, she is hired as his assistant and discovers his emotional swings amplify her life force more than anyone else's. To extend her dwindling time, Kerry deliberately provokes him, trading controlled provocations for vital energy. Logan, afflicted with a rare emotional disorder, inexplicably stabilizes in Kerry's presence and begins to rely on her calm; his feelings deepen into love. All the while original heroine Melanie Norman, burning with jealousy over Logan's special treatment, repeatedly targets Kerry, turning each day into a high-stakes game of survival and desire.