Live One More Time

1
On my wedding day, the charity case my fiancée sponsored crashed in, bloodied and weeping. Claire, don't! He'll destroy your family!
Furious, I demanded, Jack, what nonsense is this?
I've been reborn—I know the truth! he pleaded. He and his parents planned the accident that killed your parents! Search his house now!
Claire gave me an icy look and made the call. Her men found a detailed plan to seize her family's fortune and eliminate her parents.
Enraged, she slapped me repeatedly, then had her security break my legs. "You heartless monster," she hissed.
The wedding was canceled. Within a month, my family's company was bankrupt, and my depressed parents died. Claire tortured me to death, hanging my body from a helicopter.
When I reopened my eyes, I was back to the day Claire brought Jack home to work at our company.
…
My eyes flew open, a cold sweat drenching my back. It wasn't until I heard Claire's clear, bright voice beside me that I realized the impossible had happened.
I had been reborn.
"Ethan, what do you think about making Jack my new executive assistant? His grades were fantastic, and he won a ton of scholarships."
Jack sat across from us, a harmless, almost cherubic smile on his face. My fingers dug so deep into my palms that my nails drew blood. In my last life, that very smile had been the prelude to the complete annihilation of my world.
"Ethan? Are you alright? You look pale," Claire asked, her voice laced with concern as she gently touched my forehead.
I forced down the tidal wave of hatred rising in my throat and managed a weak smile. "I'm fine. Just didn't sleep well last night."
I extended a hand toward Jack. "Hello. I'm Ethan Rhodes, Claire's fiancé."
Jack took my hand, his grip surprisingly firm. He gave me a shy, unassuming grin. "It's an honor, Mr. Rhodes. You're just as impressive as Claire always says."
My blood ran cold. In my past life, his first words to me were, "I've heard so much about you."
"Have we met?" I asked, pulling my hand back with practiced ease.
"Only through Claire's stories," Jack answered smoothly, his smile never wavering.
I didn't press him. After a few more minutes of small talk, I pulled Claire aside. "Are you sure about this? He's fresh out of college, no real-world experience."
Claire's brow furrowed slightly. "Jack was president of the student union. He's brilliant. I'm sure he can handle it."
"Alright," I said after a moment's pause, feigning concession. "Let's bring him on as my intern assistant first. It'll keep the office gossip to a minimum."
Her eyes lit up. "Really? Oh, I knew you'd come around!" She looped her arm through Jack's affectionately. "Jack, what do you say? Go on, thank Ethan."
As Jack bowed his head in gratitude, I caught the fleeting, triumphant smirk that ghosted across his lips.
Claire turned back to him, her tone softening. "By the way, Jack, have you found a place to live yet?"
Jack looked down, a flicker of embarrassment crossing his features. "Not yet, Claire. I… haven't found anything suitable."
"Well, that settles it," she declared with a cheerful clap of her hands. "You'll stay with us! The guest wing is empty, and you can ride to work with Ethan every day. It's perfect."
My fists clenched at my sides, my knuckles turning white. That was it. That was the decision that, last time, gave him the key to my home, the opportunity to plant the fabricated 'murder plot' and frame me.
"Claire," I said, my voice carefully neutral, "he just got here. Wouldn't it be a little awkward having him stay with us? I can arrange a corporate apartment for him near the office."
She waved a dismissive hand. "Oh, Ethan, don't be so formal. Jack's like a little brother to me. It'll be nice to have him around."
Right on cue, Jack beamed with gratitude. "Thank you, Claire. I promise I won't be any trouble."
The next morning, Jack was already waiting in the garage when I came down.
I tossed him the car keys. "Can you drive?"
He fumbled with the keys, a look of distress on his face. "Mr. Rhodes, I… I don't have my license. I keep failing the practical exam."
I stared at him, a wave of dark humor washing over me. Two lifetimes, and the man still couldn't pass a simple driving test. How in God's name did I let myself be destroyed by this person?
Claire plucked the keys from Jack's hand and pressed them back into mine.
"Honestly, Ethan. Jack's been so focused on his studies, when would he have had time to get a license? Besides, you're perfectly capable of driving."
With that, she ushered a grateful Jack into the back seat.
I didn't argue. Once we got to the office, I walked Jack through his responsibilities.
