Beep… beep…
The vibration of the phone woke him to the soft glare of sunlight reflecting off the glass walls of a skyscraper office.
His head ached slightly, but his mind was clear.
Then he realized—he wasn't in his own body.
He was already dead, and there was no mistaking that fact.
He glanced at the small mirror at the edge of his line of sight.
Sharp jawline, piercing green eyes, tailored suit that spoke of authority and wealth.
On the mahogany desk in front of him, a gold-edged nameplate gleamed: Alexander Vey Corfen, Chairman of Vey Corfen Enterprises.
Wait… why did that name sound so familiar?
Alexander Vey Corfen… Alexander… wasn't he the infamous villain from his ex-girlfriend's novel?
"I created a book. I wrote you as a villain, meant to die in a very gruesome way hahaha!" A message from his beloved flashed in his memory, the night they broke up.
He let out a low chuckle, followed by a sarcastic hiss.
Fantastic… just fantastic.
It seemed his ex-beloved would be delighted to know how perfectly he fit inside her carefully crafted story.
Leaning back in the expensive chair, he smoothed his forehead, casually letting his eyes flick over the papers scattered across the mahogany desk.
Billion-dollar contracts, acquisitions, mergers… and a pen that alone could cost more than most people could earn in a lifetime.
Alexander recalled silently whose body he had taken over, based on what he had learned from the novel and the biting words of his ex-beloved.
Alexander Vey Corfen, twenty-eight years old, was feared, hated, and whispered about as a ruthless man who ruined lives without remorse.
Born into the generational wealth of the Corfen family, the richest clan in the country, he was the designated patriarch, untouchable and wielding power above the law.
In the book, after falling for the heroine, he had done unspeakable things to ensure she would be his.
Too bad, he was destined to become a villain.
He would never have the woman he desired, only his family's ill-fated downfall.
The Vey Corfen bankruptcy, the Corfen clan's societal disgrace, and his death on the streets, begging for scraps of food—this was his destined ending.
Hmm… a terrible ending for Alexander, but for the original owner… well, deserved.
A sudden, soft knock echoed at his office door, pulling his thoughts back to this new reality.
"Mr. Corfen."
The young male secretary of the certified villain was, as always, top-notch, like his second right-hand man.
Saimon James, a graduate of a prestigious Arvard university, was a capable and very sharp person.
He stepped forward, his eyes flicking toward the big boss's expression, trying to guess the current mood.
"Sir, I've received a call from Manager Sun. Miss Honey was involved in an accident during filming and has been admitted to the hospital."
Saimon paused briefly before continuing.
"Her condition is stable, but the doctors reported significant injuries to her leg. She will be unable to walk for some time. Should I postpone your meeting scheduled in the next three hours?"
Alexander didn't show the slightest change in expression, nor did he move.
He simply listened, letting the words settle.
He leaned back in his chair, fingers tapping on the desk silently as he regarded the unfortunate news, remembering the plot of this world.
"Hmm." He muttered, almost to himself. "How… interesting."
Honey Staten.
Isn't this the female lead, the heroine the original body owner was obsessed with?
It seems the story has already progressed to the point where the original body owner has fallen deeply in love with the female protagonist.
Speaking of… Alexander silently pondered, already guessing which plot points he had been sent into.
"Investigate the matter of her accident. Send them some goodwill, and don't cancel my meetings for today."
Although the sun hadn't yet set in the west, Saimon was certain his boss wasn't so love-brained as to rearrange meetings for a woman.
He nodded, making sure every requirement was met.
After all, he was the capable secretary of the richest man alive.
He turned to leave, unwilling to remain in the Boss office any longer.
When Alexander's steady gaze followed him, the other man's low, magnetic voice cut through the air—calm, yet carrying an unmistakable weight.
"Where's my fiancée? Erin Salvador."
Saimon blinked under his glasses, straightening at once, masking his surprise at the unexpected question.
For a brief moment, he almost thought he had misheard.
Yet, the boss's gaze was steady, enough to slice through silence.
"Miss Erin is currently in England on vacation. She is scheduled to return tomorrow. Would you like to pick her up yourself, sir?"
The question lingered in the air, careful yet daring.
Why the sudden interest in the eldest young lady of the Salvador family?
Wasn't his boss supposed to be hopelessly infatuated with the actress, Honey Staten?
Still, as a capable secretary, Saimon knew better than to dwell on matters concerning the Boss's internal affairs.
Alexander's fingers drummed once on the desk before his voice cut through, low and steady.
"Cancel all my meetings for tomorrow. I will pick her up early as scheduled."
The order left no room for argument, the dismissal clear.
Saimon bowed deeply, retreating with unspoken thoughts carefully buried beneath his composed exterior.
Alexander picked up one of the papers the villain had been reading before he entered the body.
His gaze lingered on the dense words, but his thoughts drifted elsewhere.
Where had the original soul gone?
Was the villain truly dead, erased without a trace, or had Alexander stolen this body from him?
For now, he pushed those thoughts aside, unsure whether he would return to his original body or if he was truly dead in his world.
While reading the latest contract for a foreign partner, Alexander saw that the amount written revealed the true weight of the villain's signature.
It was as if the rumors were true—that with just a raise of his hand, he could cover the sky.
The figure surpassed even the entire annual budget of the most renowned country, a fortune vast enough to topple kingdoms and crush nations beneath its weight.
Heh.
Not just wealthy—Alexander Vey Corfen was the wealth that everyone else could only dream of.