### When I stormed the drug cartel’s hideout, my fiancée, Mira, was taken hostage by the mastermind behind it all. In the heat of the moment, I pulled the trigger and killed him. Five years later, Mira and I got married. It was the happiest day of my life—or so I thought. That night, when I least expected it, she drugged me. I woke up in a dimly lit basement, my body broken and battered after a week of relentless torture. Mira stood over me, her heel crushing my unrecognizable face. “Jeremy was just an accountant,” she sneered. “Taking me hostage was nothing but a desperate move. And yet, you killed him in cold blood.” Given a second chance, I wouldn’t hesitate. I’d pull the trigger all over again. After seven days and nights of torture, Mira finally showed up. Her stiletto heel pressed hard against my face as I lay on the floor, barely able to breathe, each gasp a shallow rasp. “How does it feel to be on the verge of death, Alex?” she sneered, her voice dripping with venom. “Compared to what Jeremy went through, I’ve been far too kind to you.” I stared up at her twisted, hate-filled expression—and somehow, I laughed. I laughed at my own stupidity. All those memories of love, the kind that felt so deep it burned into my soul—they were nothing but a lie. “What’s so funny?” My laughter must have enraged her, because she crouched down and dug her nails into my jaw, forcing me to look her in the eye. “Jeremy was just an accountant,” she hissed, her voice trembling with fury. “He was as innocent as a blank sheet of paper. Taking me hostage was nothing but a last resort, and yet you, Alex, you shot him down in cold blood.” She leaned in closer, her breath hot and bitter against my ear. “It’s been five years, Alex. Five long years. Jeremy’s been all alone down there, waiting. Don’t you think it’s time you join him?” Before I could react, she raised the gun and fired a single shot into my chest. The pain was indescribable, like fire ripping through my body. And just like that, I died—consumed by rage and regret. “Captain! One of the informants said Miss Mira is inside. Should we adjust the plan?” A familiar voice rang in my ears, pulling me out of the darkness. For a moment, I was disoriented. “Captain?” The voice called out again, more urgent this time. When I finally turned to look, I saw a face I hadn’t seen in years—Chris, one of my old teammates, standing right in front of me. Wasn’t I just shot? Wasn’t I dead? Panicked, I clutched at my chest, expecting to feel the wound, the blood. But instead, my chest was smooth, untouched. “What are you doing, Captain? Now’s not the time to show off your pecs!” Chris grabbed my arm, his expression a mix of confusion and concern. It didn’t take long for the reality to hit me. This wasn’t a dream. I was alive. I had been reborn—sent back to the day when I led the raid on the cartel’s hideout. In my previous life, Mira had already been taken hostage by Jeremy when we stormed the place. To save her, I shot him without hesitation. Afterward, we dismantled the operation, confiscated a massive stash of drugs, and celebrated a job well done. But I ignored the look in Mira’s eyes—the dazed, haunted expression she wore as she watched Jeremy die. At the time, I thought she was just shaken by the violence. It wasn’t until she killed me that I realized the truth. She wasn’t scared. She was grieving. She loved him. The memory of it made my chest ache, as if the bullet had hit me all over again. This time, I wasn’t going to make the same mistake. I wasn’t going to waste another thought on Mira’s survival. “Stick to the original plan,” I ordered, my voice cold and unfeeling. “We go in.” This time, I wouldn’t hesitate to add another body to the count. When we stormed the hideout, there he was—Jeremy, holding a knife to Mira’s throat, just like before. I narrowed my eyes, taking in the scene. I didn’t see a victim and a captor. I saw two snakes, coiled together in their betrayal. Without a second thought, I pulled the trigger. If my calculations were correct, the bullet would tear through Jeremy’s hand and lodge itself in Mira’s shoulder. Years of training had honed my aim to perfection. But what I didn’t anticipate was this: At the very last second, Mira moved. She threw herself in front of Jeremy, risking her own life to shield him, even with the knife pressed against her throat. The bullet hit her shoulder, just as I’d aimed. For a moment, everything seemed to slow down. Mira turned her head, glaring back at me with eyes filled with pure hatred. She didn’t say a word, but her expression spoke volumes. It was a look that said, You’ll pay for this. I tilted my head and smiled faintly, unbothered by her rage. What a shame. I missed her heart.
