Chapter 3

Over the next few days, things began to spiral out of my control. On the surface, everything was going according to plan—the Nexus project was progressing smoothly, the company was very satisfied with my performance, and board nomination seemed imminent.

But in her private life, I could sense Emily becoming increasingly distant. She started going out frequently and was always involved in various social activities. When the phone rang, she would go to another room to answer it. What disturbed me most was that she often came home at night with an excitement I had never seen before, as if something particularly enjoyable had happened during the day.

"Mr. Marcus, the Carter Foundation's lawyers would like to arrange a meeting to discuss the details of the investment terms." My assistant, Jennifer, walked into the office and handed me a document.

"when?"

"They want it to happen as soon as possible. A preliminary agreement might be signed tomorrow."

This timeline surprised me. Investments of this size usually require weeks of due diligence. "Isn't this too fast?"

"They said Mr. Carter was very confident in the project and didn't want to miss the opportunity."

I read the documents carefully. The terms seem favorable; the Carter Foundation is willing to invest $20 million in exchange for only a 15% stake. This is a very attractive offer for a rapidly growing project.

But my intuition tells me that things are not as simple as they seem.

That night, I decided to confront the problem head-on.

"Emily, we need to talk." I waited for her to come home in the living room; she had just returned from another "friends' gathering."

"Of course." She sat down opposite me, but her body language betrayed her nervousness. "What is it?"

"It's about Ryan."

Her expression changed slightly. "What do you mean?"

"I know you two are meeting." I looked her straight in the eye. "Don't deny it, Emily. Your actions over the past few days have said it all."

Silence. A long and oppressive silence.

Finally, she sighed. "Yes, we've met a few times."

Although I was somewhat prepared, hearing the confirmation still pierced my heart. "Why?"

"Marcus, this is complicated." She stood up and paced around the room. "Ryan made me realize some things. About our relationship, about my future, about the life I really want."

What did he say to you?

"He made me realize that I've been deceiving myself all along." Emily turned to me, tears welling in her eyes. "Marcus, I love you, I really love you. But Ryan was right, we come from different worlds."

"Nonsense!" I stood up. "We have the same educational background, the same values..."

"No, Marcus," she shook her head. "You have ambition to succeed, which is fine. But you'll never truly belong in my world. High society isn't just about money; it's about lineage, tradition, and networks. These are things you can't have."

Her words stung me like a knife, especially because there was some truth in them. "So you're going back to Ryan?"

"I don't know," her voice trailed off, "I only know that I can't keep deceiving myself like this."

That night was the darkest night of our relationship. We slept in the same bed, but the distance between us was greater than the Atlantic Ocean.

The next morning, I dragged my tired body to the office. Jennifer told me that Blackstone wanted to see me.

"Marcus, sit down." Blackstone's tone was much more serious than usual.

"Sir, if it's about the Carter Fund's investments..."

"It's not about the investment." He opened a folder on the table. "It's some... worrying information about you and the Nexus project."

My heart started pounding. "What message?"

Blackstone pulled out a few photos and shoved them at me. The photos made my blood freeze—I was in the photos talking to a man in a restaurant, seemingly engaged in some kind of secret deal. The problem was, I didn't know the man in the photos at all.

"Who is this? I've never seen this person before." I picked up the photo and examined it closely.

"The back of the photo says he's an insider at Nexus." Blackstone's voice turned icy. "Marcus, do you have anything to explain?"

"These photos are fake!" I stood up. "Sir, you should know I would never do such a thing."

"And this too." He produced another bank record. "This shows you received a suspicious transfer of $500,000 a week before you signed the Nexus contract."

I felt like the world was spinning. "This can't be, I've never received this money. You can check all my accounts..."

"Marcus, the evidence is clear." Blackstone stood up. "This kind of behavior cannot be tolerated in the company. You're fired, and we'll be reporting this to the relevant departments."

"Wait! This is a trap! Someone is setting me up!"

But it was too late. The security guard walked into the office.

