Reborn To Conquer

The glass of whiskey in Nathaniel Aldric’s hand trembled as he sat in his grand office, staring at the numbers on his laptop screen. It didn’t make sense. The accounts were empty. Millions…no, billions…gone.

His fingers curled into a fist, his nails biting into his palm. His chest burned, and when he coughed, he tasted iron. Blood stained his sleeve, but he barely noticed. His mind was spinning.

“Nate, my man, you look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

The office door swung open, and a group of men strolled in like they owned the place. His friends. The ones he had trusted with everything.

Ethan, the man he had known since college, laughed as he plopped down on the leather couch, completely at ease.

“You should relax,” Ethan said, stretching his arms. “Stress isn’t good for your health.”

The others chuckled, their smiles sharp, their eyes colder than ice.

Another man, Damien, leaned against the desk and crossed his arms. “Damn, Nate, you look like shit. Though, to be fair, you’ve looked like shit for months.”

Owen, standing beside him, sneered. “Wonder how long he’s got left? Bet the old man’s watching from the grave, ashamed as hell.”

Nate felt a shiver run down his spine.

“What… what is this?” he asked, his voice hoarse.

Ethan leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Oh, come on, Nate. Don’t act like you didn’t see this coming.”

A hand clapped his shoulder. Owen grinned down at him. “You really thought we were here for you? That we were loyal? Man, you’re dumber than I thought.”

Nate’s breath hitched. His fingers tightened around his glass until it cracked.

“You drained my accounts,” he whispered.

Ethan smirked. “Yeah. And? What are you gonna do about it?”

Nate’s vision blurred. His body trembled…not just from anger, but from the sickness that had been eating away at him for months.

“You were my friends,” he said, his voice weak.

Ethan rolled his eyes. “Friends? Don’t be ridiculous. You were a walking ATM, Nate. Nothing more.”

The others laughed.

Nate gritted his teeth, his nails digging into his palm. “I trusted you.”

Damien scoffed. “And that’s why you’re sitting there coughing up blood while we’re standing here about to take everything.”

Owen shook his head. “Honestly, it was pathetic watching you fumble around, thinking you actually had control. The only reason we let you think that was because we weren’t done bleeding you dry.”

Ethan smirked. “And now? We’re done.”

They were right. He had been a fool. He had handed them everything…money, power, loyalty…only to be left with nothing.

His phone buzzed. A message from his lawyer. He opened it with shaking hands.

‘The company is no longer under your control. The board has voted you out.’

His stomach dropped. He tried to breathe, but his chest tightened. The betrayal pressed down on him, suffocating him.

Ethan snatched the phone from his hand and whistled. “Damn. They didn’t even have the decency to tell you in person?” He tossed the phone onto the desk. “Guess they never respected you either.”

Nate’s pulse pounded in his ears. “Why?”

Ethan’s smirk widened. “Because it was easy. You made it easy.”

Damien leaned in, his breath hot against Nate’s ear. “And because we wanted to.”

Owen laughed. “You ever wonder how it feels to rip a man apart while he’s still alive? We don’t. We already know.”

The room spun. The pain in his chest grew worse. He coughed violently, blood splattering onto his desk.

“Shit,” Owen muttered, taking a step back. “Maybe we should’ve waited until he was dead before taking everything.”

Damien chuckled. “Nah. Watching him fall apart like this is so much more satisfying.”

Ethan sighed. “Look, we’ve got places to be, money to spend. No hard feelings, Nate.” He grinned. “Actually, no…plenty of hard feelings. You were a pain in the ass, and now you’re just a waste of space.”

Nate wiped his mouth, his fingers shaking. He forced himself to stand, gripping the desk for support. “Get out.”

Ethan raised a brow. “Excuse me?”

“Get. Out.”

Ethan chuckled. “See? That’s the problem with you, Nate. Always acting tough when you’re already beaten.”

But they left.

The moment the door closed, Nate collapsed into his chair. He clutched his chest, his breaths shallow. He had lost everything.

And worst of all?

It was all his fault.

Nate barely remembered how he made it to the lobby. His legs were unsteady, his breaths shallow. His vision kept swimming, but he forced himself forward, gripping the walls when he had to. The doorman called his name, asking if he was alright, but he didn’t answer.

The moment he stepped outside, the night air hit him like a slap. His body swayed. He had lost everything. His company. His money. His friends.

No. Not everything.

Serena.

She was all he had left.

A black car was parked at the curb. His driver, Harris, stepped out immediately, concern creasing his brow. “Sir? Are you…”

“Home,” Nate rasped.

Harris hesitated. “Maybe we should get you to a doctor first.”

Nate’s head snapped up. “Take me home.” His voice cracked, desperate, and Harris nodded.

The ride felt endless. His mind wouldn’t stop spinning. The betrayal. The laughter. The way Ethan had looked at him like he was nothing.

Serena would fix this. She’d know what to do. She always knew what to do.

When the car pulled into the driveway of their estate, Nate shoved the door open before the vehicle had fully stopped. Harris called after him, but he ignored him, stumbling up the steps. His hands shook as he fumbled with the key, but the door was already unlocked.

He stepped inside.

The house was dark except for the low glow of the chandelier overhead. His head pounded. His chest ached. “Serena?” His voice barely carried.

A sound came from upstairs. A low, muffled laugh.

His breath hitched.

He turned toward the staircase.

Another laugh.

A man’s laugh.

Nate’s stomach twisted. His fingers curled against the doorframe, nails digging in so hard they almost broke. His feet moved on their own. He climbed the stairs, his heartbeat thudding louder with every step.

His bedroom door was ajar.

His bedroom. Their bedroom.

He pushed it open.

The sight in front of him knocked the breath from his lungs.

Serena. His Serena. Straddling another man. Her hands tangled in his hair, her lips tracing down his neck. Sheets tangled around their bodies, damp with sweat.

The man…dark-haired, broad-shouldered…glanced up. Their eyes met. A smirk tugged at his lips.

Serena turned. She froze.

Nate’s whole body locked. His head spun. The betrayal, the loss, the rage…it all crashed into him at once. His hands clenched. His body shook.

His vision blurred.

His ears rang.

And then, the only sound that tore through the house was his own voice.

“SERENA!”