2025-11-23 20:49:22“What the—“ he whispered under his breath.
Clara noticed him muttering crouched on the ground. “What is it now, Rafe? That little scratch hurts that bad?” She asked with irritation.
“What….what is this? He whispered to himself, lost in confusion.
A sharp voice snapped him back. “Rafe!”
He turned. Clara glared down at him, her expression filled with disgust this time.
“You’re embarrassing me in front of everyone! Was I such a terrible person for offering you this job!” She hissed. “Can’t you do anything right?!”
“I’m sorry, it’s just that there’s this—“
But before he could finish, the massive LED screen behind the podium flickered. The logo of Li holdings flashed onscreen, followed by a breaking news banner from London Business Daily.
||”BREAKING NEWS: Li Holdings rocked by embezzlement scandal.”
||”sources confirm insider Rafe Miller – husband to Clara Li – has stolen £150,000 from project funds.”
The hall erupted in gasps. Phones were lifted instantly.
“That’s him! The poor son-in-law!” Someone shouted.
Another murmured, “I knew he was no good from the moment he lost all his wealth…”
System message: MISSION PROGRESS: 40%
Rafe felt blood drain from his face. “That’s not true,” he said quietly, almost to himself. “That’s not true!”
Clara turned to him, fury blazing. “How dare you? After everything we’ve done for your ungrateful ass? My father trusted you with that account!”
He shook his head. “Clara, listen to me–someone’s trying to set me up!”
Jordan stepped forward, feigning righteous anger. “Set you up? Mate, you had full access to the project funds. The transfers were under your logins. Do you really think we’re fools?”
The crowd murmured in disgust.
Lord Richard Li, standing from his head chair, banged his cane against the floor. “You’ve brought shame to this family, Rafe! You used our name, our company, and now you humiliate us in front of the entire business community?”
Rafe’s voice is lost in the commotion of insults and shaming. “Sir, I didn’t—“
But before he could even say another word a sharp SLAP! cut him off abruptly.
The sound echoed through the hall.
System message: MISSION PROGRESS:90%
Clara’s hand trembled slightly, but her eyes didn’t waver. “You scum! I can’t believe I ever loved you.” She spat.
“You’re nothing but a parasite. From this moment we’re done. I’m done with your broke sorry ass.”
Laughter and whispers filled the hall again, cruel and eager.
Rafe’s vision blurred. He felt his chest tighten, air catching in his throat. Everyone was staring, again. Only this time even the pity was gone. Vanished replaced with satisfied smirks and disgust.
Clara’s mother smirked wickedly. “Guess the champagne spill was your way of celebrating your last night as a Li.”
Clara turned to the crowd and announced coldly. “As of this moment, I’m filing for a divorce.”
Rafe looked up at her, his heart was numb. He wanted to scream, to demand proof be brought out to justify this scam, to drag every liar into the light, but before he could speak, his phone buzzed violently in his pocket.
He pulled it out with shaking hands. A notification blinked across the screen:
[SYSTEM MISSION COMPLETE.]
Reward: £3,000,000 Transferred.
His eyes widened. His bank app opened automatically.
The balance glowed bright: £3,000,000.00 –RECEIVED.
He blinked again, and the system’s message appeared once more before his eyes.
[Congratulations, Rafe Miller. Your downfall is your rebirth.]
~Bonus reward for a sharp slap: business negotiation skill.~
His throat went dry.
It was real, the money was real.
The sound around him faded, the laughter, the insults, even Clara’s glare – until there was only the steady pulse of the system’s light hovering before him.
He rose slowly, ignoring the whispers. The champagne soaked shirt clung to his skin, but his voice was calm when he finally spoke.
“Clara,” he said quietly. “You just threw away the only man who ever truly loved you.”
She frowned. “Oh please, spare me ridiculous drama.”
Her mother stood from her seat. “You commit such an offense and you still have the guts to talk back so rudely?”
He shakes his head, a slow smile forming on his lips. “You all just made the biggest mistakes of your lives.” He said, staring at every single person present at that dinner.
“What did you just say?” One woman yelled.
“ENOUGH!” Lord Li yelled, hitting his cane on the ground.
“Get out of this place, and don’t you ever show your face here. The only reason I’m not arresting you is because my daughter once loved you, but cross any of my properties again and you’ll die in prison.”
He turned towards Clara, her smile faltered for a second.
“Enjoy the spotlight while it still lasts. You’ll be next.”
And with that he turned and walked out, past the broken glass, the shocked paces, and the flashing phone cameras.
Outside of the mansion, the London night wrapped around him. Cold, alive, buzzing with distant sirens. He could feel the air shift. The humiliation, the insults, the years of quiet suffering.
All gone.
He looked down at his phone again.
And for the first time he didn’t feel powerless.
He felt reawakened.
He took his first step onto the road but before he could move forward a car swiftly blew past him, and splashed cold rain water on him.
The car stopped right beside him and when the engine finally shuts off, Jacob Levi, Clara’s ex-husband, comes out of the car.
And behind him a string of reports rolled into the hotel parking lot, all clamoring out of their cars with cameras and microphones running toward Rafe.
Jacob took his sweet time walking towards Rafe and when he finally stopped in front of him he scoffed.
“Oh my, if it isn’t the disgraced and backstabbing son-in-law,” He chuckled.
“Or should I say, ex-son-in-law.” He laughed louder.
Just then another message flashed on the system screen right in front of him.
{prove you are worthy of the system 1: }stand your ground against your enemies.
