Elena opened her eyes, staring dazedly at the opulent chandelier above the ceiling.
Wasn't she supposed to be trapped in Ethan's cage, bleeding from his torture?
In the next second, a flood of icy memories—her entire life on the run—flooded her mind. No matter where she hid or how she fought, she'd never escaped his meticulous scheming.
She tried to spring up, a reflex honed by years of fleeing… but her body felt weak, ordinary. Just a regular person.
Then, a voice sounded outside the door—one she'd never forget: Liam, her agent.
Elena sat up, glancing around. It was a hotel room. Next to the pillow lay a phone she didn't recognize; she picked it up, and the screen read 3:00 AM, June 6th.
June 6th!
Her breath hitched. She'd come back? Back to the day the game invaded?
In her memory, this day would change Earth forever. A massive game titled Warcraft: Rifts of Dread would fully infiltrate the planet. To establish anchors on Earth and its parallel realms, the game would "launch" as a seemingly ordinary title at 3:00 AM on June 6th.
There'd been a short beta test beforehand—just a few minutes, no warnings, and almost no one took notice. But a few hundred people had downloaded it on a lark… and now, with the final beta starting in minutes, rumors had leaked, and some were already logging in early.
Of those beta players, some would later regret playing for just a handful of minutes. Others would rise from obscurity to legend. Her so-called "good brother," Ethan, was one of those legends.
The final beta was mere minutes away—3:00 AM on June 6th!
Elena didn't care about saving anyone else. The alien invasion would unfold slowly, and more humans would die at each other's hands than at the aliens'. Her only goal: stop Ethan from playing that game.
She dressed quickly, her mind racing through the details of these days—especially yesterday. Liam had planned to get her drunk tonight and send her to the studio executive's bed. Last time, she'd fought back, but the retaliation had been brutal: blacklisted, stuck with trivial roles—maids, extras who got slapped or doused in cold water.
She opened the door. Liam stood there, a wine bottle in hand, his smile overly sweet. "Elena? Care for a drink?"
Elena wanted to kill him on the spot. But years on the run had taught her to mask her rage. She forced a warm smile. "I can't—Ethan texted. He needs me. I have to go."
Liam's smile faded. He knew Elena was obsessed with Ethan: she gave him half her acting paychecks, even rushed to his side when she broke her leg—despite him never asking if she was okay. A total pushover for her brother.
He sighed, feigning concern. "It's too late to go alone. I'll have Director Mike's driver take you. I'll smooth things over with Mike."
Elena agreed. She was still at the studio's hotel; she needed a ride. And with the beta mere minutes away, she had no time to waste.
In her past life, Ethan had joined the beta early. He'd gained powers no ordinary human could possess—yet he'd hidden them from her. He'd watched her suffer in the film industry, stealing her money and connections to build his own influence.
Worse: she'd spent a year pretending loyalty to him, even as she was hunted down. He'd called her "innocent"—but it was all a lie. He'd only wanted her "Level-Up Talent." She'd figured it out too late—right before she detonated a "Mutual Destruction" item, trying to take him and everyone else in the room down with her.
In her final moments, she'd realized the truth: she'd been a villain all along. A woman with a twisted obsession for her own brother.
Enough of that. This time, she'd stop him.
…
In the car, Elena handed the driver $1,000. "Once we get to my place, I'll give you another $1,000 as a bonus."
The ride-hailing driver's grumbles about working late vanished instantly. "Ma'am, please fasten your seatbelt—I'll get you there quickly."
Thirty minutes later, they pulled up to her apartment building. Elena blinked in surprise. "Why here? This is my home."
"The app set your residence as the drop-off point," the driver said, pulling up his payment QR code.
Elena handed him $2,000. "First, stop at the convenience store down the street. Get me a bottle of strong whiskey."
Money talked. Five minutes later, she had the bottle in hand.
By the time she reached her apartment, it was 4:00 AM. She poured whiskey into a glass, then filled another with water. She walked to Ethan's door and knocked. It swung open immediately—he was still awake.
Elena had always played the "kind sister"; Ethan the "harmless brother." But both had been putting on an act.
She held out the whiskey glass. "Cheers. I'll make enough money soon—we'll buy that luxury house you've been wanting."
In her past life, she'd fallen for his deception: he'd "supported" her through hard times, gotten jealous when she dated, saved every dollar she gave him… then "bought" her a house (with her own money) and put her name on the deed. She'd been foolish enough to believe he cared.
Now she saw the truth. He'd gotten everything he wanted—with help from Clara and Olivia, his two girlfriends, who'd played along with his lies. That "gift" house? It had been bought with her money. He'd just used it to manipulate her. Later, he'd even bought a larger house for himself, again with her funds.
But this time, she was onto him.
Ethan never refused her. Even at 4:00 AM, even knowing she disliked whiskey, he took the glass, his face soft with fake worry. "Don't work yourself too hard. We just need to be together—money isn't everything."
Elena clinked her water glass against his.
Ethan downed the whiskey in one gulp. His eyes rolled back, and he collapsed to the floor.
No hesitation. No suspicion.
Elena stared at him coldly. She heard movement next door—Clara and Olivia, waking up. She dragged Ethan into his room and locked the door.
She sat on the couch, phone in hand, staring at the time. The beta would start in minutes. She wasn't leaving—not even if Ethan slept until sunrise.
In her past life, Ethan had been unstoppable. A "cheat code" of a man, with the only max-level talent on Earth. Even when he married into the powerful Su family, their daughter had gone from a strong leader to his puppet—all because he'd turned her against Elena.
This time, things would end differently.