The Perfect Answer
Ethan Carter barely slept.
Even when he finally closed his eyes around three in the morning, his mind refused to rest. Numbers, stock charts, and the memory of the twisting rewind sensation kept replaying in his thoughts.
Thirty seconds.
It sounded so small.
Yet those thirty seconds had already turned two thousand dollars into over three thousand in a single night.
If he continued carefully—
If he stayed disciplined—
Then this power could change his entire life.
Eventually, exhaustion dragged him into a light sleep.
But it felt like only minutes later when the alarm on his phone exploded beside his head.
7:00 AM
Ethan groaned.
For a moment he considered turning the alarm off and skipping work.
After all, he technically didn't need that job anymore.
But then he sat up slowly.
"Not yet," he murmured.
It was too early to make sudden changes.
His boss might be arrogant.
His coworkers might be annoying.
But the job gave him something valuable right now.
Access.
Information.
And most importantly—
A normal life.
If Ethan suddenly quit his job and started making large sums of money overnight, people would start asking questions.
Questions he couldn't answer.
No.
He needed to move slowly.
Quietly.
Like a chess player setting up a long-term victory.
Ethan got out of bed and walked to the small bathroom.
Cold water splashed across his face as he stared at his reflection in the mirror.
For the first time in years—
He looked different.
Not physically.
But mentally.
There was a confidence in his eyes that hadn't been there before.
Because now he knew something the rest of the world didn't.
The future wasn't fixed.
At least not for him.
The Morning Market
Before leaving for work, Ethan opened his laptop.
The market had just opened.
Numbers flickered across the screen as early trades began.
He leaned closer.
The rewind ability worked best with short-term movements, so he focused on volatile stocks.
Small movements.
Small profits.
Repeated many times.
Ethan watched carefully.
Ten seconds.
Twenty seconds.
Then suddenly—
A small spike appeared on the chart.
He immediately triggered the rewind.
The screen returned to its previous state.
Thirty seconds earlier.
Ethan placed a buy order.
Five seconds later—
The spike happened again.
Profit.
He repeated the process twice more.
By the time he finished, his balance had climbed to $4,100.
Ethan leaned back and exhaled slowly.
His head throbbed slightly.
The rewind ability clearly had limits.
Using it too many times too quickly caused strain.
Which meant he needed to pace himself.
"Slow and steady," he muttered.
He closed the laptop.
Today wasn't about making millions.
Today was about learning control.
Returning to Work
The financial firm where Ethan worked occupied the 18th floor of a modern glass office building downtown.
The lobby buzzed with activity when he arrived.
Employees moved quickly through the entrance, coffee cups in hand.
Ethan stepped into the elevator with several coworkers.
The ride up was quiet except for the soft hum of machinery.
When the doors opened, the familiar office floor came into view.
Rows of desks.
Large monitors displaying stock charts.
The constant sound of keyboards clicking.
Ethan walked to his workstation.
"Morning," someone said.
He looked up to see Kevin from accounting leaning against a nearby desk.
Kevin was known for two things:
Talking too much.
And gossiping even more.
"You hear about the meeting today?" Kevin asked.
Ethan frowned.
"What meeting?"
Kevin smirked.
"The boss is reviewing yesterday's market report."
Ethan's stomach tightened slightly.
Yesterday's report.
The one his manager had criticized.
Kevin leaned closer.
"Apparently someone made a mistake in the data projections."
Ethan sighed quietly.
That "someone" was obviously supposed to be him.
Because his manager, Daniel Reeves, had a habit of blaming junior employees whenever something went wrong.
Kevin patted Ethan on the shoulder.
"Good luck."
Then he walked away.
Ethan sat down slowly.
Normally he would feel nervous in situations like this.
But today was different.
Because today—
He had thirty seconds.
The Meeting Begins
At exactly 9:30 AM, everyone gathered in the conference room.
A large screen displayed market charts at the front.
Daniel Reeves stood beside the table, adjusting his expensive watch.
Reeves was in his early forties, with perfectly styled hair and the confident posture of someone who believed he was always the smartest person in the room.
Unfortunately, his intelligence rarely matched his arrogance.
"Alright," Reeves said.
"Let's begin."
Everyone took their seats.
Ethan sat near the back of the table.
Reeves picked up a printed report.
"The market forecast prepared yesterday contained an error."
His voice echoed through the quiet room.
"And I want to understand how that happened."
Several employees shifted uncomfortably.
Reeves looked around the room.
Then his eyes landed on Ethan.
"Mr. Carter."
Ethan already knew what was coming.
"You were responsible for compiling the data for this section, correct?"
"Yes," Ethan said calmly.
Reeves held up the paper.