"So, the workflow is pretty straightforward. If you have any questions…"
"Don't you worry, Mr. Rhodes," Jack interrupted, a confident smile spreading across his face. "I'm very familiar with the work."
Familiar?
My eyes narrowed. After dismissing him, I called in a few of my most trusted team members and instructed them to watch Jack's every move.
I was going to find out if he really was this so-called 'reincarnator'.
Just like in my past life, Jack assimilated into the office culture within days. He was charming, efficient, and surprisingly adept at his job. Claire was practically glowing with pride.
"See? What did I tell you? My judgment is better than yours, isn't it?"
I had to admit, with Jack handling the minutiae, my workload did lighten considerably. But that only made me more vigilant.
"Mr. Rhodes," Jack said, stepping into my office one afternoon. "There's a venture capital negotiation next Monday that you and Ms. Fairchild need to attend. Also, Sunday is her birthday. I overheard her mentioning she was craving cake the other day."
My hand froze, the pen hovering over a contract. My fingertips began to tremble. This was it. This was the moment it all started to unravel last time.
Claire was severely allergic to mangoes.
On her birthday, Jack had secretly told her that the cake I'd bought was a mango cake, a deliberate attempt to put her in the hospital so she'd miss the negotiation.
Aura Innovations was a company Claire and I had built from the ground up, a testament to our ambition outside our family legacies. Jack exploited that, twisting the narrative to make it seem like I was trying to sideline her, planting the first seeds of distrust between us.
I looked up at Jack's smiling face and nodded slowly. "Right. Thanks for the reminder. You can go."
On Sunday morning, I drove to La Belle Patisserie, the high-end bakery Claire loved.
"The usual, Mr. Rhodes?" the owner greeted me warmly. "Strawberry cream with a vanilla bean filling?"
"That's the one," I confirmed, sliding an ornate gift box across the counter. "But I need you to use this box for it."
As I left the shop, I made a call. "Keep a close eye on Jack. I want a report of his every move."
At three in the afternoon, my phone buzzed with a message and a photo from my surveillance team: [Jack just went to 'The Sweet Haven' bakery on the west side. He's carrying a cake box.]
Moments later, a text from Jack himself arrived: [Mr. Rhodes, I've already picked up the cake and brought it home, so you don't have to make the trip.]
A cold smile touched my lips. So this was the master plan of a 'reincarnator'?
That evening, our villa was ablaze with lights and filled with guests.
I placed the cake on the crystal table in the center of the grand hall. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jack watching the box, a triumphant smirk playing on his lips. He thought he had already won.
"Happy birthday, Claire," I said, offering her the cake knife with a smile.
Just as she was about to make the first cut, Jack lunged forward. "Claire, wait!"
The entire party turned to look at him.
His face was a mask of worry. "The cake Ethan bought… it isn't a mango cake, is it?"
Claire laughed lightly. "Of course not. Ethan knows I'm allergic to mangoes."
I feigned surprise. "Jack, what are you talking about? Why on earth would I buy a mango cake when Claire is allergic?"
He shook his head, his voice firm with conviction. "Mr. Rhodes, I know you've been wanting more control over the company, but you can't play with Claire's life like this!"
A flicker of doubt crossed Claire's face. Her hand trembled slightly.
I sighed dramatically and lifted the lid of the box. Inside sat a beautiful strawberry cream cake, perfectly intact.
"Jack, are you sure you're feeling alright?" I asked, my voice calm but my gaze sharp.
The color drained from Jack's face. His lips quivered. "No… that's impossible… I saw…"
"You saw what?" I took a step closer. "You seem awfully certain I was going to buy a mango cake."
Claire frowned. "Jack, maybe you've been working too hard lately."
He shook his head frantically. "Claire, I… I was just worried about you!"
I let out a cold laugh and took out my phone. I played a security video on the large screen in the hall. The footage showed Jack sneaking into 'The Sweet Haven' bakery and placing a cake box in the trunk of his car.
"I spoke with the staff. It was you who picked up a mango cake from their shop this afternoon," I said, my voice dropping to an icy tone as I held up the text message he'd sent me. "The evidence is all right here. So tell me, Jack, who is really trying to harm Claire?"
Claire's expression hardened. A wave of shocked murmurs rippled through the crowd of guests.
