The world was too familiar.
Every step Adrian took felt like walking through a dream he'd already lived, one where every decision had led to ruin.
He moved through the polished corridors of Montrose Group with quiet purpose. The building smelled of coffee, ambition, and secrets. Ten years ago, this place had been his battlefield, one he'd lost spectacularly. Now, armed with knowledge of how it all ended, he wasn't sure if he'd come to rewrite history or simply test its fragility.
He passed the office of Victor Dalen, his old rival. The man who would one day orchestrate his downfall was still just an ambitious executive here hungry, reckless, unaware that the man walking past him now had already seen the ending of his story.
Adrian almost smiled. It was strange, seeing the face of betrayal looking so… human.
He slipped into the conference room, the one where his first empire had begun its climb. He could almost hear the echoes of his old voice, confident, sharp, impatient. But beneath the arrogance of his younger self, there had been a hollow ache, one he'd never admitted to anyone.
He sat down at the far end of the table, fingers tracing the wood. Every mark, every scratch, felt like a reminder of who he had been driven by power, blind to love, deaf to warning.
What happens if you touch the past too early?
What if you change something small and everything breaks differently?
He didn't know. But he was about to find out.
The door opened.
A soft click of heels entered the silence. Adrian didn't have to look up to know who it was.
Elara Montrose. Again.
"Mr. Voss ," she said, her voice cautious but calm. "You're early."
He looked up. There was a flicker of surprise in her eyes, like she hadn't expected him to recognize her or maybe she felt the same inexplicable pull he did. It was the second time they'd met, though the world believed it was the first.
"Punctuality's underrated," he replied evenly.
She smiled faintly, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Or it's a sign of control."
"Maybe both."
She studied him for a moment too long, too intently for a simple exchange. Adrian had seen that look before, years from now, when she'd stare at him across a boardroom table as a rival instead of an ally. Back then, her gaze had burned with mistrust. Now, it was… curious.
"You're with one of the partner firms?" she asked.
"For now," he said. "Let's just say I'm exploring my options."
Her expression softened, intrigued but unreadable. "Then I hope you explore wisely. The Montrose Group doesn't make second chances easy."
He almost laughed. If only she knew.
When she left the room, her perfume lingered light, faintly floral, and unsettlingly human. Adrian closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair.
Every moment I breathe the same air as her, I'm already changing the timeline.
He didn't plan to fall for her again. Not this time.
But fate had already begun to shift the butterfly wings were in motion.
Outside, the clouds over the city broke, spilling pale sunlight through the glass windows. The light fell across Adrian's face, warm and fleeting like a warning wrapped in comfort.
He opened his eyes, a small, dangerous smile playing at his lips.
"All right," he whispered. "Let's see how much the past can take before it breaks."