The night was perfect – the kind of night billionaires like to imagine they've earned. A shining moon mirrored in the still waters surrounding the yacht. Radiant lights swayed overhead. Crystal glasses clinked in drunken toasts. "I own this world". I thought to myself, and tonight was just a reminder.
The guests are my trusted colleagues – the "Team" that now wined, dined, and schemed at my table. Politician's, CEO's, power brokers – you name it. I hadn't earned my seat here; it had been served to me on a silver spoon the day my father died, (Or should I say diamond spoon) along with the empire. All the sordid amusements that came with it, including a vault of ruinous secrets; which if leaked could destroy every single person standing on this yacht if I ever grew bored of their empty smiles.
Which is precisely why the thought of betrayal had not ONCE crossed my mind.
I was halfway through my cocktail when someone bumped into me – the daughter of my fathers oldest friend. Sixteen. The wine in her glass splashed red across my white shirt, the droplets blooming like tiny wounds.
She gasped, bowing her head slightly, stammering an apology. I chuckled, waving her off. "It's fine," I slurred, eyes lingering a moment too long. She'd grown, and I noticed. I always noticed.
Her father immediately appeared, offering to help, but was declined. "Go enjoy yourself. I'll take care of the mess." I said with a smile, void of any emotion.
We began to head over to a private cabin towards the yacht's stern. Inside, she hesitated by the door, shaking like some form of guilty servant. I tossed my jacket aside and began unbuttoning my wine soaked shirt. "You're shaking," I said, smirking. "Relax. This isn't the first and definitely won't be the last time an accident occurs. That said, it will do you right to be cautious in the future." The words came out half-teasing, half-something else. She said nothing, only stepped forward.
From the corner of my eye, I thought I saw her put on a pair of thin black gloves. "Hmm.." Just before I turned around she quickly expelled her clothes; though what I saw was not the charming femininity every man wishes for. Instead receiving an eye full of form fitting tactical gear. She was so close I could smell the faintest hint of perfume beneath the salt air, I had no time to react.
The cold kiss of steel slid across my neck. Instinctively, my hands shot up; she was already pressing her palm against my mouth with force; no female, let alone a sixteen year old girl, should be capable of mustering. A practiced force. Her eyes calm, almost bored – she held me up right – almost gently, before letting go. By the time she slipped out of the door, the world was already shrinking into a tunnel. My voicebox was useless by this point, all I could do now was try to find help.
Moments later, a tall man entered the room, unperturbed by the gruesome scene left by his colleague. "Damn it, where did he go?! Thought the tall man. "If I don't take the hit for this, that's my head." He grunted out.
After crawling out of the sliding door, vision blurred in a wash of red and moonlight, I stumbled along the narrow outer deck, the laughter from the ongoing party heavily bearing down on my soul. "So this is it huh? Everything handed to me just going to waste." I thought. Suddenly I was back in that gilded office, signing the inheritance transfer shortly after my father passed. All of those fake smiles crowding the room. I remember the pen slipping from my fingers, and with it, all hesitation. By the next month I had already bought it all: A fleet of cars that could outrun time, penthouses with skyline views, jets I'd never flown but had the urge to, private islands for parties the world would never see. Life became a blur of champagne, cameras and chaos. "All those lives I've ruined out of boredom." I can see them, the countless people that were nothing more than chess pieces in my trivial thirst for entertainment. Like that one time where I accused the accountant of stealing, making a whole legal fuss over it. What started as a joke to me landed her in prison. Family torn and indebted for the rest of the line. I wasn't jealous, angry or even all that entertained. No consequences could ever touch me.. Until now. "Is this supposed to be God's sick attempt at balancing the scale? Well I guess I have no right to call this sick…"
My chuckle came out as a wet cough. "If I could only go back.. Before all of this craziness. I would do it differently. Definitely not nobly, no.. but not this. Maybe like one of those shows where the MC gets transported to the past." I jokingly remarked. A surge of emotion slammed my heart. "How could this be? How could I of all people be outplayed by these idiots." Indignation spread throughout my very existence.
As the life force rapidly drained out of his body, the dark water rose to meet him – the splash followed the last of his thoughts.
At that moment, Reed Grant lost his life.