The Final Cut

In my past life, I spent ten years turning Alexander from a broke nobody into a billionaire.

In return, he teamed up with my adopted sister, drove my parents to their deaths, and threw me into the fire with his own hands.

As I lay dying, a cold mechanical voice echoed in my mind: Congratulations, Host, on completing the early angst arc. After rebirth, please use a gentler love to redeem him.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back back to the day Alexander was pinned down in an underground casino, about to lose a hand.

The system told me to step in and take the blade for him. I smiled and said yes. I grabbed the knife right out of the man's hand and brought it down myself. Alexander's blood splattered all over my face.

The underground casino reeked of cheap cigarettes and blood.

"Hold him down! You think you can cheat at my table and walk away with both hands?!"

The scarred man's roar shook the walls.

I stood in a dim corner, watching Alexander get slammed onto the gambling table with cold, detached eyes.

That sharp, arrogant face of his was smeared with dust and cold sweat.

His eyes wild, like a cornered animal were locked straight onto me.

Beneath the surface churned desperation, humiliation, and the faintest flicker of a plea for help.

This exact moment, in my past life, was when those eyes fooled me.

I had thrown myself forward like a madwoman, taking that rusted cleaver for him.

The tendon in my right hand was severed. I never held a paintbrush again.

And he he gave me one cold glance, then calmly reached over and took the check I'd brought to pay off his debt.

Host! Step forward immediately and take the blade for the male lead!

Current blackening level: 90%. Redemption progress: 0%.

Please follow the original script and warm his cold heart with your selfless love!

The sharp mechanical voice screeched inside my head.

I picked up a half-finished glass of red wine from the bar and gave it a slow swirl.

The deep crimson liquid spun inside the glass just like the blood pooling around my parents when they died.

My dear little sister Chloe had been curled up in Alexander's arms at the time, smiling sweet and cruel all at once.

A tearing pain radiated from somewhere deep in my chest.

I lowered my eyes, buried every emotion, and swallowed down the bitterness and hatred rising in my throat. Then I took a quiet sip of wine.

Warning! Host behavior has critically deviated from the main storyline!

The system blared an alarm.

I ignored it.

"Victoria! What are you doing standing all the way over there?! You here to watch me suffer?!"

Alexander finally snapped. He ground his teeth, his voice rough and low as he snarled at me.

He was always like this demanding things from me like it was his birthright.

As if I had been put on this earth to give him everything.

I let out a soft laugh and drained the rest of my wine.

"Yeah," I said. My voice was quiet, but it carried clearly to his ears. "I'm here to watch you lose that hand."

Alexander's pupils shrank.

He stared at me like he didn't recognize me anymore.

"You think playing hard to get is going to make me grateful?" He let out a cold laugh. "Victoria, you're disgusting."

I looked at his smug, superior expression even now, with a blade about to come down on him and thought: the version of me from my past life was a complete and utter fool.

"What are you waiting for?" I glanced over at the scarred man. "Looks like he doesn't want that hand anyway."

The scarred man blinked then broke into a vicious grin.

The blade came down.

"AAAGH!"

A raw, agonized scream tore through the entire underground casino.

Blood splattered across the green felt of the gambling table. It was a brutal sight.

Alexander crumpled to the floor, clutching his bleeding right hand, his eyes burning into me filled with hatred.

I set the empty wine glass back on the bar and walked out.

This time, I was going to watch him every step of the way as he fell into the abyss.

The early autumn night breeze carried a faint chill.

I pushed open the front door of the Astor family villa.

The living room was bright and warm.

Mom was arranging flowers. Dad sat in his reading glasses, watching the financial news.

When they saw me walk in, Mom immediately set down her scissors and came toward me.

"Vicky, why are you home so late? It's windy out are you cold?"

Dad looked up too. He didn't say anything, but the worry in his eyes was impossible to hide.

The moment I saw their faces alive, real, right in front of me my eyes filled with tears.

I stepped forward and pulled Mom into a tight hug.

"Mom Dad"

I breathed them in, almost desperately, like I was trying to hold onto the feeling forever.

In my past life, this house had burned to ash. And my parents they had been driven to jump from the rooftop.

"Hey, what's all this? Who upset my little princess?" Mom rubbed my back gently, her voice full of tenderness.

I shook my head and forced the tears back down.

"Nothing. I just missed you guys."

I made a silent vow: in this life, anyone who dared to touch the Astor family even slightly I would make them pay with everything they had.

I had barely steadied myself when hurried footsteps sounded just outside the door.

Chloe walked in supporting Alexander, whose face was deathly pale and whose right hand was wrapped in thick bandages.

Chloe's eyes were red and swollen, looking utterly pitiful.

"Victoria, you're back," she said, glancing at me timidly. "I was passing by that off-the-books clinic on the south side of town and found Alexander badly hurt."

"I always thought you cared about him more than anyone. How could you just leave him there alone?"

"I couldn't bear to, so I brought him home. Please don't be upset with me for taking matters into my own hands."

In just a few sentences, she'd painted me as a cold-blooded, heartless woman who'd let someone die without lifting a finger.