"Oh, Ethan," Jack sighed then, shaking his head with a look of profound disappointment. "I really did give you a chance."
"What's that supposed to mean?" I demanded.
"I took that cake to St. Jude's Home for Children," Jack said, pulling out his phone to show a series of photos of himself sharing a mango cake with smiling orphans. Then his eyes locked onto mine. "And Ethan… are you absolutely sure the filling in your cake is vanilla?"
At his words, Claire snatched the cake knife and sliced straight down through the center of the cake. Beneath the layer of pristine vanilla cream, a thick, bright yellow spread of mango puree was revealed.
"That's not possible!" I shot to my feet.
Jack’s face was a portrait of heartbreak. "Claire… even after I knew his plan and tried to switch the cakes to a safe one… I can't believe he still managed to…"
Claire's face was a storm of fury and betrayal. Her hand flew up and cracked across my face with a resounding slap.
"Ethan Rhodes! How could you?! If it wasn't for Jack, I could be…!" Her voice broke. "I think we need to seriously reconsider our relationship!"
I stood there, stunned into silence. How was this possible?
The accusations erupted from all corners of the room.
"A grown man resorting to such pathetic tricks! Has he no shame?"
"He looks so polished on the outside, but inside he's just rotten!"
"How did Claire ever get involved with a man like that?"
…
Late that night, I was in my study, furiously rewatching the surveillance footage. Finally, in a tiny, almost unnoticeable corner of the screen, I saw it: Jack exchanging a discreet handshake and an envelope with the very man I had hired to watch him. He had been bought.
My fists clenched, my nails digging into my palms.
Could it be? Was Jack actually a reincarnator?
But if that was true… then why could he anticipate my every move when I, too, had been reborn?
Over the next month, the chasm between Claire and me grew wider. We were rarely seen in the same room.
In the executive boardroom, the beam of the projector cut a sharp blue line through the dim light. I stood before the screen, pointing to the latest market analysis. "The renewable energy storage project. The technology is 90% mature, with a projected ROI of 238%. We could monopolize the market within three years."
The board members murmured amongst themselves, many of them nodding in approval.
Suddenly, Jack cleared his throat, a hesitant look on his face. All eyes turned to him.
Claire frowned. "Jack, do you have something to add?"
He stood, his expression grave. "Ms. Fairchild, I know it's not my place to speak in a meeting like this, but I have to say something. This project… it's a complete and utter fraud."
The room fell silent.
Jack produced a file. "According to my investigation, three months from now, the project's core technology team will walk out en masse. The patent will be declared invalid." He looked at Claire, his voice heavy. "If we invest, our losses will be… at least two billion dollars."
Claire's fingers tapped restlessly on the mahogany table, a nervous habit of hers. "Ethan," she said, her gaze shifting to me. "Did you run a risk assessment on this?"
I calmly opened my laptop. "The entire tech team has signed five-year non-compete agreements. The patent has been registered in thirty-seven countries." I pulled up another notarized document. "And this is their patent guarantee. The penalty for breach of contract is three times our investment."
Jack interjected sharply. "Mr. Rhodes, how can you be sure those documents aren't forgeries?"
"Jack! Remember your place!" I snapped.
Claire's eyes darted between the two of us.
I initiated a video call. The project lead's face appeared on the screen. "Ms. Fairchild, I can demonstrate the stability of the core technology for you right now…"
"That won't be necessary," Claire said, raising a hand to cut him off. Her voice was flat. "This project is on hold indefinitely."
I stared at her, the anger finally boiling over. "Why?!"
"There is no 'why'," she returned, her voice devoid of emotion.
"Claire…"
"Enough!" She shot me a withering glare before turning to Jack. "The overseas acquisition you mentioned before. How are the preparations coming along?"
A smile bloomed on Jack's face as he instantly produced a new proposal. "The Singapore logistics venture. The ROI is only 35%, but it's a rock-solid investment."
"Good."
"Thank you for your trust, Ms. Fairchild," Jack said, his eyes flicking to me, his smile widening.
I sank back into my chair, silent.
That night, I secretly registered an offshore company: Keystone Capital. Through a three-tiered structure of shell corporations, no one could trace it back to me. The next day, under the banner of Keystone Capital, I made the first investment into the renewable energy project.
