Chapter 1: The New Girl

She gave him 555-NOPE. He gave her every version of himself.

Ashley Harrison is a 24-year-old architect with zero patience for smooth talkers, office politics, or men who treat life like a game. So when she meets Barney Stinson-a suited-up serial flirt with a playbook and a five-minute number bet-she's ready to shut him down fast.

But Barney isn't just another player. Not with her.

What starts as snark, bets, and emotional lemon laws slowly turns into something messier, realer, and a little bit legendary. From Game Night confessions to burning the Playbook, to first fights, first forgiveness-this is the story of how a woman called him out... and made him rise to the moment.