And she was the kind, pure-hearted savior.

In my previous life, I fell for that fake-innocent act of hers.

I thought she was a sweet, well-behaved little sister. I had no idea she'd already been secretly involved with Alexander, the two of them plotting to strip the Astor family of everything.

Alexander leaned weakly against the doorframe, cold sweat soaking through his shirt.

He looked past Chloe, his gaze cutting straight toward me.

There was a hidden challenge in his eyes.

He was waiting for me to lose it waiting for me to rush over and fuss over him with worried questions.

After all, in the past, even if he got the tiniest scratch, I'd be too anxious to sleep for the entire night.

Dad frowned. "Chloe, why are you bringing strangers home? What happened to his hand?"

Chloe's tears came tumbling down.

"Dad, Alexander is in such a bad way someone slashed his hand. If I hadn't helped him, he could've bled out."

As she cried, she snuck glances at me, watching my reaction.

I sat on the sofa, picked up the cup of black tea the housekeeper had just brewed, and blew on it gently.

Alexander's brow furrowed deeply.

My calm was making him inexplicably irritated.

"Victoria." He finally couldn't hold back anymore. His voice was weak but laced with suppressed anger. "Are you done with your little tantrum?"

I set down my teacup and looked up at him.

"Alexander, who the hell do you think you are? You're not worth throwing a tantrum over."

My tone was completely flat, without a single ripple of emotion.

"If Chloe likes picking up strays, let her. The Astor estate is big enough we can afford to feed one more."

Alexander's face turned ashen instantly.

He stared at me, his chest heaving violently. The movement pulled at his wound, and he sucked in a sharp breath from the pain.

Chloe was stunned too.

"Victoria, how could you say something like that about Alexander"

"Shut up." I cut her off coldly. "You brought him here, so you pay his medical bills. Don't expect the Astor family to spend a single dime. And don't let him stain the Persian rugs they're expensive."

With that, I stood up and walked straight toward the stairs.

As I passed Alexander, he suddenly shot out his left hand and tried to grab my wrist.

"Victoria, what the hell is wrong with you today!" he growled through gritted teeth.

I stepped aside and brushed off my sleeve with distaste.

"Don't touch me. You're filthy."

In the days that followed, Alexander naturally settled into one of the Astor family's guest rooms.

Chloe used looking after him as an excuse to hover around him all day long.

The two of them went everywhere together, exchanging glances and secret smiles.

At dinner, Chloe even made a show of coyly serving food onto Alexander's plate right in front of me.

Dad couldn't stand it. He dropped hints more than once that Alexander should move out.

Each time, Chloe threw a massive fit crying, screaming, threatening that if they kicked Alexander out while his hand wasn't healed, it was the same as sending him to his death.

Everyone expected me to be jealous. Everyone expected me to snap.

But I didn't.

Every day, I followed Dad to the office, learning the core business operations, and handled several important documents with swift, decisive action.

When I came home, I didn't spare either of them a single glance.

That total indifference sent Alexander into a panic.

He was used to me chasing after him. He was used to me making him the center of my entire world.

Now that his prey had suddenly slipped out of his control, his pathetic ego took a massive hit.

On Saturday evening, I had just stepped out of the shower when there was a knock at my door.

Alexander pushed it open and walked in.

He was wearing a clean shirt. The bandages on his right hand were already gone, leaving behind a jagged scar.

He was holding a neatly packaged dessert box.

"Vicky." He softened his voice and walked toward me.

"Chloe's been working so hard taking care of me these past few days. I spent a little extra time with her don't give me the silent treatment anymore."

He set the box on the table, his tone carrying the air of someone bestowing a favor.

"These are the mango mille crepe cakes from your favorite place. I stood in line for two hours to get them."

This is Alexander.

Every time he hurts me, he tries to make it up to me with some cheap gesture like this.

In my past life, the tiniest bit of sweetness from him was enough to move me to tears.

Even though I'm severely allergic to mangoes.

To avoid putting a damper on his mood, I'd force myself to swallow every bite, endure the agony of my swollen throat in silence, then sneak antihistamines in the middle of the night.

I stared at the beautifully wrapped box and let out a cold laugh.

"Take it away."

I didn't even glance at him. I went back to flipping through the proposal in my hands.

Alexander's expression darkened.

"Victoria, how long are you going to keep this up?" His patience had run out. "I already swallowed my pride to come and smooth things over, and you're still going to push me like this? Do you have any idea how unreasonable you're being right now?"

I finally closed the proposal and looked up at him.

Staring at the face I once loved with every fiber of my being, all I felt was nausea.

"Alexander, do you think all you have to do is snap your fingers, and I'll come crawling to you like a dog wagging its tail?"

I stood up, grabbed the dessert box, and walked over to the trash can.

Let go.

With a thud, the delicate mango mille crepe hit the bottom and turned into a pile of mush.

"I'm allergic to mangoes. Did you not know that?" I watched his expression freeze, and said each word slowly. "When you bought this was it actually to make me feel better, or just to make yourself feel good about the gesture?"

Alexander's face twisted.

