"You should've known not to play with a woman's heart, Ethan."
Her voice, cold and seductive, echoed as Ethan Lu plunged from the rooftop of the SkyFall Tower — the empire he built from blood and brilliance.He saw the face of the woman he once loved smiling down at him as the wind howled in his ears.Charlotte Yang.
The last thing he felt wasn't the pain of impact.
It was betrayal.
"No…"
A gasp escaped his lips.
His eyes snapped open.
The ceiling above was the one he hadn't seen in over a decade — tall, decorated with the silver trim of his penthouse bedroom. The scent of cologne, the texture of silk sheets... it was all real.
But... wrong.
He rushed to the mirror. What he saw stunned him.
The man staring back had no wrinkles, no gray streaks in his hair. His face was sharp, youthful, dangerous.It was him. But ten years younger.
[Ascension System Activated.]Welcome back, Ethan Lu. Your death triggered a full-system reboot.Primary Objective: Dominate. Avenge. Ascend.Sub-Mission 1: Kiss the woman who betrayed you.Sub-Mission 2: Regain control of Lu Corporations.
His heart pounded.
Ten years ago, he still trusted her. Still believed in love. Still hadn't seen the knives behind the smiles.Now he was back. With memories, with power — and with a system that promised more.
[Time remaining to complete Sub-Mission 1: 24 hours.]
"You want me to kiss her?" he said, laughing bitterly."The woman who destroyed me?"
[Yes.]
Ethan sat on the edge of the bed, letting the weight of the moment sink in.A second chance.A game he had to win — not just for revenge, but for survival.
✦ Later that morning...
The towering lobby of Lu Corporations hadn't changed. Polished floors. Smell of money in the air. Eyes followed him as he walked — some in awe, some in envy, and a few in desire.
He welcomed it all.
Wearing a charcoal-gray Armani suit, every step Ethan took screamed dominance. His presence demanded attention, his icy confidence radiating like a storm about to break.
Then... he saw her.
Charlotte.
In a wine-red dress that clung to her curves, heels that echoed like a countdown, and lips that once whispered lies into his ear.
"Ethan," she said, tilting her head with a smirk. "Didn't return my calls last night. Too busy playing with your new toy?"
He stepped closer, closing the distance between them with silent intensity.
"Maybe," he said, voice low, velvet-smooth. "But none of them taste like you."
Her pupils dilated slightly. A twitch at the corner of her mouth.
[Progress: 40% – Seduction Phase 1 complete.]
She tried to keep her cool.
"You're cockier than usual," she said, voice like poisoned honey.
Ethan leaned in, so close she could feel the heat of his breath on her neck.
"Tonight. My place," he whispered. "Dress the way you used to — when you actually wanted to please me."
Her breath caught.
"You think you can command me like that?" she asked, chin tilting defiantly.
He smiled, dark and dangerous.
"I don't think. I know."
Then he turned and walked away, leaving the scent of danger in the air.
She didn't move. Didn't speak. Just stared — like a moth drawn to fire.
[Progress: 55%.][Warning: Emotions may resurface. Be careful — not everything is as it seems.]
As Ethan entered the private elevator, he stared at his reflection again — this younger version of himself.
But this time... there was steel in his gaze.
No more love. No more lies.
He had returned. And this time, he'd be the one holding the knife.
✦ Later that evening...
The penthouse was bathed in soft golden light as Ethan waited. The city below glittered like a sea of stars — but none as bright as the fire burning inside him.
The knock came sharp, deliberate.
Charlotte entered, a vision of elegance and danger, the scent of jasmine trailing behind her.
Ethan stood, muscles tense with anticipation.
She looked at him with the same eyes that once melted his heart — but now he saw something different: a challenge.
"Did you miss me?" she teased, voice silky, but with an edge.
He smiled, a slow, confident curve of his lips.
"I never stopped noticing you."
She stepped closer, her perfume intoxicating, her gaze unwavering.
Ethan reached out, brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear.
The world shrank to the space between them.
His lips found hers — soft at first, then demanding, tasting the bitterness of past wounds and the sweetness of the moment.
His system buzzed faintly in his mind.
[Sub-Mission 1: 70% complete.]
Charlotte pulled back slightly, breathless.
"Why now, Ethan? After all this time?"
He looked into her eyes, voice barely a whisper.
"Because now, I know the truth. And this time, I hold the cards."
She smiled — but was it genuine? Or another mask?
Ethan didn't care.
Not yet.
This kiss was only the beginning.
The beginning of a game where only one would win.
And Ethan Lu was back to play.