"Then perhaps you can explain why the revenue projection for Horizon Tech is incorrect."
Several coworkers glanced at Ethan.
Normally this was the moment when junior employees panicked.
But Ethan simply looked at the report.
Something felt wrong.
He read the numbers carefully.
Then his eyes narrowed slightly.
Because the projection wasn't wrong.
The data had been modified.
Reeves had changed it.
Probably accidentally.
But instead of admitting the mistake—
He was trying to blame Ethan.
Reeves crossed his arms.
"Well?"
The room waited.
Ethan opened his mouth—
And realized he wasn't entirely sure how to explain it clearly.
If he answered wrong—
Reeves would use it against him.
Then Ethan remembered something.
Thirty seconds.
So he spoke.
"Actually, the projection is correct."
Reeves raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
"But the document you're holding," Ethan continued, "is not the original version."
Murmurs spread around the table.
Reeves frowned.
"What are you implying?"
Ethan hesitated.
This explanation needed to be perfect.
Otherwise Reeves would twist it.
Ethan immediately triggered the rewind.
Rewind
The room twisted.
Voices blurred.
Reality snapped backward.
Suddenly Ethan was sitting silently again.
Reeves was still talking.
"Mr. Carter. You were responsible for compiling the data for this section, correct?"
Ethan watched carefully this time.
He observed Reeves.
The papers.
The numbers.
And then he saw it.
Reeves had accidentally printed an earlier draft.
One that contained a temporary estimate.
The final version had already been corrected.
Ethan smiled slightly.
Now he knew exactly what to say.
The Perfect Response
"Yes," Ethan said calmly.
"I compiled the data."
Reeves lifted the report.
"Then explain this projection."
Ethan stood up slowly.
"If you look closely at the timestamp on that document," he said, "you'll notice it was printed at 8:42 this morning."
Reeves frowned slightly.
Ethan continued.
"That version is an earlier draft. The final report was updated at 9:05."
Several employees checked their laptops.
Within seconds someone spoke.
"He's right."
Another voice followed.
"The updated file shows the corrected projection."
Reeves' expression stiffened.
Ethan remained calm.
"The version I submitted last night included the corrected numbers," he said.
"Someone must have printed the wrong file."
The room went quiet.
Everyone looked at Reeves.
Because the printer log was visible.
And it showed exactly who printed the document.
Daniel Reeves.
Reeves cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Yes… well."
He adjusted his tie.
"It appears there was a misunderstanding."
Ethan sat down again.
Kevin stared at him from across the table.
Wide-eyed.
Because normally Reeves would have destroyed a junior employee in situations like this.
But today—
Ethan had dismantled the accusation calmly and logically.
Without raising his voice.
Without showing fear.
The meeting continued.
But the atmosphere had changed.
Because everyone had just witnessed something unusual.
Daniel Reeves had been wrong.
And Ethan Carter had proven it.
Office Whispers
After the meeting ended, coworkers began whispering quietly.
Kevin approached Ethan again.
"Dude," he said.
"That was impressive."
Ethan shrugged.
"I just explained the data."
Kevin shook his head.
"No, you didn't just explain it."
"You destroyed him."
Ethan smiled slightly.
Maybe.
But Kevin didn't know the real reason.
Kevin didn't know Ethan had already failed that explanation once—
Before rewinding time.
A New Opportunity
Later that afternoon, Ethan checked the market charts again.
During his lunch break, he opened the trading app on his phone.
Another volatile stock caught his attention.
Energy sector.
Heavy movement.
He watched carefully.
Thirty seconds.
Twenty seconds.
Ten seconds.
Then—
A sudden upward surge.
Ethan rewound.
Bought shares.
Five seconds later—
The surge happened again.
Profit.
This time the gain was larger.
Nearly $800.
Ethan stared at the screen.
His account now showed:
$4,900
Almost five thousand dollars.
In less than twenty-four hours.
He locked his phone and slipped it back into his pocket.
His heart was beating faster now.
Because the realization was becoming clearer.
This wasn't luck.
This wasn't a one-time opportunity.
This was a repeatable advantage.
One that could grow.
Day by day.
Trade by trade.
Until the numbers became unimaginable.
Ethan looked around the office.
People worked quietly at their desks.
Completely unaware that the quiet junior analyst sitting among them now possessed an advantage worth billions.
Thirty seconds.
Just half a minute.
But in the world of finance—
Half a minute was eternity.
Ethan leaned back in his chair.
A small smile appeared on his face.
Because today had proven something important.
Not only could he make money with his ability.
He could also control situations.
Avoid mistakes.
Find the perfect answer.
Which meant something incredible.
For Ethan Carter—
Failure was no longer permanent.
And the climb toward unimaginable wealth had officially begun.