The chaos in his department did not go unnoticed. Mr. Thorne, a man who loathed inefficiency, called a snap team meeting. His face was a mask of thunderous fury as he paced before a screen displaying plummeting productivity charts. Adrian, Leo, and Mark sat slumped in their chairs, looking haunted and defeated.
"This department," Thorne roared, slamming a manicured hand on the polished table, "has become an absolute joke! Deadlines missed, clients complaining... I look for the weak link, the common denominator..." His sharp, predatory gaze scanned the room, landing directly on the one person who didn't look broken. "...and all I see is you."
He unleashed a vicious, public tirade, calling Ren a worthless charity case, a diversity hire, a drain on resources. He blamed Ren's "rookie incompetence" for the entire team's collapse. It was the same soul-crushing, condescending abuse that had killed him in his first life.
Outwardly, Ren just sat there, his expression a perfect mask of calm subservience. He took the abuse without a flinch. But inwardly, a cold, black rage ignited, a fury he hadn't felt since his rebirth. He activated [Mind Reader] on Thorne.
The game was over. The other three had been practice. This was the real war. This was no longer about methodical revenge. This was about annihilation.