"Please cooperate, Mr. Sterling."

Just as I was being escorted out of the building, I saw what was happening across the street: Ryan and Emily were standing outside a coffee shop, embracing. When Ryan saw me, he raised his phone, as if to take a picture to record the moment. Then he gave me a victorious smile.

At that moment, I understood everything. It was an elaborate conspiracy, from the "chance encounter" at the business banquet to Emily's sudden emotional change, and then to these fabricated pieces of evidence—every step was part of the plan.

But I didn't know that the real danger was just beginning.

That evening, I received an anonymous text message: "Want to know the truth? Tonight at 10 PM, in the abandoned warehouse under the Brooklyn Bridge. Come alone."

I know this might be a trap, but I have no choice. My career is ruined, my reputation is destroyed, and I need evidence to prove my innocence.

At exactly ten o'clock, I arrived at that eerie abandoned warehouse. Moonlight streamed in through the broken windows, and the whole place was as silent as a tomb.

"You've arrived."

I turned and saw Ryan emerge from the shadows, Emily following behind him. Her face was pale, and her eyes held fear and regret.

"I knew it was you guys," I said through gritted teeth.

"Of course it's us." Ryan laughed, a laugh laced with superiority and cruelty. "You really think you can compete with me, Marcus? You really think a middle-class upstart can challenge the authority of the Carter family?"

Why are you doing this to me? What did I do wrong?

“You didn’t do anything wrong, Marcus.” Ryan took a few steps closer. “You were just in my way. The Nexus project is worth billions of dollars; an opportunity of this scale shouldn’t fall into the hands of outsiders. It should belong to people like me—the true elite.”

"So you plotted to frame me? Those photos, that money..."

"Photoshop's technology is amazing, isn't it? As for bank records, I have the best hackers working for me." Ryan's voice was full of smugness. "You'll never understand, Marcus. In this world, the rules are made by people like us. You think hard work and talent are enough? How naive."

I looked at Emily, hoping to see a trace of regret or pity in her eyes. "Emily, tell me this wasn't your intention."

There were indeed tears in Emily's eyes, but her words filled me with utter despair: "I'm sorry, Marcus. But Ryan's right, we really do come from different worlds. I need more than just love; I need security, status, and a future."

"You won't succeed." I clenched my fist. "I will expose your conspiracy, I will let everyone know the truth."

Ryan and Emily exchanged a glance, and then Ryan's expression turned cold.

"I'm afraid you won't have a chance, Marcus."

He pulled a pistol from inside his suit jacket.

"Ryan, no!" Emily cried out, "You said you only wanted to ruin his career, you didn't say you wanted to..."

"Shut up, Emily," Ryan said coldly. "That's the only real solution. The dead don't speak, and they don't seek revenge."

In that moment, I saw genuine fear in Emily's eyes. Perhaps she was involved in the plot to frame me, but she never imagined Ryan would go this far.

"This isn't a personal grudge, Marcus," Ryan said, raising his gun. "It's just business. In business, sometimes you have to make tough decisions."

I closed my eyes and awaited death.

Bang!

Gunshots echoed through the abandoned warehouse, making my ears ring. A sharp pain shot through my chest, and warm liquid began to flow. I collapsed onto the cold concrete floor, feeling life slipping away from my body.

"Clean up the scene," Ryan's voice sounded distant. "Make it look like a robbery and murder."

"Ryan, we really killed him..." Emily's voice trembled.

"This is necessary. The Nexus project is now entirely ours."

Darkness gradually consumed my consciousness. My last thoughts were anger at my own naivety, pain at the betrayal, and a thirst for revenge.

But death is not the end.

When I opened my eyes again, warm sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of my Manhattan apartment, shining on my face. I sat on my familiar bed, the familiar sound of water from the bathroom filling my ears.

The calendar on the wall shows: October 13, 2023.

I was reborn. I returned to the week before that crucial business banquet. With all the memories of my past life, all the pain, and an endless thirst for revenge.

This time, I will set the rules of the game.