The champagne tasted bitter.
Ethan Cole stood in the center of the grand banquet hall, dressed in a suit he could barely afford, staring at the two people who had just destroyed his life.
His girlfriend.
His best friend.
On the massive LED screen behind them, financial documents flashed one after another — forged transfers, fake signatures, offshore accounts.
All under his name.
Gasps filled the hall.
Investors whispered.
Board members stared at him like he was filth.
And at the center of it all stood Daniel Hayes — smiling.
"I trusted you," Ethan said quietly, his voice almost drowned by the murmurs.
Daniel adjusted his cufflinks. "You trusted the wrong person."
Beside him, Lily avoided Ethan's eyes.
The same Lily who once promised she would stand by him when they were broke.
The same Lily who cried in his arms five years ago and said, "One day, we'll rule this city together."
Rule the city?
He couldn't even protect himself.
"You stole company funds," Daniel continued smoothly. "The evidence is undeniable. The board has already voted."
Security guards stepped forward.
Ethan felt the weight of every stare in the room.
Disgust.
Disappointment.
Amusement.
Lily finally looked at him — but there was no regret in her eyes.
Only relief.
"I didn't know he would go this far," she said softly to the crowd.
Lie.
Perfectly delivered.
The board chairman spoke coldly, "Ethan Cole, you are hereby removed as CEO. Legal proceedings will follow."
Removed.
Ruined.
Finished.
Daniel stepped closer and whispered so only Ethan could hear.
"You were always the brains, Ethan. But I was always the better player."
The guards grabbed his arms.
And just like that—
He was dragged out of the empire he built from nothing.
Rain poured heavily that night.
Ethan stood alone on the bridge overlooking the city skyline.
The same city he once dreamed of conquering.
His phone buzzed.
Bank accounts frozen.
Credit cards suspended.
News articles spreading like wildfire.
"Young CEO Exposed in Billion-Dollar Fraud."
He laughed.
A broken, hollow sound.
Five years of grinding.
Zero sleep.
Zero holidays.
All stolen in one evening.
His phone buzzed again.
A message from Lily.
Don't make this harder than it needs to be. Just disappear.
Disappear.
The rain soaked through his suit.
Headlights suddenly blinded him.
A truck horn roared.
Too fast.
Too close.
In that split second before impact, Ethan thought—
If I could start again…I wouldn't trust anyone.I wouldn't love anyone.I would crush them all.
Darkness swallowed him.
Beep.Beep.Beep.
Ethan's eyes snapped open.
The rain was gone.
The bridge was gone.
The hospital smell was gone.
Instead—
He was staring at a familiar ceiling.
His old apartment ceiling.
The cheap one with the crack in the corner.
His heart pounded violently.
This room—
No.
Impossible.
He rushed to the mirror.
Younger face.
No stress lines.
No exhaustion.
His phone lay on the desk.
Date:
March 3rd. Five years ago.
The day before Daniel proposed the "joint expansion plan."
The beginning of his downfall.
Ethan staggered back.
"I died…"
His breathing became unstable.
This wasn't a dream.
Everything felt real.
Too real.
Suddenly—
A cold mechanical voice echoed in his mind.
[Detecting Host Consciousness…]
[Compatibility Confirmed.]
[Shadow Wealth System Initializing…]
Ethan froze.
A translucent black interface appeared before his eyes.
No one else could see it.
Numbers. Data. Market charts.
And at the center—
Welcome Back, Host.
His pulse slowed.
Shock turned into focus.
If this was real—
Then this time…
Daniel wouldn't win.
Lily wouldn't escape.
And the empire that crushed him—
Would kneel.
The interface flickered again.
[Starter Mission Activated]Earn $10,000 within 24 hours.Reward: Tier 1 System Access.Failure: Permanent System Lock.
Ethan stared at the countdown timer ticking down from 23:59:59.
He slowly smiled.
Not the hopeful smile of the past.
But something darker.
"Five years ago," he whispered, "Bitcoin crashes tonight…"
The timer kept ticking.
And for the first time since his death—
Ethan felt alive.