REBORN TO RUIN THEM ALL

Chapter Two — The First Move

The door opened.

I held my breath.

My stepmother stood there.

“Your father is waiting.”

I stared at her for a moment.

Then my eyes moved toward the phone hidden behind my back.

The unknown message was still on the screen.

I was there.

Who was it?

And why were they warning me?

In my first life, I had never received such a message.

That meant something had already changed.

My rebirth wasn't following the same path.

“Coming,” I said.

My stepmother smiled.

“Good. Elena is downstairs too.”

Elena.

The name alone made my stomach twist.

But this time, I didn't let her see it.

I followed my stepmother downstairs.

The dining room looked exactly as I remembered.

My father sat at the head of the table, reading a newspaper.

Elena sat beside him, scrolling through her phone.

When she saw me, she smiled.

“Good morning, sister.”

I stopped.

That smile.

I had seen it before.

The same smile she wore after watching me lose everything.

But now I knew what was behind it.

“Good morning,” I replied.

Elena raised an eyebrow.

“You seem different today.”

My heart skipped.

“Different?”

“Your eyes.”

She stared at me.

“You look like you've seen something terrible.”

For a second, I wondered if she knew.

Then I smiled.

“I had a strange dream.”

“What kind of dream?”

“One where I finally stopped trusting the wrong people.”

Silence.

Elena's smile disappeared for half a second.

Then she laughed.

“You're funny.”

My father cleared his throat.

“Enough.”

He placed a folder on the table.

“I called you here because there's something we need to discuss.”

I sat down.

“What is it?”

“The company.”

I looked at the folder.

“In three months, we'll be signing a major partnership.”

I remembered this.

The partnership had been the beginning of my family's rise.

And secretly, the beginning of my downfall.

In my first life, my father had asked me to help prepare the documents.

I had happily agreed.

That decision eventually gave Elena access to everything.

This time, I would stay away.

My father continued.

“I want you to work with Elena on the project.”

I almost laughed.

There it was.

The first trap.

“I can't.”

Everyone stared at me.

My father frowned.

“Why?”

“I have other plans.”

Elena immediately spoke.

“But you've always wanted to help with the family business.”

“I changed my mind.”

My father slammed his hand against the table.

“You don't get to simply change your mind whenever you feel like it.”

I looked directly at him.

“Actually, I do.”

The room became silent.

Even Elena looked shocked.

In my first life, I had never spoken to my father like that.

I had been desperate for his approval.

Not anymore.

My father narrowed his eyes.

“Who has been filling your head with nonsense?”

“Nobody.”

“Then why are you behaving this way?”

I stood.

“Because I finally realized something.”

“What?”

“Blood doesn't automatically make people family.”

Elena's face hardened.

I picked up my bag.

“I have somewhere to be.”

My father shouted after me.

“You're not leaving this conversation!”

I didn't stop.

For the first time in my life, I walked away from him without asking permission.

Outside the mansion, I took a deep breath.

The air felt different.

Freedom.

I pulled out my phone.

I had a list.

A very long list.

Everyone who had betrayed me.

Everyone who had lied.

Everyone who had benefited from my downfall.

But revenge couldn't begin with emotions.

It needed strategy.

I opened my contacts.

There was one person I needed to find first.

Marcus Vale.

In my first life, he had been the family's biggest business rival.

Everyone called him ruthless.

Cold.

Dangerous.

I had believed the rumors.

Later, I discovered the truth.

He had tried to warn me about my family.

I had ignored him.

This time, I wouldn't.

I searched his name.

My finger hovered over the call button.

Then—

My phone vibrated.

Unknown: Don't contact Marcus.

I froze.

Another message appeared.

Unknown: You're being watched.

I looked around.

People were walking along the street.

Cars passed.

Nothing seemed unusual.

Then I noticed a black car parked across the road.

Its windows were tinted.

I couldn't see who was inside.

My instincts screamed at me to move.

I walked toward the car.

It started immediately.

Then it drove away.

My heart pounded.

Someone knew what I was doing.

But how?

I quickly opened my messages.

Me: Who are you?

The reply came almost instantly.

Unknown: Someone who owes you the truth.

Me: What truth?

Three dots appeared.

Then disappeared.

Appeared again.

Finally, a message arrived.

Unknown: You didn't die because of Elena.

I stared at the screen.

Another message followed.

Unknown: Elena was only following orders.

My blood ran cold.

Me: Whose orders?

No response.

I waited.

Nothing.

Then—

My phone rang.

Unknown number.

I answered.

“Hello?”

Silence.

Then a man's voice spoke.

Low.

Calm.

Familiar.

“Stop digging.”

My eyes narrowed.

“Who are you?”

“You don't remember me.”

“Tell me your name.”

A quiet laugh came through the phone.

“You'll remember soon enough.”

The call ended.

I stood frozen.

That voice.

There was something about it.

Something I couldn't place.

Then I looked at the black car disappearing around the corner.

My second life wasn't simply a chance to take revenge.

Someone else had brought me back.

And they wanted something from me.

That evening, I arrived at a small café.

Adrian was already there.

He stood when he saw me.

“You're late.”

I sat across from him.

“You're still impatient.”

He smiled.

“You haven't changed.”

I almost laughed.

If only he knew.

He pushed a small box across the table.

“I brought you something.”

I stared at it.

In my first life, he had given me that exact box.

Inside had been a necklace.

I had treasured it.

Now I knew it had contained a tracking device.

My fingers tightened.

“Open it,” he said.

I looked into his eyes.

“Why?”

“Because I want to remind you how much I care about you.”

Liar.

Every word was a lie.

I slowly opened the box.

The necklace was inside.

Exactly as I remembered.

Beautiful.

Expensive.

Deadly.

I smiled.

“It's beautiful.”

Adrian reached across the table.

“Then wear it.”

I looked at the necklace.

Then at him.

“Sure.”

His eyes brightened.

But instead of putting it around my neck, I closed the box.

“I'll keep it safe.”

His smile faltered.

“Why aren't you wearing it?”

“I don't feel like wearing jewelry today.”

He stared at me.

Suspicion flashed across his face.

“You really are acting strange.”

I leaned closer.

“Maybe you're just finally noticing who I really am.”

He went silent.

Then his phone vibrated.

He looked at the screen.

I watched his expression change.

Fear.

Real fear.

He quickly stood.

“I have to go.”

“Already?”

“Yes.”

He grabbed his phone.

Before leaving, he looked at me.

“Don't ask questions about the company.”

My heart skipped.

“What questions?”

He froze.

Then walked away.

I stared after him.

I hadn't mentioned the company.

He had.

That meant he was already hiding something.

I opened my phone.

One new message.

Unknown: Now you understand.

I typed:

Me: Understand what?

The reply came.

Unknown: Adrian was never supposed to be your fiancé.

I stopped breathing.

Then another message appeared.

Unknown: He was assigned to you.

My fingers went cold.

I looked across the café.

Adrian was gone.

But someone was sitting at the table behind me.

A man in a black coat.

Watching me.

He slowly lifted his coffee.

And when our eyes met—

He smiled.

I recognized him.

He was standing in the background of my memories.

At my wedding.

At my father's funeral.

At the night I died.

The mysterious man from my past had finally found me.

And this time…

I wasn't going to run.