The video appeared at 8:13 a.m. At first, it was just another repost. A short clip dragged out from the depths of the internet. Poor lighting. Shaky hands. Bad audio. A breakup at a high-end restaurant. Most people scrolled past. Then someone added a caption. “When a delivery guy thinks he belongs at the same table.” The algorithm did the rest. By noon, the views crossed one million. By evening, five. By the next morning, ten million. The comment section exploded. — Alex Chen saw it while sitting in a quiet café on the edge of the city. The place was small. Clean. Cheap. No one paid him any attention. That was the point. He sat alone by the window. A cup of black coffee in front of him. Untouched. His phone rested on the table. The screen showed the video. Melissa stood in the center of the frame. Perfect makeup. Perfect dress. Her chin lifted slightly, as if she were doing the world a favor. Alex watched himself on the screen. Younger. Thinner. Wearing a cheap sh

Melissa stared at her phone for a long time before pressing call.The screen showed his name.Alex Chen.She hadn’t deleted it. She told herself it was habit. Convenience. Nothing more.The call rang.Once.Twice.She almost hung up.Then the line connected.“Yes?” Alex’s voice came through. Calm. Flat. Distant.Melissa inhaled. “Alex… it’s me.”Silence.Not surprise. Not warmth. Just silence.“I know,” he said.Her fingers tightened around the phone. “Can we talk?”A pause. Long enough to make her uncomfortable.“About what?” Alex asked.She swallowed. “About… things.”Another pause.“I’m busy,” he said.Her heart sank. “Please. Just ten minutes. I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.”She waited, staring at the floor of the penthouse. The same penthouse Derek had bought her. The same one that suddenly felt too big. Too quiet.“Where?” Alex finally asked.Relief rushed through her, sharp and humiliating. “There’s a café on Ninth. The one near the old subway entrance.”“I know it.”“I

The first course was scallops.Pan-seared. Perfect.Alex ate slowly. Savored each bite.Derek barely touched his plate.The three investors made small talk. Market trends. Interest rates. Safe topics.Melissa kept glancing at Alex. At the mask.Something bothered her. Something familiar she couldn't place."So, Director Chen." One of the investors spoke up. Robert Kim. Venture capital. "I heard about the Skyline City turnaround. Quite impressive for someone so young.""Age is irrelevant. Results matter.""Indeed. And Morrison Industries?" Robert glanced at Derek. "I heard Chen Global was involved in the recent... volatility."Derek's fork clenched."We observe the market," Alex said. "Like everyone else.""Observe. Of course." Robert smiled. "Though some observations are more active than others."The second course arrived. Soup.Lobster bisque.Derek pushed his bowl away. "I'm not hungry.""You should eat," Melissa whispered. "You need your strength.""For what? To sit here and be moc

The Peninsula Hotel ballroom glittered. Crystal chandeliers. Designer gowns. Champagne flowing like water. The annual Skyline City Children's Foundation Gala. Where the wealthy pretended to care while networking and showing off. Alex arrived at 8 PM. Black tuxedo. Venetian mask covering the upper half of his face. The invitation listed him as "Representative from Chen Global Industries." Nobody questioned it. A hostess greeted him at the entrance. Young. Beautiful. Professional smile. "Welcome. Your table number?" "I'm not sitting. Just observing." "Of course. Enjoy the evening." Alex moved through the crowd. Nodded politely. Said nothing. The auction was starting soon. Charity items. Vacation packages. Dinner with celebrities. And one particular lot he'd paid special attention to when reviewing the catalog. Lot #23: "Evening with Rising Star Melissa Rodriguez." He'd almost laughed when he saw it. Melissa was trying to restart her entertainment career. Singing. Acting.

Alex stood in his penthouse office.Floor-to-ceiling windows. City sprawled below. Dawn breaking over Skyline City.He hadn't slept.Didn't need to.His mind was too sharp. Too focused.On his desk sat a manila envelope.Delivered an hour ago by private courier. No return address.Inside: photographs.Forty-three of them.He spread them across the mahogany surface.Melissa Chen. His ex-girlfriend.But not alone.Photo one: Melissa with an older man. Fifty-something. Gray hair. Expensive suit. Outside a jewelry store. His hand on her waist. Her smile practiced. Perfect.Photo two: Same man. Different day. Hotel entrance. The Ritz. Melissa wearing diamonds she hadn't owned before.Photo three: New man. Younger. Tech executive based on the logo behind them. Silicon Valley startup. Melissa laughing. Touching his arm. That same calculated smile.Photo four through fifteen: Three more men. All wealthy. All older. All clearly enamored.Photo sixteen made Alex pause.Melissa at a yacht party.