Again?
Why is this happening again?
In his previous life, his senior brother had lost his job in the exact same way—suddenly, unjustly—and afterward, his entire life descended into chaos. It was the beginning of his misfortune, a downward spiral from which he never recovered.
And now?
He'd been reborn for barely two days, and his senior brother's situation was even worse!
Back then, at least he only lost his job. But now?
He was directly thrown into jail.
All of this… all because of him!
He had only just gotten a second chance at life—forty-eight hours to be exact—and within that time, he'd landed in the hospital, and his brother had landed behind bars. It was a domino of disasters.
It felt like the entire world, the whole society, was filled with malicious intent toward him.
Could it be… was God helping the enemy? Helping that damn demon?
An overwhelming sense of powerlessness crept over his body like a cold fog. Was he going to lose again this time? Was fate predetermined, impossible to change no matter how hard he tried?
No!
He clenched his fists tightly under the bedsheets and roared silently in his heart.
No! I refuse to admit defeat!
God gave me this chance—this rare second life—not to watch me fail again. No. It was to let me make up for my past regrets. To give me the strength and knowledge to defeat the villain this time around.
"The show's just getting started, Rayden Wolfe!" Caleb Chen gritted his teeth, his eyes blazing with determination. "This time, I'll make you pay. The pain you inflicted on me—I'll return it tenfold, no, a hundredfold!"
Meanwhile…
Rayden Wolfe sat in his office, deep in thought.
Although he had successfully cut off one of Caleb Chen's key allies, he didn't allow himself to relax. That would be a rookie mistake. Caleb wasn't just some minor character in the story of fate—he was the protagonist.
The very embodiment of destiny's chosen one.
Which meant that no matter how bad things looked for him now, he'd find a way to bounce back. Protagonists always did.
Rayden tapped his fingers lightly on the edge of his desk.
Let him catch his breath, and he'll be back, stronger than before.
As for taking care of Caleb himself?
He chuckled softly.
That would be far too much trouble.
After all, Rayden Wolfe wasn't up against just one protagonist. There were multiple protagonists. And not just protagonists—there were also many villains. Hidden masters. Reborn geniuses. Old monsters. Arrogant young heirs. All of them had fate's protection, some form of divine plot armor.
If he let down his guard even once—if he made just one mistake—he could lose everything.
They could fail again and again. But I only need to fail once for it all to be over.
That was the cruel nature of his existence.
Which meant he had to be extremely careful. Every move he made had to be calculated. Every action, seamless. Every scheme, flawless.
Never leave behind any handles.
If something could be done without lifting a finger—perfect. Let someone else take the fall. Borrow others' hands to settle the score. Let pawns bleed while he reaped the rewards.
Not invincible, perhaps… but untouchable.
That was the only way to survive.
Besides, personally getting involved felt beneath him now. It wasn't up to the standard of a true villain.
In his previous life, he'd used countless schemes and traps to toy with protagonists until they were half-dead, terrified to even hear his name. They called him the Demon King of Chaos.
The most terrifying man alive.
And now that he had been reborn?
More powerful. More cunning. More ruthless.
How could he not win?
"Let's play slowly," he murmured with a confident smile. "No need to rush."
That afternoon, Rayden arrived at the Songridge Medical Center in a good mood. He wasn't here for Caleb this time, but to meet someone special—Sophie Quinn.
Sophie was a smart, competent woman—headstrong, compassionate, and not easily swayed. She was currently busy handling the fallout from a certain doctor's rather… dramatic actions.
When she spotted Rayden approaching, she immediately waved him over.
"I heard you were at the scene. One of the key witnesses," she said, brushing her hair back with a sigh. "What exactly happened?"
Rayden spoke clearly and calmly, giving her the full picture.
"I had gone to visit Caleb Chen. Just as I reached the door of his room, I heard a blood-curdling scream—so loud it echoed through the entire floor. Naturally, I rushed in with some of the nearby nurses."
"And what did you see?" Sophie asked, frowning.
Rayden's expression turned grave. "Dr. Simon Zhao was holding a long, thick silver needle, and he had already stabbed it into Caleb's chest—close to the heart. It was embedded at least seven or eight centimeters deep. It looked… terrifying."
Sophie's eyes widened slightly. "That deep?"
Rayden nodded. "We restrained Dr. Zhao immediately. Ten minutes later, the police arrived and took him away. That's about it."
There was no exaggeration. No cover-up. Just cold, honest truth.
Sophie pinched the bridge of her nose, clearly distressed.
"But why would Dr. Zhao do something like that?" she muttered. "He's Caleb's senior brother, and their relationship has always been close. It makes no sense."
Rayden shrugged slightly. "He claimed he was trying to save Caleb, not harm him."
"By stabbing a needle into his heart?" Sophie said bitterly. "That doesn't sound like any treatment I've heard of."
"It was a very thick needle, too," Rayden added. "Definitely not something a sane person would use without justification."
Sophie sighed heavily, her mind still reeling from the situation.
She didn't want to believe that Dr. Simon Zhao would hurt his own junior brother, but the facts painted a bleak picture. There were witnesses. There was evidence. And while the motive remained murky, the public optics were disastrous.
A doctor attempting murder inside a hospital? That would make headlines for all the wrong reasons.
"This is going to be bad for our hospital," Sophie said at last. "No matter how it ends, the damage has already been done. Who's going to trust a doctor like that again?"
Rayden looked at her sympathetically. "So… what's the hospital's move?"
"We have no choice," Sophie said helplessly. "We've suspended Dr. Zhao pending investigation. But even if he's found innocent, we'll probably have to let him go. Public image matters. We'll find a reason to terminate his contract quietly."
She looked weary. The weight of responsibility was clearly taking its toll.
Rayden smiled gently and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Let's not dwell on the ugliness for now. It's dinner time. I discovered a new restaurant that just opened a few blocks away. Reviews are great. Care to try it with me?"
Sophie rolled her eyes, though her lips twitched in amusement.
"Eat, eat, eat… is that all you think about?"
Rayden grinned. "Yes. But more importantly, I don't like seeing you frown. Come on. Let's unwind a little."
"Fine." Sophie sighed dramatically. "Only because I'll need the energy to cry about this later."
"That's the spirit!" Rayden chuckled. "Come on. I'll drive."
As they walked out together under the dimming sky, the city lights flickered on, casting golden reflections across the pavement. Behind them, the hospital bustled with activity, but for now, they left the chaos behind.
In two days, a storm had already begun to stir.
And yet, neither of them knew—
This was just the beginning.
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