CHAPTER 1: THE MAN WHO RETURNED FROM THE DEAD
CHAPTER 1: THE MAN WHO RETURNED FROM THE DEAD
Friday morning.
At 8:00 a.m., the Rossi family gathered inside the glass conference room on the top floor of Rossi Global Holdings.
Everyone wore black.
Everyone looked sad.
Everyone was lying.
Camille Sterling sat at the head of the table with a delicate expression of grief.
Beside her sat Gregory Rossi, Sebastian's cousin.
Several board members whispered to one another while pretending to discuss the future of the company.
“The shareholders need stability,” Gregory said.
Camille nodded softly.
“I only want to honor Sebastian's legacy.”
“Of course,” one executive replied.
“But legally, if his condition doesn't improve by Monday, temporary authority should transfer.”
Camille lowered her eyes.
“It's what Sebastian would have wanted.”
The room agreed too quickly.
Too eagerly.
Nobody noticed that security cameras inside the room had already been remotely activated.
Nobody noticed that every word was being recorded.
Meanwhile, inside the hospital, Sebastian sat upright for the first time in six days.
Dr. Benjamin Hart closed the blinds.
“Are you sure about this?” the doctor asked.
Sebastian slowly stood up.
His ribs still hurt.
His shoulder was bruised.
But his eyes looked colder than ever.
“I've spent fifty years building an empire.”
He adjusted his hospital robe.
“I can spend one day destroying every traitor inside it.”
At that moment, Hannah entered quietly carrying fresh coffee.
She froze.
Her eyes widened.
“You're awake.”
Sebastian looked at her.
“Apparently.”
She almost laughed from relief.
“Thank God.”
He studied her face.
No greed.
No fear.
No calculation.
Just genuine happiness.
That alone felt foreign to him.
“Thank you,” he said.
Hannah looked surprised.
“For what?”
“For being human.”
Nobody had ever expected Sebastian Rossi to say those words.
Least of all himself.
Two hours later, a message arrived at every executive's phone.
EMERGENCY BOARD MEETING.
Attendance mandatory.
Everyone assumed lawyers had bad news.
Everyone arrived smiling behind their masks.
Then the doors opened.
Sebastian Rossi walked inside.
Alive.
The room stopped breathing.
Camille dropped her pen.
Gregory turned pale.
One director whispered, “Impossible.”
Sebastian slowly sat at the head of the table.
“My apologies,” he said calmly.
“I seem to have interrupted everyone's funeral plans.”
Nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
Then Sebastian pressed a button.
Recordings filled the room.
Camille's voice echoed through the speakers.
“Three more days and every account, every company, every dollar becomes mine.”
Another recording.
“Please die before Monday.”
Another.
“Grief photographs very well.”
The room exploded into chaos.
Camille stood up.
“You manipulated everyone!”
Sebastian stared at her.
“No.”
“You revealed yourself.”
Security guards entered immediately.
Camille looked around desperately.
“Sebastian, listen to me.”
“No.”
“Sebastian, I love you.”
“No.”
“Sebastian…”
“Leave.”
Her face finally cracked.
Years of manipulation shattered within seconds.
As security escorted her away, she screamed.
“You'll die alone!”
The entire room fell silent.
Sebastian answered without emotion.
“Perhaps.”
“But at least I'll know who's standing beside me when it happens.”
His eyes briefly moved toward Hannah.
She immediately looked down.
May you like
Because unlike everyone else...
She wasn't trying to be seen.
