The Man They Betrayed Reborn as Their Boss

Chapter 6

Jeremy had been waiting for quite a while from his seat in a small café across the street, his gaze fixed on the restaurant where Claire’s family was having their dinner.

The chandelier lights inside glimmered, casting soft reflections of guests coming and going. His coffee had long gone cold, but he remained still, eyes trained on the entrance with a deceptive calm.

Minutes passed until finally, the large restaurant doors swung open.

One by one, the members of the Hargreaves family stepped out smiling, laughing, taking pictures, and talking loudly, as if nothing else in the world mattered more than themselves.

Jeremy watched in silence, sharp and focused.

Mr. and Mrs. Hargreaves appeared next, followed by Claire’s two brothers, who were still joking about “Lucas’s generosity.”

Even from a distance, Jeremy could hear them. He let out a quiet sigh, short, and emotionless.

Exactly the same as before, he thought coldly. Not a single thing has changed. Even their words are identical.

One by one, their cars arrived to pick them up, until only two people remained in front of the restaurant, Claire and Lucas.

Jeremy straightened a little, his gaze sharp like a hawk tracking its prey. From across the street, he could see Claire speaking softly, her voice barely audible over the hum of passing cars. Lucas leaned down slightly, his face showing deep concern.

“I still feel bad,” Claire said quietly, glancing back toward the restaurant they had just left. “Lucas, you really didn’t have to pay for everything.”

Lucas chuckled lightly, his tone gentle but full of confidence.

“Oh, come on, Claire. Don’t worry about it. I’m happy to help. Besides… it’s not the first time I’ve done it, right?”

He looked at her with a half-smile that could easily be mistaken for affection.

Claire exhaled softly, lowering her gaze. “You’re always like that… too kind.”

Jeremy heard every word clearly. He lowered his head slightly, his fingers tapping lightly against the surface of the table.

‘Not the first time I’ve done it,’ huh?

The corner of his lips curved upward in a cold smirk.

So even back then, he was already used to playing the hero in front of her.

Across the street, Claire smiled faintly at Lucas.

Jeremy let out a quiet scoff as he watched the natural closeness between them. To anyone passing by, they would look unmistakably like a couple.

In that instant, faint memories from his previous life flickered through his mind. He remembered a certain day, same year, same month, same date.

He had once overheard Claire and Lucas talking about this very night. But when he asked about it back then, Claire had only given him an awkward smile.

“Oh, it’s just a small celebration. An old friend’s anniversary,” she had said.

Now, everything finally made sense.

There was never any friend’s anniversary, Jeremy thought slowly. This was theirs. The day they officially got together.

“So that’s how it is…” he murmured under his breath. 

“This was where it all began.”

He took a sip of his remaining coffee, cold and bitter. The taste blended perfectly with the thoughts swirling in his head tonight. Then he stood, slipped some cash beneath the cup, and walked out of the café with slow, deliberate steps.

…

Claire and Lucas walked side by side, speaking softly and laughing now and then.

Jeremy followed them from across the street, keeping a careful distance so as not to be seen. Whenever they stopped at a red light or turned their heads at the sound of a passing vehicle, he would stop too, pretending to check his phone or adjust his direction.

After about ten minutes, they arrived in front of a tall, modern apartment building. Jeremy recognized it instantly.

It was the apartment Claire had rented a year ago. Her reason at the time had sounded reasonable, her family’s house was too far from her office, and she wanted to be more independent.

From his spot across the street, Jeremy watched as Claire tapped her access card on the door panel while Lucas stood beside her, waiting politely.

The glass doors slid open automatically, swallowing them both into the warm light of the lobby.

Jeremy stood under a tree near the sidewalk, still and expressionless. Only his eyes were alive and observant.

He knew which floor Claire lived on. He knew the position of her window from the outside. And he knew that the apartment’s security system still stored his fingerprint access, added months ago when they had first begun living like lovers.

He remembered it clearly, Claire’s light laugh the day she said, “So you can come by anytime, just in case I fall asleep or get too busy. I don’t want you waiting outside too long.”

How innocent those words had sounded back then. How bitter they felt now.

Jeremy slipped both hands into his jacket pockets. He didn’t approach the building right away.

Not yet, I want to see just how far they’ll go tonight, he thought.

So he waited.

Half an hour passed slowly. Jeremy stood under the trees, unmoving, a silent shadow among the darker ones. From where he stood, he could see the seventh-floor window, the soft glow of Claire’s living room light.

From time to time, two silhouettes crossed before it. One figure walked past, then paused near another. They stood close. Too close.

Jeremy stared without expression, though his heartbeat grew louder in his chest.

He remembered nights like this from his previous life, those long quiet evenings waiting for Claire’s message that never came. He used to think she was working late, or too tired to talk.

But now… perhaps she hadn’t been alone, even then.

The light on the seventh floor dimmed briefly, then flared again. Jeremy lowered his gaze, his breathing steady but heavy.

He waited a few more minutes, just to be sure there was no sign of them coming out. Then, finally, he began to move.

The front entrance looked exactly as he remembered—glass doors, a sleek security panel beside them. He stared at it for a moment before raising his hand.

A light touch. The sensor blinked to life, followed by a soft green glow and a quiet click.

Jeremy’s lips curved into a faint, cold smile.

He drew a deep breath, his steps calm and measured, though his eyes gleamed with something unreadable, sharp, detached, resolute as he entered the building.

All right, he thought slowly. If this night was truly where it began for them… then this time, I’ll be here to witness it myself.