Chapter 4: MISTAKE MADE ME DO IT

LIAM'S POV

I watched as Adrian smirked at Marcus, his presence alone making my blood boil.

"I just wanted to say hi," Adrian said smoothly. "And when I didn’t see you, I decided to prepare your favorite meal."

His voice was too calm, too familiar, as if nothing had changed. Normally, Adrian and Marcus had broken up two months before I originally met Marcus. Adrian owned one of the biggest restaurants in Hell’s Kitchen. He was a chef, successful and confident, but right now, he seemed desperate. I could tell he wanted something— another chance.

"Adrian, I want you out of my house," Marcus said, his voice sharp with anger.

Adrian exhaled heavily and pulled off his apron. "I’m sorry, Marcus," he said, stepping forward. "It was a mistake. I was drunk that night."

"Don’t come any closer. Just leave," Marcus snapped.

I watched silently, but Adrian’s eyes flickered toward me, studying me carefully.

"He’s the new guy, right?" Adrian asked, a knowing smirk tugging at his lips.

"Whatever," Marcus muttered.

Adrian smiled. "Believe me, no one will ever love you the way I do. No one," he said before walking out.

His words hung in the air like a curse.

Every word he had spoken, every movement he had made— it had all happened before. But there was one difference: the location. Normally, this scene had played out in a different location, not Marcus’s house. But the words they both spoke, the tension, the pain? It was all the same.

Marcus’s house was unchanged.

The only thing that was different was me. Because presently, there is another version of me. A version known as Daniel— a feared kingpin.

Marcus sighed heavily and sat on the couch. I could see his mind working, the weight of his thoughts pressing on him. After a few moments, he looked up at me.

"Daniel," he said slowly, "why did you save me that night?"

I stiffened.

"You should have left me to be killed by the Dogs of Hell," Marcus continued. "But you personally saved me. Why?"

I stared at him, my heart pounding.

What?

I had no idea what he was talking about.

I wasn’t there. Daniel was.

And that meant... this was how Marcus and Daniel had met.

Marcus was still waiting for an answer. His sharp gaze pinned me in place.

I cleared my throat. "You… you needed help," I said, hoping that made sense. "That’s why I saved you."

Marcus narrowed his eyes slightly, as if he wasn’t satisfied with my answer. I needed to change the subject before he started asking more questions.

"Tell me more about yourself," I said quickly.

Marcus scoffed. "We talked about that yesterday."

I frowned. Daniel had already come this far with Marcus? They had been building something?

Marcus leaned back against the couch, his expression darkening. "Ever since the incident at my store, I can’t stop thinking about it. What if the Dogs of Hell come back for me?"

My stomach twisted.

I wanted to ask what incident. I wanted to know what had happened. But I couldn’t. If I did, it would only make things weirder.

I had no choice but to play along.

"They won’t," I said firmly, trying to sound confident. "I’m here for you."

The words left my mouth before I even realized it.

Marcus looked at me, his expression unreadable.

The rest of the afternoon passed with us playing video games and talking. But I couldn’t keep my mind off what Marcus had said. I wanted to dig deeper, to understand what was happening.

Then, as night fell, Marcus turned to me.

"You should stay over tonight," he said suddenly.

I blinked.

"What?"

Marcus grabbed my hand, his grip warm and steady. "Stay."

I swallowed. "Really?"

"Yes," he said simply.

I nodded, unsure of what to say.

We spent the night watching movies. Every now and then, I caught him looking at me, and I quickly looked away. The tension between us was there— unspoken, but present.

When it was finally time to sleep, Marcus pointed me toward the guest room. I stepped inside, shutting the door behind me.

And that’s when I saw her.

A woman sat calmly on the bed, staring at me.

The supernatural being.

My heart pounded.

"I hope you’re enjoying your time with him," she said smoothly.

I walked closer, lowering my voice. "You know what’s going on, don’t you?"

She tilted her head slightly. "Yes. And it’s exactly what you should be worried about."

I clenched my fists. "I didn’t ask for this. I just wanted to go back to the past and save Marcus." My voice was rising. "And now I’m here, stuck in a world where someone else— someone dangerous— has already lived my life! What the hell is going on?"

The woman sighed, her expression unreadable.

"I’m sorry to break this to you," she said. "But you’re not in the past."

I felt my body go rigid.

"What?"

"You’re in a different world."

The words hit me like a punch to the gut.

"A different world?" I repeated, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes," she confirmed.

I staggered back, shaking my head.

No. No, that couldn’t be right.

The past was supposed to be fixed. I was supposed to save Marcus. But now…

I wasn’t even in the right reality.

The supernatural being stood, walking toward me.

"I came here to tell you the price of the opportunity I gave you," she said. "But before that, you need to hear a story."

I swallowed hard.

She smiled faintly.

"My name is Mistake," she said. "And I am one of the pillars of this world."

And just like that, everything I thought I knew shattered.