2026-01-09 10:57:19JAEL stood still for a brief moment, frozen in place. Kira Ryder’s arms were still around him, her familiar scent lingering like a memory he no longer wanted. Sweet. Soft. False.
He didn’t want it anymore.
He didn’t want her anymore.
Slowly, he lifted his hands and gently pried her arms away from his neck, careful—not because he cared, but because he didn’t want a scene. His eyes never met hers.
“I’m fine,” he muttered as he stepped past her, brushing her warmth away like something toxic. “Just caught off guard.”
Kira tilted her head, confusion clouding her expression. “Are you sure? You look pale.”
He nodded once and turned away, setting his briefcase down on Sandy’s desk without ceremony. “Thanks for letting me know.”
She stared at him. “That’s it?” Her voice wavered. “Jael… are you mad at me?”
He exhaled quietly.
She still didn’t know. Of course she didn’t. The Kira who betrayed him hadn’t existed yet—not in this timeline. That version of her was still years away. Right now, she was just Caden Ryder’s daughter. Smiling. Unaware. Untouched by the choices she would one day make.
But Jael couldn’t see her as innocent anymore.
The Nexus System chimed calmly in his mind.
┏WARNING: Continued association with Kira Ryder will result in severe financial loss┛
┏Recommendation: Sever all personal ties immediately┛
He didn’t need the warning. He had already done it—just not out loud.
“You haven’t done it yet,” he murmured under his breath.
“What?” Kira asked.
“Nothing,” he replied coldly. “I’m just overwhelmed today.”
Her expression softened. She probably assumed it was about his mother. That would make sense—to her. She reached for his arm.
“Come on,” she said gently. “Let’s go together before Dad loses his temper.”
Jael didn’t move.
Her grip tightened slightly, trying to guide him, but he stayed rooted to the spot. Then he pulled his arm free, slow and deliberate.
“I can get there on my own.”
She froze. Hurt flashed across her face.
He walked toward the door, then paused halfway.
“I’d like to be alone today,” he said without turning around. “If you don’t mind.”
She nodded stiffly. “Okay.”
Jael left.
He didn’t look back.
The office buzzed with noise—interns laughing, phones ringing, printers humming—but it all blurred into meaningless static. Nothing mattered except one thing.
Caden Ryder.
A paper ball flew past him and hit the wall. Jael didn’t flinch. He didn’t even glance around.
The double doors to the CEO’s office loomed ahead, heavier than he remembered. He drew in a breath and walked straight in.
Caden Ryder looked up sharply, clearly not expecting anyone to enter without knocking. Surprise flickered across his face—then vanished, replaced by irritation.
“You’re late, Frost. Again.”
Jael closed the door behind him. No apology. No greeting.
“Traffic.”
Caden scoffed. “Excuses. Typical. From someone like you, that’s all I ever hear.”
Jael said nothing.
Caden Ryder looked every bit the tyrant—sharp jaw, tailored suit, eyes cold enough to cut glass. He lounged back in his chair like a ruler on a throne. Leather-bound books lined the wall behind him, decorative and unread. Abstract art hung around the office like overpriced clutter.
“Sit,” Caden ordered.
Jael didn’t move.
“I said sit.”
After a moment, Jael stepped forward and took the chair opposite him. Calm. Composed.
Caden leaned in. “Tell me something. How are you doing it?”
Jael raised an eyebrow. “Doing what?”
Caden slammed his palm on the desk. “Don’t insult me. Your market calls have been flawless. That startup you flagged? Tripled. Jameson Holdings? Three hundred million in under a week. Those weren’t guesses. They were certain.”
Jael met his gaze. “I studied.”
Caden’s eyes narrowed. “You were smart, sure. But this? This is foresight.”
Jael stayed silent.
Caden leaned back, studying him. “As much as it annoys me to say it—especially since you’re close to my daughter—you’re useful. Valuable. If you play your cards right, you could have a future here.”
Jael allowed a thin smile. “I asked for early pay for my mother’s treatment.”
Caden shrugged. “I don’t do early pay.”
“But you had her admitted to Morrison’s,” Jael said quietly. “That was your generosity?”
“I did enough,” Caden replied coldly.
Jael stood.
“You did enough,” he repeated. “And I’ve seen enough.”
He reached into his bag and placed a folded envelope on the desk.
Caden frowned. “What’s that?”
“My resignation.”
For the first time, Caden Ryder was speechless.
Jael turned and walked toward the door.
“You’re throwing your future away,” Caden snapped, recovering.
Jael opened the door and paused, his back to him.
“No,” he said evenly. “I’m building one.”
Then he walked out.
This time, JAEL was the one cutting the strings.
And he wasn’t coming back.
