The Ding Of Destiny: Cole Walker's Revenge

Chapter 2: A Billion-Dollar Awakening

Cole Walker sat in stunned silence, his whiskey glass forgotten in his hand. His phone screen still glowed with the impossible number: $100,000,000,000.00

One hundred billion dollars. Sitting in his account. Real. Accessible. His heart pounded so hard he could feel it in his throat. “This… this isn’t possible,” he whispered.

Ding. The glowing blue panel reappeared, words scrolling across like a digital prophecy.

[Welcome, Host]

[You have been chosen by the Wealth System to rise from trash to titan]

[Fail, and you return to nothing]

[Succeed, and the world will kneel]

Cole licked his dry lips. “Why me?”

[Because you are the lowest of the low. The worthless must rise to become priceless]

Cole clenched his jaw. The words stung, but deep down, he knew they were true. He was worthless in everyone’s eyes, his boss, his wife, her lover.

But maybe not anymore. “What do I do now?” he muttered. The panel flickered.

First Task: Humiliate Derek Stone in front of at least 100 people.

Reward: Ownership of a luxury Dallas villa worth $50 million.

Cole’s fists tightened around the edge of the bar. Derek Stone. The man who had taken his wife, mocked him, and laughed in his face.

“Humiliate him…?” Cole whispered. A cruel smile tugged at his lips. “I can do that.”

He left the bar, sober now despite the alcohol, adrenaline pumping through his veins. The cool night air of Dallas brushed against his skin as he walked to his beat-up Ford sedan. 

His pockets buzzed with potential. He pulled out his phone again, scrolling through the wealth management app. His new balance still glared back at him.

“Hundred billion…” he muttered, shaking his head. “I could buy out half the damn city.”

But the System’s words rang in his mind: Complete tasks. Face-slap your enemies.

It wasn’t just about money. It was about power. About revenge. About climbing to the top, step by brutal step.

By morning, Cole was already moving. He made a call, his voice steady. “This is Cole Walker. I want to rent a tuxedo. Black tie. No, scratch that. Custom. Top of the line.”

His contact stammered at the urgency of his request, but Cole didn’t care. Money was no longer a problem. Time wasn’t either.

Within hours, he was suited up in a sleek black tuxedo that hugged his frame perfectly. He barely recognized himself in the mirror of the tailor’s fitting room.

The bartender’s words from last night echoed in his ears. “Pathetic. Worthless.” Not anymore.

[Ding. Update: Derek Stone will attend the Dallas High Society Charity Gala tonight]

[Suggested Action: Humiliation Opportunity]

[Estimated Attendance: 500+]

Cole’s blood hummed. “Perfect.”

The gala. The largest annual event in Dallas high society. Politicians, oil barons, corporate moguls, all in attendance. 

And Derek Stone, parading his arrogance in front of them. Cole smirked. “Tonight’s the night.”

At dusk, Cole arrived at the Dallas Grand Hall. Chandeliers glittered above polished marble floors, and the air reeked of champagne and old money. 

Men in tailored suits laughed with women in dazzling gowns. Waiters carried trays of gold-rimmed glasses.

Cole walked through the entrance, his presence drawing stares. For the first time in his life, people didn’t look at him like a nobody. 

The tuxedo, the confidence, the aura, it all screamed power. He ignored them. His eyes were fixed on the man laughing at the center of a glittering circle: Derek Stone.

Derek wore a smug grin, a glass of wine in his hand, Vanessa clinging to his arm like a trophy.

Cole’s chest tightened at the sight, but he forced himself to keep walking.

“Cole Walker?” A voice stopped him. A man in his forties, wearing a sharp suit, eyed him with surprise. “Didn’t you used to work at Harlan & Co.? What are you doing here?”

Cole smiled thinly. “Came to see an old friend.”

The man laughed. “Old friend? Don’t tell me you mean Derek Stone.”

Cole said nothing, but his smile widened. 

“Cole Walker,” Derek’s voice rang out when he finally spotted him. The smugness dripped from every syllable. “Now this is rich.”

The crowd turned. All eyes locked on Cole. Vanessa’s lips curled into a mocking smile. “Cole, what are you doing here? Did you sneak past security?”

Laughter rippled through the guests. Cole raised his chin, voice calm, even amused. “Sneak past security? No. I bought security.”

Gasps and murmurs filled the air. The guards at the door straightened, confirming his words. 

Cole had paid them off hours earlier. Derek’s smirk faltered. “What kind of game are you playing?”

Cole stepped closer, his voice low but cutting. “No game, Derek. Just business. You know, the thing you think you’re good at.”

More murmurs. A few guests whispered to each other, recognizing Cole’s name from fresh business rumors already circulating. 

Whispers of sudden wealth. Whispers of someone buying up small companies overnight. Vanessa scoffed. “Please. Don’t embarrass yourself, Cole. You’ll always be nothing.”

Cole’s gaze locked on hers, cold and sharp. “Funny, Vanessa. I was nothing when you left. Now? I’m the man who just outbid Derek Stone for controlling shares in his own company.”

The words dropped like a bomb. The crowd gasped. Derek’s face turned white. “You, you’re lying.”

Cole pulled out his phone, projecting the stock purchase confirmation onto the gala’s central screen, another trick bought with money and charm. 

The numbers glowed for everyone to see: Cole Walker – 55% Ownership: Stone Energy Inc.

The room erupted. Gasps. Shouts. Phones clicking pictures. Cole’s lips curved into a cruel smile. “So tell me, Derek. How does it feel to be just another employee in your daddy’s company? My company, now.”

The humiliation was complete. Derek stood frozen, his glass shattering in his hand. Vanessa’s face was drained of color.

And Cole? He turned, raised his glass to the crowd, and said, “To new beginnings.”

The applause that followed was deafening.

[Ding. Task Complete]

[Reward Granted: Luxury Dallas Villa, $50M value]

Cole’s phone buzzed with confirmation. He smiled, feeling the weight of victory sink deep.

For the first time in his life, Cole Walker wasn’t the loser. He was the man everyone in Dallas now feared.