The first taste of ice cream in this body was unreal. The cold sweetness melted on my tongue, sending a chill down my spine. "Oh yeah! Damn, that hits the spot!" I licked the ice cream Damien had bought me as a thank you, savoring every bit of it. I hadn't enjoyed an ice cream cone since I was about five years old and I stole one from the vendor. "Feels like I haven't had good shit like this in almost twenty years." "Twenty years?" Damien raised a brow at me. Now that he'd finally cut his hair, I could actually see his face. With his slicked-back dark hair and sharp, calculating eyes, he looked like a young Lucky Luciano—suave, dangerous, and just a little too refined for high school. It suited him too well, not that I was looking. "Are you sure you're feeling alright? It's just ice cream." "Ah, it's fine, dummy. You wouldn't believe it even if I told you," I chuckled. This ice cream cone tasted so much better without the fear of being caught for stealing it. Before he could qu
Changing in the locker room was... an interesting experience. Apparently, it was my first time actually getting dressed in here instead of hiding away somewhere else. As soon as I pulled off my shirt, the whispers started. "No surgery scars! He wasn't a girl!" "But I was so sure he was!" "He still kinda looks like a girl, though." "Would you hit it, though?" "If he was quiet and it was from the back." "You think Damien hit it already?" "I don't see any marks." What the actual fuck? Before I could turn around and tell those perverted bastards off, Damien suddenly stepped in front of me, holding up a large towel to block me from view. His face was turned away, pointedly avoiding looking at me himself. I sighed. "Thanks." At least like this, I could change in peace. *** Today's gym class was soccer. I liked playing soccer, not watching it. Something about running, strategizing, and taking control of the ball felt good. Besides, with a quick headcount, it seemed like there'd
I couldn't believe I was called into the teacher's office. Motherfuckers really didn't know how to appreciate anything good, huh? And my math teacher seemed way too determined to talk to me. "It's good that you didn't just leave," she said, smiling like she hadn't dragged me here herself under the threat of detention. Bitch. "What do you want?" I scowled, not bothering to hide how irritated I felt. "I'm not exactly sure what happened to you, but I think you've changed a lot over the summer." She leaned forward slightly. "So I have something to ask of you. Do you think you can do it?" "No." I answered immediately. "Do I look like a charity worker?" She sighed, like she expected that response but was still disappointed by it. "Jack, you've got a lot of the other students quite scared of you already." "And?" "So I just need one favor from you. I'd like your help in keeping one of my favorite students from being bullied—Jared Jameson." "Who the fuck is Jared Jameson?" I asked.
The church stood solemnly atop the hill, its white stone walls glowing faintly under the evening sky. A long flight of uneven stone steps stretched from the base to the entrance, worn down by decades of footsteps. Even from a distance, I could hear the murmuring of voices inside. If I showed up now, I'd definitely be noticed. What should I even ask first? Why did you betray me? Was I really that bad of a boss? Will my mom or dad be there? Would they even mourn me? What the fuck should I even do? I clenched my fists, lost in my thoughts, until— "My child, why are you here?" I snapped my head up and nearly jumped out of my skin. An old priest stood in front of me. His face was wrinkled, his expression calm but unreadable. I recognized him—Bob or Paul or something. I remembered being scared shitless of him as a kid, his cold eyes seeming to pierce right through me. "Excuse me, Father?" I asked, forcing my voice to stay even. "Why are you here?" His voice was firm. "This place on
Liam lunged at me, his fist cutting through the air with force. I caught it easily, my fingers wrapping around his knuckles like a vice. He struggled, trying to pull away, but my grip held firm. "Your punches are already different than before," I smirked, yanking his arm forward and throwing the punch right back into his face. His head snapped back, and I saw the realization dawn in his eyes—I had baited him, and he fell for it. I grabbed a handful of his shirt and let out a chuckle. "Come on, man! Don't bitch out! I've only just started with you!" He thrashed in my grip, genuinely trying to escape, but it was pathetic. I slapped him around like he was a joke, jerking him back and forth like a ragdoll while he flailed. Every time he tried to get his footing, I shoved him again, making sure he understood just how outmatched he was. "E-enough! I lost! I'm sorry!" Liam gasped, his voice strained. "I take back what I said!" "Stop fucking around, square jaw! Are you even sure you're a
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I was so late for class. If it weren't for Damien calling me and asking where I was, I wouldn't have even woken up at all. A tardy after getting a warning from the Dean wouldn't look good on my record at all. I nearly kicked down the classroom door, only to be met with an eerie silence. Everyone had suddenly shut up and turned their attention to me. "Shit, what the fuck are you looking at? Can no one be late anymore? What's up with the atmosphere?" Before I could sit down, a familiar blonde stepped in front of me, looking nervous. His buddy stood behind him like a scared puppy. It had been three days and a weekend since the incident, and they were finally back at school. "Uh, Jack?" The blonde swallowed. "What?" I hissed. Round three? "We were in the wrong last week!" he blurted out. "Jason kept on forcing us, so we had no choice but to keep going." He hesitated. "Anyway, we're sorry." I raised a brow. That whole thing had been such a mess, I'd barely thought
