
The elevator chimed.
Adrian Cole stepped out, holding a bag of groceries in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other…..He wore the same vintage Jessica had once called her favourite. He’d spent the entire day thinking of how to surprise her. After everything—her distant behavior, the sleepless nights—he’d hoped tonight would reset things. The penthouse door was slightly open. He frowned. Jessica was meticulous. She never left the door open. “Jess?” he called gently, pushing it open with his shoulder. What he saw stole his breath. Clothes gone…..tangled sheets. Moaning. Michael and Jessica. His best friend and his wife. Adrian stood in the doorway, shocked, as groceries fell to the floor. The wine bottle broke, sending red liquid across the marble like blood. Jessica screamed first and held the sheets to her chest. Michael just sat up slowly, running a hand through his tousled hair, not a trace of shame in his eyes. "Bro." "Almost amused," Michael said. "I never imagined you would return so quickly." Despite his clenched fists, Adrian remained motionless. His vision became tunnel-like and his heart pounded. Something stopped him from hitting him, even though he really wanted to. Leaping from her bed, Jessica snatched her robe. "Adrian, hold on, this isn't what it looks like—" With a voice like broken glass, he said softly, "Don't insult me." “Let me explain,” she pleaded. “I—I was going to tell you. It’s not like we were even happy anymore!” Adrian looked at her. This was the woman he had loved, defended, sacrificed for. The woman who used to fall asleep curled into his chest. Michael stood up slowly, smug. “Look, man. It’s better this way. You’ve been holding her back. You’re broke, washed up—” Before the words were fully out, Adrian stepped forward—and stopped. A whisper echoed in his mind. “Welcome, Host. First mission: Do not retaliate.” He blinked. What? Michael tilted his head. “You good, man?” Jessica folded her arms, the fear already draining from her face. “You don’t have anything left, Adrian. No job, no inheritance, no influence. You can’t even afford this penthouse. My father owns it.” Adrian stared at her, silence thick between them. Jessica walked to the door and opened it. “You need to leave.” He almost laughed. “You’re kicking me out?” “You were a charity case to begin with,” she snapped. “I married you to please my dad, and now even he’s sick of you.” Adrian’s jaw tightened. Then, without another word, he stepped outside. The door slammed behind him. He stood in the hallway, staring at nothing. Ten minutes later, building security came up. He didn’t fight when they took his keycard, didn’t resist when they escorted him to the ground floor like he was a trespasser in his own life. The sky outside had opened up. Rain lashed against his face as he stepped into the street, soaked within seconds. People passed by without looking twice. His phone buzzed. [Account access denied.] [Credit card declined.] Every account, every line of credit—frozen. Jessica must’ve acted fast. Or maybe she’d planned this for weeks. Adrian staggered to a bench and sat down, rain pooling around his feet. He laughed bitterly to himself, the sound swallowed by thunder. And then it came again. “Congratulations, Host. You resisted the urge to retaliate. Reward: $10,000 transferred to emergency account.” Adrian shot up, looking around. No one. Just rain, traffic, and the distant sound of city life. “Who said that?” he whispered. “Your system. Created by Dr. Eleanor Cole. Activating recovery protocols.” His mother’s name slammed into him like a freight train. She’d been gone for years. Brilliant. Mysterious. The woman who locked herself in labs and told him one day he’d understand. Could this be one of her projects? His phone vibrated again—this time not with a rejection. [New Account Created: Balance $10,000] [Location: Emergency Vault - Host access only] His hands trembled. The rain eased into a drizzle as he stood up, the city lights blurring in his vision. He ducked into a 24-hour diner nearby, his soaked suit drawing a few stares. He sat in a corner booth and ordered a coffee. No food. Not yet. He needed to think. Who created this? Was he hallucinating? Some post-trauma breakdown? But the money was real. He transferred some to his backup card—it worked. “Dr. Eleanor Cole,” he whispered. “Mom… what did you leave me?” The voice returned, calm and mechanical, yet oddly soothing. “You are not broken. You were betrayed. But revenge will destroy you. Rise in silence. Each time you resist, you’ll gain more than you lost.” Adrian stared out the rain-specked window, coffee steaming in front of him. No one had his back. No friends. No family. Just a voice in his head. A system built by a dead mother. And a single mission: Don’t fall apart. Rise. Quietly. Ruthlessly. Outside, the neon sign flickered. Inside, Adrian smiled faintly for the first time. Let them think he was nothing. Let them laugh. They hadn’t seen silence weaponized before. New Mission: Do not answer Jessica’s call. Reward: Access to private inheritance network. Status: Incoming call – Jessica Benson. His phone lit up. He stared at it. Let it ring…..Let her wonder….Let the game begin.: He checks the new inheritance vault. Balance: $250,000. Owner: Dr. Eleanor Cole. Access: Now unlocked.