REWARD~business negotiation upgrade + £25,000~
Rafe's lips twitched.
Okay then, he thought to himself, let’s play this game.
The game had just begun.
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
The Beautiful Ruin of Coming Home
The sleek black sedan sliced through the downpour, its tires humming against the slick asphalt of Knightsbridge. Inside the muffled silence of the cabin, Alaric rested his knuckles against his jaw, watching the crimson system text hover against the wet glass like a blood-stained HUD.[SYSTEM ANOMALY DETECTED][TARGET: CLARA LI][EMOTIONAL VOLATILITY: 92%][HOSTILE SURVEILLANCE: 2 UNITS WITHIN RADIUS]The mechanical voice reverberating in his mind didn't carry the warmth of a human, but it was the only thing that had kept him breathing when the wreckage of his shattered ribcage and burning lungs should have finished him two years ago. The System was a cold master, offering survival and godlike tactical foresight in exchange for total, ruthlessly calculated retribution. It demanded efficiency. It demanded that every human bond be liquidated into collateral.Yet as the car drew closer to the riverfront apartment building where Clara lived, the ice in Alaric’s veins began to burn with a d
Clara's Loyalty
The clock on Alaric’s desk ticked with agonizing precision, counting down the forty-eight hours he had claimed. Outside, the London rain streaked the glass, blurring the city lights into smears of cold neon. He pulled up the surveillance footage once more, pausing on the exact frame where Clara had broken down outside Marcus’s townhouse.Her grief was a living thing, visible even through a pixelated lens."You're letting emotion cloud the strategy, Rafe."Marcus Reid’s voice broke the silence. He hadn't left the building; he had merely been waiting out the initial tension. He walked back into the office, his expression hardened by years of shared bitterness. "We didn't spend two years in the shadows, enduring the reconstruction, the agonizing therapy, and the financial restructuring, just for you to throw it away because she shed a few tears.""It isn't just about the tears, Marcus," Alaric said, his tone low and resonant. He didn't turn from the window. "Marcus Blackwell is smart. If
Fake Identity Revealed
Marcus Blackwell sat in his private office at Blackwell Banking, surrounded by documents that painted a disturbing picture. For three weeks, he had been investigating Alaric Cyrus, and the more he discovered, the less sense it made.His chief investigator, a former MI6 analyst named David Porter, sat across from him."Walk me through it again," Marcus said.David opened his laptop. "Alaric Cyrus claims to be the heir of a German pharmaceutical family called Cyrus Pharmaceuticals. The company supposedly dissolved in the early 2000s after internal family disputes.""And?""The company never existed," David said flatly. "I searched German business registries going back fifty years. No Cyrus Pharmaceuticals. No family by that name in pharmaceutical manufacturing. Nothing."Marcus leaned forward. "Could the records have been sealed or destroyed?""Possible but unlikely. I also checked genealogical records, property holdings, educational institutions. If the Cyrus family existed as he claim
Winning
The System interface appeared while Alaric was reviewing quarterly reports for his various holdings. The notification pulled his attention immediately.[NEW MISSION AVAILABLE]Objective: Acquire The Meridian CollectionBackground: Luxury hotel chain with 6 properties across Europe. Currently in financial distress due to previous owner's embezzlement scandal. Properties include locations in London, Paris, Rome, Barcelona, Vienna, and Amsterdam.Strategic Value:Prime real estate holdings worth significantly more than asking priceElite clientele includes politicians, business leaders, and aristocracyPotential for intelligence gathering through hospitality operationsOpportunity to block competitor acquisitionReward: £50,000,000Bonus Objective: Prevent hostile acquisition by enemyBonus Reward: Hospitality Industry Influence +40%Accept Mission? [YES] [NO]Alaric selected YES and immediately called Sienna."I need everything you can find on The Meridian Collection," he said when she
Emotional Compromise Detected
Richard Li sat in his office reviewing surveillance reports from his security team. The file in front of him showed photographs of Clara entering and leaving Amara's café, timestamps indicating she had spent ninety minutes inside."Why would Clara visit this cafe?" Richard asked his head of security."The owner, Amara, has a connection to Alaric Cyrus," the security chief said. "He helped save her business several months ago. We believe Clara went there to learn more about him."Richard's jaw tightened. "Clara is compromised.""Sir?""She is developing emotional attachment to our enemy," Richard said. "First she refuses to complete her assignment. Then she discovers the truth about Rafe Miller and confronts me. Now she is meeting with people connected to Cyrus. My daughter has become a liability.""What do you want to do about it?"Richard closed the file. "I need to secure her loyalty permanently. And I need to strengthen our financial position after the recent losses." He picked up
Her Guilt
Clara sat in her car outside Amara's cafe, gathering courage. She had driven past twice already, unable to make herself go inside. But she needed answers. Needed to understand why Alaric Cyrus felt so familiar, so painfully like the husband she had destroyed.She had learned about the café through research into Alaric's charitable activities. He had saved this small business when it was about to close, turned it into something successful. The owner was a woman named Amara, and Clara hoped she might know something about the man who haunted her dreams.Clara finally stepped out of the car and entered the café.It was warm inside, cozy. The smell of fresh coffee and baked goods filled the air. A few customers sat at small tables, working on laptops or reading. Behind the counter stood a woman in her early thirties with kind eyes and a welcoming smile."Welcome," Amara said. "What can I get you?""Are you Amara?" Clara asked."I am. Have we met?""No, but I was hoping we could talk," Clar
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