At the same time, Aura Innovations began funneling millions into the Singapore project Jack had recommended.
In Claire's office, Jack handed her a stack of papers.
"Claire, take a look at this. It's just as I suspected. Ethan has changed."
Claire's face tightened as she read the name. "Keystone Capital?"
Jack pointed to a record of emails. "Exactly. It's a new firm that just surfaced. They've invested in the same renewable energy project Ethan was pushing. And look at these emails… it appears Mr. Rhodes has been secretly transferring our company's proprietary tech data to them."
Her fingers curled into a fist. "Can you trace who's behind Keystone?"
Jack shook his head. "They've hidden it well. It'll take time. But there's no doubt Mr. Rhodes is involved."
"This can't be happening…" Claire slammed her fist on the desk.
"I know you don't want to believe it," Jack sighed, "but the facts are the facts."
A week later, Jack turned his laptop screen toward Claire.
"Claire, I found it. Look at the ownership structure for Keystone Capital…"
On the screen, a complex web of offshore entities ultimately led to a single name: Ethan Rhodes.
Her nails dug into her palms, drawing blood. Her voice was a choked whisper. "It really is him."
Jack sighed again, the picture of sorrowful duty. "Claire, the proof is right in front of you. I'm afraid Mr. Rhodes has been planning his exit strategy for a while. Once the Singapore deal bankrupts Aura, he can use Keystone Capital to buy up our core assets for pennies on the dollar."
Claire shot to her feet. "I'm going to ask him myself."
She threw open the door to my office, her eyes as cold as a winter storm.
I looked up from my work. "Claire?"
She didn't speak. She just threw the ownership documents onto my desk. "Explain this."
I glanced down, paused for a moment, then met her gaze. "I registered it."
A bitter, humorless laugh escaped her lips. "At least you're not denying it."
I frowned. "It's not to undermine Aura. It's to…"
"To what?" she cut me off, her voice rising. "To use my money and my resources to build your own private company while I'm facing a crisis?!"
"Claire, listen to me," I pleaded, standing up to face her. "The Singapore logistics deal is a trap. Kronos Industries is behind it. The renewable energy project is the future of Aura. I was only trying to—"
"Enough!" she screamed. Her eyes were red-rimmed, but her voice was sharp enough to cut glass. "With the cake, you said Jack framed you. With the project, you said he was lying to me. What about now? Now that we've found a company registered in your own name, are you still going to try and blame someone else?!"
I stood frozen, a crushing weight settling on my chest, making it hard to breathe.
Claire stared at me, her words hitting like bullets. "Ethan Rhodes, as of this moment, you are suspended pending a full investigation. All your corporate access is revoked, and your accounts are frozen. We're going to find out exactly how much you stole from this company."
I stood outside the towering glass facade of our building as the rain began to fall, plastering my hair to my forehead. My phone lit up with notifications: all my accounts frozen. Even my private email had been remotely wiped by Aura's IT department. A final message came through from my assistant: Mr. Rhodes, Ms. Fairchild has sealed your office. They even took your computer… I'm sorry.
That evening, Claire's parents arrived at my home.
Her father sat across from me, his voice cold. "Ethan, for the sake of the long friendship between our families, we're giving you one last chance to walk away from this with some dignity." He slid a document across the table. Voluntary Stock Transfer Agreement.
Claire's mother sighed softly. "Just sign it. Transfer your shares in Keystone Capital to Claire, and we can put this all behind us."
I stared at the document, then I started to laugh. "You really think I set up that company to steal from Aura? Where's Claire?"
"She doesn't want to see you. The evidence is irrefutable. Are you still trying to deny it?"
I slowly looked up, my eyes meeting his. "If I truly wanted to steal from you, why is it that I didn't take a single file related to the core technology of the renewable energy project? Because from the very beginning, the only thing I have ever tried to protect is the future of Aura Innovations."
I picked up the pen and signed my name.
"She can have the shares," I said, my voice flat.
"But Claire Fairchild… she'll go to her grave never knowing what she threw away."
Inside the Fairchild mansion, the atmosphere was suffocating. My father, leaning heavily on his cane, bowed deeply to Claire's. "My friend, it is my failure as a father that has caused you so much trouble."
My mother took Claire's hand, her voice pleading. "Claire, dear, Ethan can be stubborn, but I know he still loves you."