He stared hard at the ruined cake in the trash, his hands balling into fists at his sides.

"Victoria, my patience has limits!"

I smiled.

"Funny. Mine just hit its limit too."

I pointed at the door.

"Now get out of my room. First thing tomorrow morning, pack your things and get out of the Astor family home."

Alexander went completely still.

He finally realized I wasn't throwing a tantrum. I was genuinely done with him.

A flicker of panic crossed his eyes, but it was quickly swallowed by something darker.

Just then, Chloe's timid voice drifted in from outside the door.

"Victoria, please don't kick Alexander out."

Chloe pushed the door open and walked in, her eyes red.

"Alexander's hand may be injured, but he's really talented. Dad already agreed to let him intern in Astor Group's R&D department."

I narrowed my eyes, looking at the two of them.

So that's what this is about.

Couldn't even wait a little longer before trying to sink their hands into the core of Astor Group, could they?

Alexander met my gaze, his chin lifting slightly, that familiar air of cold arrogance settling back over him.

"Victoria, I'll prove to you that I'm not some deadweight who needs to leech off you."

Alexander got exactly what he wanted a spot in Astor Group's R&D department.

With his genuine talent and his relentless, almost obsessive drive, he carved out a solid position for himself in the department within just one month.

He was desperate to prove himself to me.

He pushed himself hard every single day, staying at the office late into the night.

Rumors started circulating around the company that he was the future son-in-law of the Astor family, a rare tech prodigy.

Every time we crossed paths in the hallway, he'd look at me with that pointed, meaningful gaze.

He thought it would make me feel threatened. That I'd come running back to him.

What he didn't know was that every move he'd made was exactly what I had planned for.

Because Astor Group was about to launch the development of its "Deep Sea" AI medical chip.

In my past life, it was this very project that became the spark that burned the Astor family to the ground.

Alexander had used his position in the R&D department to quietly steal the core source code for "Deep Sea."

He then handed it over to a shell tech company that Chloe had secretly registered under a fake name.

In the end, Astor Group didn't just miss its window in the market the massive R&D funds poured into the project couldn't be recovered, and the cash flow collapsed entirely.

My father had scrambled to save the company, borrowing from every direction he could, until they finally maneuvered him into a corner with no way out.

This time, I was the one who made the first move.

I granted the senior researchers in the R&D department access to the core code repository for "Deep Sea."

Of course, that code had been carefully... dressed up by a top-tier hacker I'd hired.

On the day of the Annual Tech Summit, every seat in the venue was taken.

Alexander stood at the entrance in a perfectly tailored bespoke suit.

He radiated the sharp, hungry energy of someone who was absolutely certain he was about to win nothing left of the disheveled wreck I'd seen at that casino.

When he spotted me walking toward him, he stepped forward to meet me.

"Vicky," he said, lowering his voice with the condescending air of someone doing her a favor. "All you have to do is swallow your pride right now, apologize to Chloe, and promise to stop going after her. In return, I'll hand over a core piece of technology I hold to Astor Groupfree of chargeand protect Astor Group's standing in the industry."

He thought he had Astor Group by the throat.

He thought he'd finally found a way to crush me under his heel and force me to submit.

I looked at him standing there, so full of himself, and almost laughed.

"Alexander, are you out of your mind?" I shot back without an ounce of courtesy.

His expression darkened. He reached out to grab my shoulder.

"Victoria, don't make this harder on yourself than it has to be. You have no idea what you're walking into. Don't make me be the one to tear that pride of yours apart."

I stepped aside, avoiding his hand, and stared at him coldly.

"Go ahead. I'd love to see you try."

The summit officially began.

Tech companies took the stage one by one to showcase their latest innovations.

When the host announced "Starlight Tech"the name of Chloe's shell companya wave of murmurs rippled through the room.

After all, it was a brand-new company that no one had ever heard of.

But when Alexander walked onto the stage as Starlight Tech Chief Technology Officer and unveiled their AI medical chip called "Nova" the entire room went silent.

Because Nova's specifications and architecture were nearly identical to Astor Group's "Deep Sea" chipmatching it almost point for point, and even edging it out slightly in certain processing speeds.

Alexander stood beneath the spotlight, his gaze burning as he looked down at me from the stage.

He was waiting for me to look shocked. Desperate. Shattered.

Waiting for me to crawl to him and beg.

Chloe sat nearby, the satisfaction on her face impossible to hide.

The investors in the audience were buzzing, throwing offers at Starlight Tech left and right.

The host announced with barely contained excitement, "Starlight Technologies' Nova chip is, without a doubt, a landmark breakthrough in medical technology!"

Thunderous applause. Alexander looked at me through the crowd, his eyes gleaming with the arrogance of a man who thought he'd already won.

"Victoria," he mouthed slowly. "I told you you'd regret this."

I ignored him. Instead, I reached into my bag and pulled out a slim laptop.

I stood up and walked straight toward the stage.

I grabbed the microphone right out of the host's hand.

"Congratulations to Starlight Tech," I said, my voice steady and clear, "for successfully unveiling a ticking time bomb that could blow up the entire global healthcare system."