Chapter 2

The day the competition results were announced, the main hall of Vance Technologies was buzzing with tension. Richard Vance stood on the stage, the final report in his hand. Chloe stood beside him, her expression a careful mask of neutrality, but her eyes kept flicking towards one person in the crowd.

Not me.

"The winner," Richard announced, his voice echoing in the silent room, "is Liam."

A wave of murmurs rippled through the other eleven apprentices. I saw their faces, a mix of shock, disappointment, and envy.

"Liam? I thought for sure it would be Ethan," one of them whispered to another, just loud enough for me to hear. "Ethan has always been the best."

"Please," the other scoffed. "Chloe has been wrapped around Liam' s little finger for years. She probably convinced her old man to rig the results."

"She' s always hated Ethan, even though they grew up together. He' s like a piece of old furniture to her."

Their words were careless, but they were true.

Liam stepped forward, a look of humble disbelief on his face that was so well-rehearsed it was almost convincing. He walked onto the stage, his eyes shining with fake tears.

Chloe' s mask broke. A brilliant, genuine smile spread across her face. She rushed to Liam' s side, taking his hand and holding it up for everyone to see.

"He did it! I knew he could do it!" she exclaimed, her voice full of pride and affection.

Liam looked from her to her father. "Mr. Vance," he said, his voice trembling slightly. "Does this mean... the engagement...?"

Chloe answered for her father, her grip on Liam' s hand tightening. "Of course, it does. We' ll be married, just as planned."

I stood in the crowd, a ghost at the feast. I felt nothing. No, that' s a lie. I felt a profound sense of relief, a quiet calm spreading through me. The future I had dreaded was no longer mine. It was theirs.

I remembered all the years I had spent chasing after Chloe. I was the designated "childhood fiancé," a title that meant nothing to her but had defined my entire life. I had learned coding to impress her, joined her father' s company to be near her, and poured all my talent into this competition to win her. In their eyes, I was just the persistent, annoying boy next door who wouldn' t take a hint.

Richard Vance' s eyes found mine in the crowd. He looked confused, his brow furrowed. He started to walk towards me, pushing past the reporters who were now swarming Chloe and Liam.

"Ethan," he said, his voice low and serious. "I don' t understand. I reviewed the final data logs. The winning AI showed a level of sophistication, a coding signature... it was yours. I' d recognize your work anywhere."

I just shook my head.

"I was wrong, Uncle Richard," I said, using the familiar title he' d allowed me since I was a boy.

He wasn' t just my mentor. He was my father' s best friend. He had promised my parents he would look after me after they were gone. In my last life, he had been too late. This time, his confusion was a sign that my plan was working.

"You' re the most talented developer I' ve ever seen, more than your father, even," he insisted. "This result makes no sense."

"Perhaps Liam is just better than we thought," I replied, my voice even. "It' s his win. Let him have it."

I needed Richard to believe I had failed. If he dug too deep, if he proved the AI was mine, I would be right back where I started-engaged to Chloe, a target for her obsession, and on a collision course with death.