January 29th, 2050

The fluorescent lights in the conference room flickered as the CEO stood before us, his face ashen. A nervous murmur spread among the employees, but it was John's voice that cut through the noise.

"Everyone, I have some bad news," he began, his tone heavy with regret. "I've gotten into huge debt, so I have no choice but to sell the company."

The room froze in shock. A female employee spoke up, her voice shaky, "So… what will happen to us? Will the person who bought this building hire us?"

John's expression darkened. "No... The person who bought this building plans to remodel it and turn it into an apartment complex."

A wave of confusion and disbelief spread through the room. "Wait... What?" Blake, a male employee, scoffed. "So, we're all losing our jobs, and no one even had the decency to warn us?"

I stood there, stunned, struggling to comprehend the situation. My best friend, John King, had always been the pillar of stability for all of us. Now, he was telling us it was all gone. The company, our livelihoods, and for some, their only sense of purpose.

I turned to Blake. "It's... unexpected. I don't even know how John got into this kind of debt."

Blake, sensing a chance to make something out of this mess, raised his voice, "You've been here the longest, William! Maybe John will tell you the truth if you ask him!"

I blinked, hesitating for a moment. "Blake, the company's already sold... What's the point in asking why?"

A female voice chimed in from the crowd. "We deserve to know the reason why our jobs are gone."

Whispers of agreement echoed from all corners of the room. The employees were growing restless. I sighed, rubbing my temples. What's going on with John?

"Fine," I said, raising my hand, "I'll ask him. Maybe we'll get some answers."

I made my way toward John, who was standing at the front, avoiding the eyes of his employees. "Hey, John," I called out, my voice steady. "As vice-president, I think I deserve to know—what happened with all this? Why are we being left in the dark?"

John sighed heavily, looking like a man who had given up on everything. He ran a hand through his hair before replying, "William, I... invested a lot of money into a cryptocurrency that promised high returns. But it turned out to be a scam. I lost everything."

The room fell silent. I heard the low murmur of voices, the disappointment, the anger, and the confusion. This didn't make sense. John had always been sharp, strategic... this? This wasn't his style. I could feel it in my gut that there was more to the story.

Without the others noticing, I texted John to meet me on the rooftop. I had to get to the truth.

Minutes later, we stood on the rooftop, the cold wind biting at our skin. John lit up a cigarette—something he hadn't done in years. What's going on with you, John?

"Give me that!" I snapped, grabbing the cigarette from his hand and throwing it to the ground. "Stop acting like you've given up on everything. Tell me the real reason you sold the company."

John sighed deeply. "So, you saw through it, huh?" His voice was quiet, weary. "I thought that lie would be enough to cover it."

"A cryptocurrency scam? Really?" I chuckled bitterly. "You've told me better lies than that."

He leaned against the wall, his shoulders sagging. "Alright, the truth is... I'm tired, William. I'm just tired. Tired of living without my family... without Bella."

I froze, my heart skipping a beat. "What are you talking about?"

John's eyes looked distant. "Bella was pregnant when she died. The taxi accident... she was carrying our child, William. I lost both of them that day." His voice cracked, and I could hear the pain behind the words.

I was speechless, my mind racing. "Wait... What? Bella was pregnant? How did I not know?"

John handed me an envelope filled with x-ray photos. "This was taken just two days before the accident. The coroner found these in her purse at the scene."

I looked at the photos, the tiny fetus clearly visible in the x-ray. It was a punch to the gut. I could feel the grief, the regret, the weight of the loss. I wanted to say something comforting, but the words felt hollow.

"If only I had driven her home that day... Maybe she would have been safe," John muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.

I gripped his shirt collar, my anger rising. "You can't keep doing this, John! Bella wouldn't want this. You've got a family—my family—and we're still here for you. Don't throw it all away like this."

John's face softened, a weak smile playing at the corners of his lips. "Thank you, Will. You and your family, you've all been there for me. But Bella and our baby... they're gone."

"John, stop," I said, shaking my head. "You still have us. You're not alone in this."

We left the rooftop and went down to the office. John asked me to grab a couple of beers from the fridge. As I opened the fridge, I realized it was empty. "Shit, we're out of beer," I said, frustration creeping into my voice. "Let's head to the bar across the street."

John nodded, walking behind me as we crossed the street. But something was off. He was too quiet. I glanced back at him, and the sight of him standing in the middle of the street, unmoving, made my heart stop.

"John!" I shouted. "Get over here! Bella wouldn't want this! You have to fight through this!"

He didn't respond. Instead, he just smiled weakly, a sad, almost resigned smile. And then... the truck came. The screech of tires, the horrifying impact. I couldn't breathe. I ran toward him, but it was too late.

I called 911, my hands trembling as I tried to process what had just happened. As I waited, my phone rang. It was my family. My heart sank as the words hit me like a ton of bricks. My father had fallen victim to the same cryptocurrency scam.

In an instant, everything had come crashing down. My family was shattered. My mother was in a coma, and my father was left a shell of the man he once was.

I stood there, paralyzed, the weight of everything pressing down on me. Why is this happening?

Suddenly, a voice broke through my despair. "Kid! Watch out!" I turned just in time to see a car speeding toward me.

Before I could react, everything went black.

"Is William Right dead?" A voice echoed around me. "With that impact, no one can survive."

I struggled to make sense of what was happening. Why aren't they calling for help? Why are they just talking about me like I'm already gone?

The other voice responded. "Both accidents were a success. Let's go back to Mr. Lawrence and collect our reward."

Lawrence? My mind reeled. David Lawrence... he's the one who tried to sabotage John and Bella...

But before I could process any more, everything went dark.

"A host has been found!" A sudden, female voice rang out in my mind. "Congratulations! You have been chosen to be reborn and inherit the Dominance System!"

I blinked. What? Am I not dead?

And just like that, my journey was about to begin again.