📍 Location: Kim & Park Holdings – Executive Suite – 8:04 AM
Lila walked into the building like a storm in heels. She always had presence. Dominance. Command.
But this morning, the air felt… thin.
No morning greetings. No assistant at her door. Just a half-open laptop on her polished glass desk with a blinking red message.
"Are you watching, Lila?"
– C."
She blinked.
Then the lights flickered. A brief power surge.
Her phone buzzed rapidly—notification after notification. Social media feeds flooded with videos. Edited. Precise. Brutal.
One showed her belittling Ethan in college during a student pitch meeting:
"You're the idea guy, Ethan. But no one funds dreams. They fund winners."
Another showed her cozying up with investors just months after Ethan's failed launch—a smile too sharp, too cold.
And one final cut: her and David, laughing on a balcony.
"He thinks he's gonna make it. Poor boy can't even pay rent."
She didn't even remember saying that.
But the internet did now.
📍 Crane Dominion – Private Suite
Ethan sat, tie loose, eyes cold. The System hovered behind him like a silent executioner.
[System Update]
– Phase Two: Character Destruction – 27% Complete
– Public Trust in Lila Kim: Dropped by 46% in 48 hours
– Sentiment: "Backstabber," "Fraud," "Golden Snake"
Skill Unlocked: "Digital Puppeteer" (Lv.1)
– Allows control over media narratives by leaking select footage, whispers, or misinformation.
– Cooldown: 72 hours. Target: Lila Kim.
"Your reputation was your fortress," Ethan muttered. "Let's see how long it stands without a foundation."
📍 Location: Lila's Apartment – That Night
Her hand trembled as she poured herself a drink. She had called David ten times. No answer.
Her PR team was in panic mode. Three sponsors had pulled out. One lawsuit threat was pending.
The kicker?
Her father.
He sent one text.
"Fix it. Or don't bother coming home."
She closed her eyes, pressed her forehead against the cold marble counter.
And that's when her TV powered on by itself.
A face appeared.
Ethan's.
Just for a moment.
A glitch.
A whisper through the speaker.
"You took everything from me, Lila. Now I'm just giving it back."
📍 System Notification – Crane Dominion
Quest Progress: "King's Vengeance" – Stage 2 Completed
– Enemies destabilized.
– Reputation attack successful.
– Reward Unlocked: 3x Black Cards (Disposable Funds: $30M)
– Bonus Skill: "Digital Puppeteer Lv.1"
Ethan stood up and looked out over Seoul's skyline.
She had laughed at him for being broke.
Now, he was the richest man in the world—and her world was falling apart.
"This is only the beginning," he said, as the city lights flickered below.
"You stole my future. I'm rewriting yours."