Latest Chapter
Chapter 79: Benson & Cole
Jessica froze in the middle of the lobby, her breath catching when her eyes landed on the new sign above the glass doors.Benson & Cole.The letters were bold, polished, and impossible to ignore. Her name…..her father’s name standing side by side with his.She froze right there for what felt like forever. Her heart pounded hard in her ears. It drowned out the receptionist’s cheerful greeting. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to run, laugh bitterly, or rip the whole sign down with her bare hands.Finally she made herself step in. Her heels hit the marble floor with a clack. Each one sounded sharper than the one before. The strap of her bag bit into her shoulder, but she held on tighter, as though that would keep her from falling apart. This was meant to be her big win. Her small brand, her hard earned independence, finally gaining traction. And now, overnight, it was swallowed whole merged with him. Adrian Cole.The elevator ride up felt endless. By the time the doors opened to his
Chapter 78: Jessica’s Father’s Letter
The rain kept coming down without a break all day.Jessica was right there by the kitchen window. She watched those water drops sliding down the glass. Things were quiet, too quiet. She usually liked it that way. Pregnancy had already changed her nights into long, restless hours where silence was all she had. But this night the quiet weighed on her, like it was waiting for something to happen.The knock at the door startled her.Her hand went straight to her belly, but she even moved. No one was supposed to show up. Most people always texted ahead. She paused, stared at the door for a second, then crossed the room slowly. Her apartment wasn’t big; Every step made the old floorboards groan.Another knock. Steadier this time.She pressed her palm against the wood. “Who is it?”A pause. Then a man’s voice……calm, professional. “Ms. Benson? I’m here on behalf of your late father’s estate. My name is Robert Hale. I was his attorney.”Jessica froze.For a moment, she didn’t breathe.
Chapter 77: System Reward Clarity
Adrian hated rooms like this.The penthouse was vast, glass walls stretching across the skyline, the city beneath him glowing like a sea of embers. People paid millions for views like this, but to Adrian it felt like a cage—walls of glass reminding him he was always being watched.The press conference was already over. Michael had been taken in handcuffs, screaming lies as cameras devoured every second. Jessica… Jessica had stood tall, spoken truth, and for once the world hadn’t torn her apart for it.Adrian hadn’t approached her. Couldn’t.Every word she said on that stage had struck him like a blade. Not because she exposed him—but because she remembered him. Not the man he’d become, but the man he had been before betrayal scorched everything clean.Now, in the silence of his apartment, he stood with his hands pressed against the window. The city glimmered back, hollow and distant.That’s when it came.A soft chime, cutting into the quiet.[System Notification: Emotional Test Comple
Chapter 76: Jessica’s Stand
The flashes came first and fast.Jessica hadn’t even reached the podium when the sea of reporters surged forward, cameras raised like weapons, microphones shoved into her path. Questions ricocheted across the hall, each one sharper than the last.“Jessica, did you know about Adrian’s plans before today?”“Why did you help Adrian Coke with the journal?““Are you benefitting from Quantum Holdings’ exposure of Michael Kane?”“Do you still have ties to Michael Kane? Were you complicit?”Each word hit like a stone. Her heart started beating faster. She held her chin up and her eyes stayed locked straight ahead. Her heels made a quiet click on the stage floor. She stepped right up to the podium made of wood.For a moment, her hand hung there over the microphone.Her breathing was shaky. Her voice came out steady when she spoke.She said, "I'll answer just one question." Her words were calm. They were careful too. "Why did I help Adrian Cole."The whole room froze up. It was like they all s
Chapter 75: The Press Conference
Cameras had been set up and ready by the time Adrian Cole made his way to the stage.Those flashbulbs started popping right away. It was like a sharp, quick beat trying to cut right through his quiet, but nothing showed on his face. He just stood there in the center of the stage, one black folder gripped in his hand. Reporters at his feet like some wild storm.Adrian had avoided moments like this for years, the public appearances, Interviews and words that could get twisted every which way against him. Basically, he put together his whole empire without much talk at all, let his moves do the shouting instead of any fancy speeches. But today was different.Today was about truth.Behind him, the screen loomed, dark for now. Waiting.He set the folder on the podium, adjusted the mic, and finally spoke. His voice carried like iron across the hall.“Thank you for coming.”The room hushed instantly.“I don’t usually do this. I don’t seek attention, and I don’t speak unless there’s somethin
Chapter 74: Public or Private
The ruins were quiet again, but Adrian’s chest wasn’t.He stood there, staring at the cracked floor where the fire had once consumed his mother, where the truth had finally been revealed. His hands trembled, not from weakness but from the sheer weight of choice pressing down on him.Michael Kane had destroyed everything. His mother’s legacy. His marriage. His trust. And for years, Adrian had let silence be his weapon, let patience become his armor. But now the truth was in his hands.The drive was heavy in his pocket. Too heavy.[System: Evidence secured. Multiple pathways available. Do you wish to act?]The words slashed across his vision. He didn’t answer. Not yet. He turned and walked out of the ruins, each step crunching against ash and broken glass. The sky outside was gray, storm clouds rolling in as if the world itself sensed the choice he had to make.By the time Adrian slid into the backseat of his car, his silence had sharpened into steel. He gave a single order to his drive
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