Ray Morley sat bolt upright in bed, lungs working hard, cold sweat running down his forehead. He had just woken from the most vivid dream he could remember.In the dream, hail fell across the globe in one ceaseless storm. The stones were the size of ping-pong balls; ordinary window glass shattered as if it were tissue, car windows included. A thick fog settled everywhere, keeping people indoors. The temperature plunged—not enough to turn people into ice sculptures, but down enough to freeze them to the bone. It was Summer.By the fourth day, the power grid collapsed. Overnight, many froze to death. The hail itself was worse than a nuisance: it was poisonous. When the hail melted, the liquid killed plants on contact and contaminated water. A sip would bring violent vomiting and diarrhea; a gulp could kill you outright. Everyone was trapped, eating through their supplies, and when food and clean water ran out, the most terrible thing happened: people turned on one another.But R

Reborn, Ray found his temperament entirely altered.Who wouldn't change after being tied up, slaughtered, and eaten by their in-laws?He'd always been quietly dissatisfied with the Gantts—he'd tolerated them for the sake of the child—but discovering Michael wasn't his had been the last straw. A decent man pushed to the edge becomes more dangerous than most.After the meal, he paid with credit—over three thousand dollars. His credit line was eight thousand-plus, so there was no worry about being denied. The restaurant was absurdly expensive, and honestly, the food was only so-so. Still, the act of spending felt good.Back at the hotel, ten minutes later, the lottery draw flashed across the TV. Number one, hit. Number two, hit. Three… four… all seven numbers—perfect. Ray smiled. His rebirth hadn't altered the facts of the world. 50 million dollars, then. Taxes and donations would take their share; let's call it 40 million for planning's sake.He lay down, but sleep wouldn't come

Josh was stunned—then furious."Bullshit!" he roared. "That bastard bought that villa with our money! I'm going to find him right now!"He didn't know where Ray had suddenly come up with that kind of cash, but the timeline made no sense. The divorce had been finalized just yesterday morning—how could Ray have gotten 1.2 million in a single day?There was only one explanation. The money must be marital property. Half of it belonged to them.And besides, Ray had married into their family. As far as Josh was concerned, even the man himself was half their property. Round it up, and the whole 1.2 million practically belonged to the Gantts.Max was getting married soon, and they were strapped for cash.Josh suddenly found a burst of energy and bolted out the door.The two old ladies who'd been gossiping nearby exchanged a quick glance, then hurried after him.This was a big scandal—no way they were missing it.Josh half-ran, half-jogged all the way to the villa. Not because he didn'

Ray waited for a while before Noel Jardin finally showed up.They exchanged a few polite words, but Noel couldn't hold back for long. He stood up and began inspecting the house. He hadn't brought much—just a measuring pen—and only took some rough notes. Since they hadn't discussed price yet, he wasn't about to take it too seriously.The villa had three floors above ground and one basement level—about six hundred square meters in total—with a courtyard outside. The courtyard didn't need any work, though.After walking through the place, Noel returned to the living room and sat down across from Ray. "If you want this done in two months," he said, "that's cutting it close. Labor will be expensive. I'll have to keep people working in shifts, around the clock."Ray smiled faintly. "Name your price.""Eight million."Even Noel looked a little embarrassed as he said it. The villa itself was barely worth one million, and here he was quoting eight million just for renovations. Only

Ray said with a soft, bitter laugh, "I was the live-in son-in-law. Four years of marriage—every paycheck handed over, every cent accounted for. She gave me a hundred a month as allowance. I kept quiet, swallowed everything, all for my son. But now that I know the kid is not mine... I've had enough."Chuck nodded, a flicker of understanding in his eyes.And yet... something didn't quite add up. If Ray had been suppressing his anger for years, why had he agreed to walk away with nothing? Why sign away everything that same morning—only to win the lottery that afternoon? The timing was uncanny. Almost as if Ray had known he'd win, as if he'd rushed through the divorce to keep the prize entirely to himself.Chuck couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity of the thought.If Ray had that kind of inside connection—if he could predict a winning number—how could a man like that have been duped by a woman for four years? Ridiculous. He was overthinking it."Alright," Chuck said finally.