"He took out four guys by himself?" "Yeah, from the Roth gang." The Roth gang? That bastard took over my gang?! I jolted awake. "What'd you do to him? How badly did you beat him?" someone asked. "Not at all." Dammit. Where am I? I tried moving but quickly realized I was tied to a fucking chair. A shadow loomed in front of me. Tracksuit. Vulture tattoo. Cigar breath mixed with whiskey. Cormac "The Blade." A crime lord, a legend, and a royal pain in the ass in my last life. "It's nice to meet you, kid," he said, watching me like I was some kind of exotic animal. "I've been dying to meet you after hearing all the rumors. I forgot to introduce myself—you must be wondering who I am." Like hell I was wondering. I knew exactly who he was. "This is actually pretty surprising," he mused, rubbing his chin. "I heard you were hot shit these days, so I just wanted to see what you looked like. But you're pretty handsome. Do they choose the strongest in school based on looks now?" He'
I woke up feeling strangely energized. My room was clean, everything put back in its original place. Guess Dad really wanted to calm me down. Too bad it didn't work. At least my ribs weren't broken, so I hadn't failed the mission yet. Though I was starting to get frustrated with the vagueness of it all. Was my walk home yesterday not interesting enough? I jumped out of bed and made my way downstairs, avoiding everyone. If I left now, maybe I wouldn't bring any trouble with me. Just as I reached for the door, a voice called out. "Hey there." A man stood outside, smiling at me through the window. My body tensed. "Jack? Hey, I already know everything. Come on out." Fuck. They found me already? Did he really think I'd just open the door and go peacefully? "Fuck off!" I snapped, yanking the blinds down. The man sighed. "Ah, I'll just use the key your old man gave me." I froze. The key Dad gave him? The door unlocked. I grabbed the nearest weapon—a broom from a passing maid—and sw
A week had passed, and no one had found Declan's body. Things were moving fast, and without speaking to my dad first, I took the initiative and bought everything related to McIntyre Corporations. It was a massive undertaking. We had to fire the entire board and replace them with our own people. The financial webs were deep, tracing money from offshore accounts, and the intel I'd gathered? It was a goldmine of blackmail material, exposing nearly every business owner, politician, and high-ranking official in the city. My dad didn't hesitate for a second. He immediately used this treasure trove to his advantage. He worked quickly, killing the news of Declan Sr.'s disappearance so that no one outside our circle would know what happened. My mom, of course, was confused. The official story was that Declan had fled to avoid the scandal, but I later realized something: My dad hadn't lied to her—he just didn't want to ruin her newfound peace. She had taken a liking to Jason, and Dad didn't wa
I couldn't get the system's words out of my head. "You'll soon be too preoccupied to think about it." What the hell did that mean? What could possibly take my mind off the weight of what I'd done in my past life—of Gianna, of Jason, of everything unraveling? [Mission Accomplished! You will receive secret intel!] I froze. That... that would do it. What the actual fuck was going on? I hadn't even made a move toward atonement yet, and the mission was already marked as complete? How? Why? My phone buzzed, Jason's name lighting up the screen. It was nearly 2 a.m. A part of me didn't want to answer—I was exhausted from the party and from... well, everything. But I picked up. "Hello—" "Jack?" Jason's voice was breathless, panicked, and definitely crying. "I—I need you... to come over! I need you to come over now!" He was gasping like he couldn't breathe. "What's up? Is it your dad?" "No! No! No, no—" "Tell me what happened!" I snapped, heart racing. "No! I—I can't actually say—"
{TW: Suicide attempt} The memory came back like a bullet to the skull—sudden, searing, and impossible to ignore. I was seventeen. A parking garage bathed in that awful yellow-white light, nearly abandoned except for the low hum of flickering fluorescent tubes above me. The scent of oil and cold concrete filled the air. My footsteps were quiet, deliberate, echoing through the still space as I closed in on her. Gianna Lionetti. A cloth gripped tightly in my hand, soaked in chloroform. She didn't even have time to scream. I grabbed her from behind, pressing the cloth to her mouth and nose with a vice grip. She fought hard. Nails like razors dug into my wrist, her limbs thrashing with the kind of panic only people on the edge of death can summon. It took a full minute and a half—ninety long seconds of struggle—before her body finally sagged, unconscious in my arms. I eased her down like a sleepwalker, like she was fragile glass. Then, almost robotically, I opened the passenger door,