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
CHAPTER 11: FIRST CAPITAL MOVES
Jael lugged the heavy briefcase up the uneven steps of his tiny apartment. The strap of his backpack dug into his shoulder, and a faint ache had started in his jaw from clenching it so tightly. He placed the case on the floor, letting it thud against the tile, and paused. The faint smell of damp carpet and stale smoke filled the room.He knelt and unlatched the case, the crisp scent of fresh bills almost shocking against the grit of the apartment. He counted once, then twice, just to make sure. Two hundred thousand. Every single bill exactly as it should be.His hands trembled just slightly—not from fear, but from the strange surge of possibility that rolled through him like water breaking a dam. Two hundred thousand dollars. He could feel it in his bones: this was the first move of everything he was about to build.Jael sat cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by the soft hum of the apartment’s single fluorescent light. Dust clung to the corners like forgotten memories, and the old
CHAPTER 10: MORE DEBTS, MORE LOANS
Jael Frost parked his battered old bicycle a full block away from Crane Street. The familiar creak of the bike’s frame echoed in the quiet air as he locked the briefcase tightly to the seat. His eyes swept the street with a cautious sharpness, trying to drink in every detail around him.This part of the city was nothing like the busy, shining downtown where glass towers caught the sunlight. Here, the street was quieter. Too quiet. The flickering streetlights sputtered on and off like tired candles about to die. The storefronts were boarded up with splintered wood nailed crookedly over glass that had long since shattered. The air felt thick and heavy, almost like it was soaked in fear and desperation.Jael shivered a little, not just from the cold but from the heaviness that pressed down on his chest. This was the kind of place people avoided at all costs. Not just because crime thrived here, but because it sucked the hope right out of the air, like a black hole of lost dreams and brok
CHAPTER 9: WHAT THE HELL IS A CHARACTER BONUS? WELL YOU'LL JUST HAVE TO FIND OUT
The afternoon sun dipped low, casting gold across the city’s skyline. Streets hummed with life—cars weaving, pedestrians moving, conversations drifting on the breeze.Jael sat on a worn bench, the rusty metal creaking beneath him. A cigarette rested loosely between his fingers, tip glowing faintly as he inhaled, smoke curling upward. His eyes stared into empty space, where the faint flicker of the Nexus System interface hovered only for him to see.A sudden notification cut through the haze.┏**Character Bonus Earned!**┛Jael’s eyes widened, cigarette paused mid-air. *Character Bonus? What’s this about?*The system continued, calm and clear.┏**Character Bonuses are awarded for demonstrating exceptional composure and strategy under pressure. Your conduct with Caden Ryder has granted your first Character Bonus.**┛A slow, calculating smile spread across Jael’s face. *So that’s what it’s for. Because of how I handled the meeting. Interesting.*Another alert chimed.┏**New Feature Unlock
CHAPTER 8: HELL HATH NO FURY THAN A DEFEATED NARCISSIST
The air inside Caden Ryder’s spacious office felt thick, charged, like the breathless pause before a storm broke. Jael Frost sat across from him, the two men locked in a silent contest of will. It felt like a fight had already begun—no fists, no weapons—just sharp eyes and unspoken challenge.Jael could feel Caden’s gaze pressing down on him, heavy and deliberate. It was the kind of stare meant to crush confidence, to remind people of their place. But Jael didn’t shrink.He sat straight, shoulders relaxed, hands tucked calmly into his jacket pockets. His face was unreadable. He was no longer the anxious graduate who bowed his head and swallowed humiliation. That version of him was gone.Between them, on the polished mahogany desk, lay the resignation letter.Still. Untouched. Almost mocking.Jael had expected an outburst—anger, shouting, maybe even threats. Instead, silence stretched between them, long and uncomfortable. Caden Ryder was clearly more shocked than furious.Interns didn’
CHAPTER 7: A REBORN FROST
JAEL stood still for a brief moment, frozen in place. Kira Ryder’s arms were still around him, her familiar scent lingering like a memory he no longer wanted. Sweet. Soft. False.He didn’t want it anymore.He didn’t want her anymore.Slowly, he lifted his hands and gently pried her arms away from his neck, careful—not because he cared, but because he didn’t want a scene. His eyes never met hers.“I’m fine,” he muttered as he stepped past her, brushing her warmth away like something toxic. “Just caught off guard.”Kira tilted her head, confusion clouding her expression. “Are you sure? You look pale.”He nodded once and turned away, setting his briefcase down on Sandy’s desk without ceremony. “Thanks for letting me know.”She stared at him. “That’s it?” Her voice wavered. “Jael… are you mad at me?”He exhaled quietly.She still didn’t know. Of course she didn’t. The Kira who betrayed him hadn’t existed yet—not in this timeline. That version of her was still years away. Right now, she wa
CHAPTER 6:THE FACE OF BETRAYAL
Jael rolled into the underground parking lot of Ryder Financial Corp, the wheels of his bike screeching against concrete as the sound echoed through the cavernous space. His chest rose and fell as he removed his helmet and looked up.There it was.Again.Ten years younger, yet unchanged.The company emblem rested proudly on the polished stone wall—a minimalist merge of the letters R and F. Not creative. Just expensive. Cold.Jael climbed off his bike and secured his helmet in the rear compartment. He brushed down the sleeves of his faded blazer. His fingers paused at the frayed cuff. It was the same jacket from before, still carrying the weight of struggle.He didn’t rush inside. He stood there, letting the memories wash over him.In his previous life, by the time of his death, Ryder Financial had rebranded everything. The logo had become a silver phoenix tearing through a digital sigil. The tower itself had been rebuilt—taller, sharper, wrapped in glass and sensors, voice-activated d
You may also like
Villain steal the Heroines
Autistically20.7K viewsThe Black Card System
Danny_writes105.4K viewsThe Poor Owner of a Legacy System
Pein34.2K viewsCultivation Sign-In System
ShadowKatake51.5K viewsLeveling up in an apocalypse
Emmanuel feany4.5K viewsWorld Domination System
Lucy Stone14.2K viewsASCENSION OF THE FORSAKEN DISCIPLE
Sally edwards935 viewsSon in Law Miraculous Comeback
Smiles871 views