Claire let out a cold laugh, her nails digging into her own palm. "Loves me? Is that what he was thinking about when he was setting up Keystone Capital behind my back?"
My father sighed. "The boy… he was just trying to save the renewable energy project."
"Enough!" Mr. Fairchild slammed his hand on the table. "What good does any of this do now? Thanks to Ethan's little stunt, Aura's stock has plummeted by ten percent! How does the Rhodes family intend to take responsibility for that?"
My mother pulled a folder from her purse. "This is a transfer agreement for thirty percent of the Rhodes Corporation's shares. On one condition…" She glanced at Claire. "That the two of you reconcile and proceed with the wedding as planned. It would be best for both our families."
Mr. Fairchild took the folder, his silence heavy. He looked at his daughter. "Claire, what do you think…?"
She scoffed and stood up, walking out of the room without another word.
…
Late that night, Claire burst into my room.
"Five years," she stated, her voice trembling slightly. "We'll divorce in five years. I'll return the Rhodes shares, and your shares in Aura, in full."
I stood by the window, smoking one cigarette after another. After a long moment, I nodded, the bitterness a sharp taste in my mouth. "Fine."
Her voice shook with repressed fury. "Separate rooms. We don't interfere in each other's private lives. We can pretend to be a happy couple in public, but in private, you are not to touch me."
I nodded again. "Alright…"
A week later, the wedding march echoed through the grand cathedral. I stood at the altar, watching Claire walk down the aisle on her father's arm. She wore the gown I had picked out for her, and she was breathtakingly beautiful. But her eyes were glacial, as if she were approaching a business merger, not a marriage.
Just as the priest began the vows, the great oak doors of the cathedral were thrown open with a deafening crash.
"Claire! You can't marry him!"
Jack stumbled in, covered in blood. His white suit was soaked in crimson, and he staggered before collapsing in the center of the aisle. "After everything he's done… how can you still marry him?!"
"Jack! What are you doing here? What happened to you?!" Claire's face was a mask of horror and concern. She rushed down from the altar to help him.
Jack seemed to steel himself, his hand trembling as he held up a manila envelope. "Claire, do you want to know how I could predict everything Ethan was planning? It's because I've been reborn! I know everything! In our past life, he and his parents hired someone to run your mother and father off the road, to kill them so they could steal your family's company and leave you with nothing!"
He coughed up a spray of blood, his performance so convincing I almost wanted to applaud. "The cake, the investment… I knew all of his schemes! I was only trying to save you!"
"I thought… I thought you wouldn't marry him," he gasped. "But you compromised for the sake of the company. I couldn't bear to see you suffer the same fate again, so I…" He fumbled with the envelope, spilling its contents onto the floor—a stack of photos detailing her parents' daily routines and travel routes, with several high-risk accident locations circled in red.
"I found these… in a hidden safe in Ethan's study…" Jack squeezed his eyes shut in mock agony. "I was trying to get the evidence out… but his men caught me…"
Claire's head snapped up, her eyes locking on me, burning with a rage so intense it felt physical. She clutched the forged photos, her voice a cold, shaking whisper. "Ethan Rhodes. What do you have to say for yourself now?"
Her father was apoplectic. He snatched the photos and threw them in my face. "The wedding is off!" he roared. "From this day forward, the Fairchild and Rhodes families have nothing to do with each other! Get out!"
The guests erupted in a chorus of outrage and condemnation.
"I can't believe the Rhodes heir is that kind of monster!"
"He'd kill his fiancée's parents just for their fortune? He's less than human!"
"Poor Claire, she almost married a viper!"
I stood my ground, my gaze sweeping over their furious faces before finally settling on Jack. His lips were curled into a faint, triumphant smirk, his eyes glinting with victory before he quickly schooled his features back into a mask of pain, slumping weakly against Claire as if he had truly risked his life to save her.
I let out a soft laugh, my eyes flicking to the seats where my parents should have been. They were empty. Of course. They never came.
Slowly, I began to clap, the sound echoing unnervingly through the silent cathedral.
"Brilliant," I said, my eyes fixed on Jack, a cold smile twisting my lips. "Truly brilliant, Jack. An excellent performance. But this time, you've picked the wrong opponent."

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