I sat stiffly on the edge of the velvet couch, hands clenched loosely in my lap as camera flashes exploded from every angle. The drawing room was filled to the brim with reporters—some with cameras, some already holding up mics with eager hands, all of them watching me like a hawk about to strike. This was actually kind of terrifying. The last time I'd been in front of this many cameras was... well, it wasn't exactly a shining moment. I was being perp-walked in my last life, paraded in handcuffs while people shouted for my head. The bright lights, the judgmental stares—it all felt a little too familiar. A woman in the front row leaned forward, mic close. "How did you manage to get such incredible scores?" I blinked at her. "Studying like a normal person. It's not like there was much else to do besides that and work." Click. Click. Flash. "Your first appearance on TV left people with a bad impression of you. What do you think about that?" another reporter asked. I rolled my eyes
Ok, wow. I don't even know when I lost consciousness. All I know is that I've never felt anything like that in my life. It was overwhelming—in the best, most mind-blowing way. The kind of thing that leaves your body aching, your brain blank, and your soul just a little bit altered. Eight-plus rounds. All night. Lust without restraint. I hadn't known a first-timer could go all out like that, but apparently Damien had been holding back a lot for me. I remembered everything. I'm not a virgin anymore either. Every time he said my name in the heat of it, it sounded so damn good—like music tuned specifically to my ears. He loved biting and leaving marks, and now there was an obscene amount of them all over me. My body still felt wrecked. My mind? Still trying to catch up. The first light of dawn slipped through the curtains, soft and golden, casting a gentle hue across the rumpled sheets. I turned over—and there he was. Damien's sculpted torso rose and fell with
"Jack!" Damien's voice rang out, sharp with alarm. Before I could react, Emmett's hands were around my throat, tightening like a vice. My air was cut off instantly, my vision tunneling. He was trying to choke me out. Not happening. I gritted my teeth and kicked his shin with all the force I could muster. A pained grunt escaped him as his leg buckled, his grip loosening just enough for me to break free. Seizing the opportunity, I grabbed him by the collar and yanked him forward. Then I closed my eyes and bit down on his neck. Hard. Pain shot through my jaw as my teeth sank into flesh. Warm, metallic-tasting blood rushed into my mouth, the coppery tang coating my tongue. Emmett screamed—a raw, agonized sound—as he shoved me off him, stumbling to the ground, his hands clamping over the wound, desperately trying to stop the bleeding. Spitting out the blood, I wiped my mouth on the back of my hand and spotted a large rock nearby. Perfect. I picked it up, weighing it in my hands
{TW: violence} Emmett's car screeched to a halt in front of the old warehouse, headlights cutting through the dimly lit lot. I stood waiting, arms crossed, as he slammed the door shut and stormed toward me. His glare was the hardest I'd ever seen from anyone—he sure was pissed. "Jack Spencer, you cocky asshole!" he roared. "How dare you play around with me?! Do you even know what you've done?! You motherfucker!" I smirked, unfazed. "What did I do? I followed the rules," I said casually. "You took the money and ran before the results came out. Did I scare you that much?" "You little rat!" "Only one of us is acting like a little rat right now," I taunted. "I can actually help you out if you ask nicely." "You bitch!" he spat, fists clenching at his sides. He took a deep breath, trying to compose himself, but his rage was barely held back. "Did you think it would be worth a try to fight here or something?!" Then, something changed. His glare wavered, replaced by something almost de
"Let's get fired up!" Clap-clap-clap-clap. "We are fired up!" Clap-clap-clap-clap. As the football players took the field, the cheerleaders worked to get the crowd energized, their hands clapping in perfect rhythm. "Really fired up!" Clap-clap-clap-clap. The crowd erupted into cheers, and I scanned the field, telling myself I wasn't looking for Damien and Jason—I was just looking. But when I spotted them sitting with a few other players, my stomach did a little flip. "Let's go, Tigers!" Beatrix yelled through her bullhorn. Off to the side, Jared stood in his full mascot outfit—a giant fuzzy orange-and-black-striped jumpsuit topped with an oversized tiger head. When the cheerleaders hit their final pose, he rushed in, slid to a stop on one knee, and threw out his arms like he'd just pulled off the greatest trick in the world. Idiot. The crowd clapped listlessly. A few half-hearted whistles floated through the air. The coach wasted no time, yelling for the cheerleaders to
{TW: Fight} For the past two weeks, we had been attending amateur sports matches, and everything had gone exactly as I planned. The underdog teams were winning—thanks to the extra funding I had helped secure for harsher trainers and last-minute substitutions. Basketball was already over, and the second match had ended in a reverse victory. Now, with only one game left, I was certain Emmett had caught on by now. Desperation would make him reckless. He would most likely send someone to stop my winning streak. Which is why I had come more than prepared. This was all part of the plan—to make him notice me, to make him move first. And I took full advantage of the fact that there was no upper limit on bets. If I kept going unchecked, Beck10 would have no commission left. Soon, they'd have no choice but to inquire about the dividends themselves. The most logical move would be to scam me now, but they hadn't. Which meant they still had someone in their corner, raising the stakes a