Chapter 2 First Step

The golf cart stopped in front of the mansion, a massive structure crowned with a dome-shaped roof. At the doorstep stood two hefty guards who immediately rushed toward me the moment they saw me.

“Welcome, boss! What about your vehicle? Did something happ—”

“It’s fine. I’m home, and that’s all that matters. Thank you for your concern,” I said, waving them off as they pushed the doors open for me.

“Where’s Rudy?” I suddenly asked, pausing mid-step.

“He went to oversee a new turf that’s having a dispute,” one of the guards replied politely.

“Alright, you, follow me,” I said, pointing at one of them. He froze, then his face lit up with excitement. Being personally chosen by the boss was a huge honor. Still, I picked him not out of kindness, but strategy. He was a strong fire quirk user and, for now, would remain loyal to me out of ambition and the desire to rise in rank. He was the perfect temporary guard.

“Y-Yes, boss!” he stammered eagerly.

As I stepped further into the mansion, the familiar scent of ambergris filled my nose. The grand lobby gleamed beneath several massive chandeliers suspended high above. I ascended the spiral staircase leading to the elevator and rode it straight to my apartment on the upper floor, a luxurious two-bedroom suite once used by my father, the former Lord of the Blade Clan.

“I’ll wait by the door, boss,” the bodyguard said firmly, unwilling to enter without permission. Seeing his resolve, I nodded and shut the door behind me, instructing him not to let anyone in.

“I didn’t even ask his name… Anyway, I really did regress to the past. But who was that person in my final moments?” I muttered, straining my thoughts again for clues but finding none.

I moved around my apartment searching for my phone, but it was nowhere to be found. From my past memories, I recalled leaving my phones and cards at the hospital before the procedure. Eventually, after rummaging through my bedside drawer, I found one of my spares.

I picked it up and called my lawyer, updating him about the lawsuit he helped filed against the hospital. But before I could finish my calls, loud knocks and shouting erupted outside my door.

“How dare a lowlife like you stop me from seeing my sister?! Move aside!”

“I’m sorry, ma’am, I can’t do that. The boss instructed me not to let anyone in!”

The commotion grew louder, prompting me to hurry toward the door. As expected, it was Diana, my adopted sister, likely rushing over after hearing I was back from the hospital. She stood around 5’8”, slightly busty, with a voluptuous chest and full figure. Her most striking feature, however, was her large, fake lips, results of extreme body modifications. Tattoos wound across her skin like dark vines.

In my previous life, she was one of the main conspirators behind my downfall, working with other clan members to destroy me.

I opened the door to find her hand raised, just inches from my guard’s face, ready to strike him. The instant she saw me, her expression changed and her hand lowered.

“Sister! I came looking for you. I was told you ran away from the hospital. I was so worried, are you hurt?” Diana said, her voice dripping with fake concern as she tried to hug me. I stopped her, pressing my palm against her chest until her hands froze mid-air.

“W-What? Why, sister?” Diana stammered, embarrassed, pulling her hands back.

“I’m sorry, sister. I don’t feel like hugging, you see. I’m sore all over,” I replied with a faint smile. Diana mirrored a practiced smile in return.

“That’s fine. But why did you run from the hospital? Were you scared? Trust me, it’s for your own good… we love you, this is why we push you to have the surgery. I…I don’t want to lose you.”

SNIFF—

Diana pretended to cry, dabbing at her cheeks with her gown. The old me would have swallowed her act whole. Now, it only struck me as absurd.

I laid a hand on her shoulder, suppressing a chuckle and the urge to call her a liar. I wanted to toy with her, draw the performance out as long as I pleased.

“Sister, I understand your concern. I know how much you say you love and cherish me. I’ve decided to live with my cancer. If it takes my life, then so be it. I love you, sister,” I said, hugging her. She hugged me back, surprisingly earnest, rubbing my hair as if our bond were genuine.

“B-But I’d appreciate it if you still went for the surgery. I can’t bear to lose my little sis—”

BTZZZZ. BTZZZZ.

A loud buzzing sliced through her plea. Diana plunged a hand into her bag, pulled out her phone, and answered. Seconds later her face contorted.

“What? Layla sued the hospital?!” Diana snapped, shocked. She glanced at me while still on the call, then power-walked away, her voice crackling into the line.

A slow smile curved my lips as I watched fear ripple across her features. This is only the beginning of my revenge. Her panic was delicious; I savored the confident mask slipping into something raw and vulnerable as she hid it.