Payback Chapter 81 Novels & Stories

She even begged me to lend her a side account of mine. Since I thought of her as family, it was only natural that I hoped she would live well, so I hadn't hesitated to agree. Never would I have imagined that she would use my account to deliberately create enemies, then seize the opportunity to have me horrifically killed in front of everyone! When I next opened my eyes, I had returned to a familiar room. It seemed that I had gone back in time to the day that little girl's family sought me out at my company. The sheer delight and relief at getting a second chance at life welled in me, but I had no time to bask in the feeling.

Then to Tita Maribel who frowned as if she couldn't believe she was holding a dollar in her hands as she left for the door. My cursed little rectangle of absolute power. Where a few days ago, before my death, an ordinary 10$, now became 100,000$. This wasn’t luck. This wasn’t coincidence. This was divine accounting. Cosmic compensation. And somehow, I was the only one who realized the world had flipped upside down and no one got the memo. Everyone around me was living like the economy hadn’t done a full triple somersault. But I knew. I remembered. And now? I wasn’t just alive. I was fucking rich enough to burn the past—and rebuild it in my name.

"We are fixing your life today." I blinked slowly, pointing out that my life was fine before all this. "And now it isn’t," she replied, "which means we adapt." Nyx stirred faintly inside me for the first time that morning, almost amused, which surprised me. Aurelia opened the notebook seriously to a page with "PAYBACK PLAN" written in giant letters. I immediately covered my face with my hands, but she corrected me, calling it her genius recovery strategy.

How could I forget that? Smacking myself back to reality, I took out the bundle of notes. I will pay him back. I can't owe him anything. ****************

Everyone was bustling about, and no one noticed that I had just awakened. I looked up and caught sight of the wall clock. Only one hour remained before I would have to return to the future. On the small hospital TV, they were replaying footage of last night's once-in-a-century meteor shower. The shooting stars were beautiful, but unfortunately, I had missed them again. Indeed, it seemed my wishes were destined to remain unfulfilled. I was lost in thought until footsteps approached, followed by Sophia's tired yet joyful voice. "You're awake. Ethan has regained consciousness too, thanks to your timely blood donation last night."

My mother screams in anguish but I turn away from her. “What about the money?” I ask Alpha Ryan. He looks at me confused. “We want to pay it back to the Pine River Pack,” I say. “You will have to reach out to their Beta to see about the arrangements. There is no reason you need to pay it back,” he says. “We don’t want anything hanging over our heads,” I say.

“And now they pay.” The words land without effort. Final. Azriel nods once, slow, certain. When I glance back, just briefly, he’s still watching, something quieter in his expression, something sharper. The machines hum steadily behind us. Callum doesn’t move. And somewhere else, Vance is comfortable, Anya is laughing, both of them exactly where I need them to be. I don’t look away from Callum again. Because this is the cost. And this time, I make sure it’s paid.

“That’s above what we set aside ma’am.” What is with all her staff members reminding her of basic math today? “I know.” “Do you want the board’s approval?” “No.” “Are you sure?” “Yes. Find out who owns the remaining shares. And their creditors.” “I’ll have that within the hour.” “Good.” She ended the call. Three hundred and twenty million was a lot of money. It was still less than what Cassian could afford to lose. Zara returned a few minutes later. “Bellamy’s chairman is under pressure. A major shareholder wants to sell his whole position, and their creditors are getting impatient.”

The person I'd been at the start of all this, and the changes between that person and this one, and whether those changes were the kind that deserved that word. Recovery implied a return. What I'd done felt more like an arrival—at something new rather than something remembered. Maybe Cassius meant both. Perhaps that was what recovery was. “Tell him thank you,” I said. “Next Sunday.” “I will,” Alaric said. The calls became one rhythm of the week. Not the most important rhythm—that was still the ordinary work, the council sessions, the daily logistics of running a kingdom that was slowly but legibly repairing itself. But present. Anchoring.

“Let’s get out of here. But we’re coming back for her.” “Of course,” Veronica replied, a spark of satisfaction lighting up her eyes. “Now, let’s move before the moment slips away!” As Veronica finally make Alexander agreed with her, a victory smile slowly shows on her lips, knowing that every little part of her plan's now moving smoothly.