Miami, Florida.
Inside a luxury suite at the Fontaine Hotel in Brickell, Ethan Cole woke up.
The ceiling above him was unfamiliar—modern, minimalist, too expensive for someone who remembered falling asleep in a cramped office cubicle after a 16-hour shift.
He slowly turned his head.
A woman lay beside him.
Not just any woman.
Tall. Sun-kissed skin. Dark hair spilling across white Egyptian cotton sheets. Sharp features softened by sleep. One arm draped possessively across his chest as if she had claimed him during the night.
Ethan blinked.
Then his phone buzzed.
He picked it up.
Madison Reed:"Why aren't you responding? You think you're tough now? You're not even scared that I'm mad?"
Ethan stared at the name.
Madison Reed.
His high school sweetheart.
His first love.
His biggest mistake.
Memories surged through his mind like a dam breaking.
The fights.The "baby, it's just a small holiday" speeches.Valentine's Day. Spring Break. Fourth of July. National Girlfriend Day. Random Tuesday Because-I'm-Moody Day.
If he didn't send her money? She'd threaten to break up.
If he didn't buy gifts? He "didn't care."
If he hesitated? She'd cry.
The old Ethan had believed she just loved celebrating things together.
The old Ethan had believed love required constant proof.
The old Ethan had sent money every time.
He smiled coldly.
He scrolled up through the chat history. He could almost see his past self typing desperately.
Then he replied:
"Let's break up."
No hesitation.
No explanation.
He pressed send.
Madison responded instantly.
"?????????? Are you stupid? Do you even know why I'm mad? Yesterday was the Summer Solstice!"
Ethan let out a quiet laugh.
Miami sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting gold across the room.
He typed:
"Read carefully. I said let's break up."
Seconds later, his phone rang.
He answered.
"What do you mean?" Madison demanded.
"Exactly what the words mean. You're not worth it, simple."
His voice was calm. Detached.
On the other end, silence.
This wasn't how it was supposed to go.
Usually, she snapped her fingers and he ran.
Usually, she threatened to leave and he panicked.
Usually.
"If we break up," she said more carefully, "you'll regret it."
"No, don't worry." Ethan replied. "I won't."
She hung up.
He blocked her number. Then Instagram. Then everything else.
A weight lifted from his chest.
Then—
A mechanical voice echoed in his mind.
"Congratulations, Host. The Rich Life Tycoon System has been activated."
Ethan froze.
He didn't panic.
He had read enough web novels in his previous life to recognize the pattern.
A golden finger.
A cheat.
A second chance.
A transparent blue interface appeared in his vision.
Name: Ethan Cole
Age: 18
Height: 6'0"
Appearance: 85/100
Level: 1
Passive Income: $0.10 per second
Upgrade Requirement: 0/$100,000(spent)
Ethan blinked.
Ten cents per second?
He did the math instantly.
$6 per minute.$360 per hour.$8,640 per day.Over $250,000 per month.
For existing.
He exhaled slowly.
This wasn't "decent money."
This was the beginning of something terrifying.
His phone buzzed again.
"Novice Gift Package available. Open?"
"Yes."
"Reward: Porsche 918 Spyder."
"Reward: $10,000,000 starting capital."
"Reward: Five Beginner Rebate Cards (Max single transaction: $1,000,000)."
"Reward: Favorability Scan System."
A second later—
Bank Alert:$10,000,000 deposited.Available Balance: $10,032,311.
Ethan stared at the number.
Ten million dollars.
Real.
Legal.
Traceable.
He looked down.
A sleek Porsche key fob rested in his palm.
He hadn't seen it appear.
He smiled slowly.
Then—
"Activate Favorability Scan."
A soft chime.
He turned his head toward the woman beside him.
Name: Sophia Alvarez
Age: 25
Height: 5'5"
Appearance: 93
Figure: 94
Relationship History: 1
Favorability: 60 (Intimate State)
Ethan absorbed the information.
Sophia shifted in her sleep, tightening her hold around his waist.
He remembered fragments of last night.
A rooftop bar in Wynwood.Tequila.Shared frustrations.Too many drinks.Her laugh turning softer.Her hand finding his.The ride back to Brickell.
She stirred and opened one eye.
"You're unbelievable," she murmured. "You were drunk crying about your girlfriend last night. Now you're dumping her?"
Ethan smirked.
"People grow."
"Overnight?"
"Sometimes."
She traced a lazy circle over his chest.
"You don't seem heartbroken."
"I'm not. I realized my worth."
She studied him carefully now.
Different.
Calmer.
More dangerous.
"You're acting like you just inherited the world," she teased.
He looked at her.
Maybe he had.
The system ticked quietly in his mind.
+$0.10+$0.10+$0.10
Time itself was paying him.
In his previous life, he had spent years grinding through corporate life, planning to one day return home and take over his father's mid-sized construction company.
Now?
He didn't need inheritance.
He was building something bigger.
Now he would play the game properly.
Not like a desperate simp.
Not like a naive teenager.
But like a man who knew the ending.
And this time—
He controlled the script.
A soft chime echoed again.
"Host has unlocked bonus reward: High-End Vehicle Critical Card (Unlimited cap, single use)."
"Reward: Skill Unlocked — Silver Tongue.[The host's tongue has reached expert mastery.]"
Ethan felt something subtle shift. Confidence sharpened. Words aligned more cleanly in his mind.
Interesting.
He looked at Sophia.
"I think I need to have another taste..."
She raised a brow.
"Wha-...."
And another intense bout was happening between them all of a sudden, allowing the use of his new skill
Her eyes widened.
He winked.
Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, Miami glittered under the morning sun.
In his last life, he chased approval.
In this one?
He would chase power.
And he would enjoy every second of it.
+$0.10.
The game had just begun.