REBIRTH OF THE BILLIONAIRE

What was that?

The sound of dripping water?

No...

That was the sound of a clock. He was hearing the repetitive ticking of the clock's hands. His ears were irritated because that was the only sound he could hear.

Wait, where am I? Where am I again? he asked himself, even though he had gotten lost in this place several times already.

"Michael..."

Huh! Who's that?!

The young man looked around, but because of the endless darkness, he couldn't see anything.

"W-who are you?!" he shouted loudly, causing an echo.

"It's near, Michael. Your end is near..."

He shook his head. "No!" Michael shouted. Even without the creature's explanation, he somehow knew what it meant.

His mind was a mess, yes. He was scared, yes. But how could he fight the curse that seemed to be attached to the men in his family?

The young man sat down and covered his ears. But he made a mistake—

Closing his eyes was a mistake!

Because when his eyelids closed, a flood of images like water from a fountain poured in, just like the scenes he always saw in his dreams.

In his dreams, he saw the faces of unfamiliar men. Each face he saw was filled with suffering and anguish! The pain that came with every lash of the fiery whip on their bodies was reflected on the men's faces.

Michael wanted to cover his ears from the deafening shouts of the men, but he couldn't even move his fingers.

How could he escape this nightmare?! How?!

A figure with a whip turned to him. "You're next, Michael... You're next..." it said in a deep voice before laughing terrifyingly.

No! No!

He wanted to shout, but his tongue was numb.

When the creature tried to approach him, someone grabbed his hand. He turned to see who it was, and he felt a surge of terror when he saw the creature's face!

This creature in front of him is like a mirage! It’s like a mirage cast by his troubled mind. It’s like an abstract art—beautiful but hard to explain!

“Young Master...” the creature said in a baritone voice. “Wake up...” it commanded, tapping his forehead.

Michael let out a loud scream as he woke up. He was gasping for breath. Despite the cold air conditioning in his office, he was drenched in sweat. And if anyone saw him, they would notice the terror on his entire face.

Using both hands, Michael grasped his face. He stayed in that position for several minutes until his emotions calmed down.

What's happening? Why do I keep having these nightmares?

Michael leaned back in his chair, then looked around the room. Due to the exhaustion from the past few days, his body gave in, and he fell asleep in his office while waiting for an order from a restaurant.

How many minutes did I sleep?

To find the answer to his question, he looked at his wristwatch. It's 11:30 A.M.

He didn't sleep for half an hour, but his dream—no, not a dream—went somewhere. A nightmare that started on the first day of this month.

November.

Before standing up, Michael reached for the water on his table and took a gulp. As the cold water went down his throat, he felt a bit more relieved. But his anxiety returned when someone suddenly knocked on the door of his office several times.

He muttered a curse under his breath, then cleared his throat and spoke. “Come in,” he said politely and stood up.

The woman outside the door smiled when she heard the man's voice. Deep, full, and baritone, the young man's voice had the characteristics that made you want him to whisper in your ear while you were both in bed. A bedroom voice indeed.

The young woman's cheeks flushed at the thought. The truth was, she had been interested in her boss for a long time. The problem was, despite her charm and beauty, her boss hadn't even bothered to notice her. But she didn't mind, especially since she hadn't heard anything about him having a girlfriend. All she wanted was to have a chance to get close to him so she could have a chance to get out of her miserable poverty.

Before entering—though struggling with the things she was carrying—she adjusted her dress, which was a bit revealing. Thankfully, Michael wasn't conservative, so she could freely show off her smooth and fair skin.

“Good afternoon, Sir. I brought your lunch,” she said with a big smile when their eyes met. But her smile suddenly disappeared when she saw one of Michael's eyes. Fear replaced the seductive look on the woman's face.

What—!

H-how...

How did his boss' one eye end up with two eyeballs?!

The aluminum tray fell to the floor with a loud clang. Broken pieces of plate and glass, as well as food and rice, scattered all over the floor.

The woman stepped back as Michael took a step towards her.

“Oh, don’t tell me you’re afraid of me? Why would you be? I thought you wanted to share a bed with me?” His voice was full of sarcasm, far from his sexy bedroom voice. “You’re a tease, Ruby. You’ve been with so many men.”

The woman covered her ears with her hands. “S-stop it...” she said, sounding like she’d lost her mind.

“I have something to tell you, Ruby...” the voice said. “At exactly one o’clock, you’ll die...”

“N-no!!!” she screamed loudly, running out of Michael’s office. She still covered her ears, as the demonic laughter of her boss still echoed in her mind.