In my previous life, after Jeremy was shot dead, someone came forward with evidence exposing him as the real mastermind behind the drug ring. As we pieced everything together, the truth emerged: Jeremy was the illegitimate son of the city’s most notorious crime family. After college, he took over the family’s criminal empire and used his expertise to design a new type of drug. These drugs were distributed through the family’s nightclubs and underground casinos, while Jeremy hid behind the unassuming guise of a mild-mannered accountant. The media ran wild with the story. Jeremy became the city’s most hated man, condemned by everyone. Everyone except Mira. Her eyes red and swollen, she muttered to anyone who’d listen, “He was just an accountant…” I hated myself for not seeing through her back then. After Mira was taken to the hospital, I didn’t visit her. Instead, I went straight to the interrogation room, where Jeremy was being held. He sat there, calm and composed, wearing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses that made him look more like a college professor than a criminal. But I knew better. I’d seen the real Jeremy years ago—when he was a high schooler torturing stray cats in an alleyway. I knew then that his soul was rotten to the core. And yet, somehow, he always managed to twist the narrative. No matter what he did, everyone else ended up believing I was the one with a vendetta against him. “Alex, don’t make this personal,” Jeremy said with a smirk. “I’m just an accountant. Taking Mira hostage was a desperate move, nothing more.” I stared at him silently, letting him put on his little performance. “So tell me,” I said calmly, “since when does an accountant carry a weapon?” The knife he’d used to hold Mira hostage wasn’t just any knife. It was a finely crafted Swiss Army blade—customized, no less. Jeremy chuckled, leaning back in his chair. “How about this—you send your officer over there to get me a glass of water, and I’ll tell you everything you want to know.” I could see what he was doing. He wanted the room cleared. Fine. I played along. I dismissed everyone, leaving just the two of us in the room. “Alright,” I said, standing over him. “It’s just us. Talk.” Jeremy crooked a finger, motioning for me to lean in. Reluctantly, I did. And then he whispered in my ear. “You haven’t tasted Mira yet, have you? What a shame. She’s probably hating your guts right now.” My fists clenched so tightly that my nails dug into my palms. I wanted nothing more than to smash his smug face into the table. Jeremy grinned, clearly enjoying my reaction. “I love seeing you like this,” he added, his voice dripping with mockery. “Oh, by the way, how’s your brother doing these days?” That did it. My fist shot forward, slamming into his face with everything I had. Our family had always been in law enforcement. My parents were legends in the Organized Crime Unit, dedicating their lives to cleaning up the city. When I was a kid, they died during a raid on a crime syndicate. My older brother took up their mantle, becoming a cop and vowing to finish what they started. But during an undercover operation, his cover was blown. The gang tortured him, severing the tendons in his hands and feet. By the time we rescued him, the damage was done—both to his body and his mind. He was never the same again. I took up his badge and joined the force, swearing to continue the fight. It wasn’t until after Jeremy’s death in my previous life that I learned the truth: Jeremy was the one who had personally mutilated my brother. The hatred I felt for him now was enough to drive me to the brink of madness. Before I could land another punch, the door burst open. “Alex, what the hell are you doing?!” Mira’s voice, shrill and panicked, filled the room. She rushed to Jeremy’s side, shielding him like a fragile porcelain doll, her once flawless image as the city’s socialite now reduced to a pale, trembling wreck. “I brought a lawyer!” she shouted, her voice cracking. “I’m filing a complaint for police brutality!” Gone was the composed, elegant woman the city once adored. Now she looked like a desperate patient on the verge of collapse, clutching onto Jeremy as though her life depended on it. Jeremy, ever the opportunist, peeked out from behind her with a sly, taunting grin. I glared at them, my anger boiling over. If looks could kill, they’d both be dead. But I knew better. Jeremy didn’t deserve a quick death. He deserved to rot in prison, to be stripped of his freedom and power, to face the full weight of the law. No matter how much I wanted to end it right here, I wouldn’t let him escape justice. Not this time.
It didn’t take long for me to get called into the captain’s office over the punch I threw at Jeremy. I knew the truth—Jeremy was the one responsible for what happened to my brother. He was also the mastermind behind the entire drug operation. But without evidence, my hands were tied. I couldn’t say anything. The captain sighed deeply and placed a hand on my shoulder. “Alex, I get it. I know you want to take down criminals like him. But without proof, he’s innocent until proven guilty. You can’t let your emotions get the better of you.” Once again, Jeremy had played everyone like a fiddle with his innocent act. Even the captain and Chris thought I was overreacting, convinced I was letting my personal feelings cloud my judgment. The captain suggested I take some time off. Frustrated, I kicked a chair on my way out of the station. Mira was waiting for me outside. “Alex, I know you’ve never liked Jeremy,” she said, grabbing my hand and looking at me with an expression that might’ve been convincing—if I hadn’t known better. “But can’t you just let it go? He’s just an accountant. That’s all he is. Stop trying to make him into something he’s not.” In her mind, Jeremy would always be the harmless, defenseless little rabbit. I forced a bitter smile. It felt like the bullet that had once pierced my chest had now lodged itself straight into my skull. When my dad died, I was too young to understand what had happened. I followed my brother everywhere like a shadow until he joined the police academy, leaving me behind to live with my grandmother. Back then, I was timid and insecure, always the target of the neighborhood bullies. Then Mira showed up—a girl from out of town who stood in front of me like a shield, protecting me from everyone who wanted to hurt me. To my younger self, she was everything: my light, my hero. I relied on her. I admired her. I loved her. But looking at her now, I couldn’t help but feel like all of it had been one big joke. I stared at her anxious face, then closed my eyes and shook my head. “Mira, Jeremy is a criminal. He belongs in prison. This isn’t personal—it’s about justice.” I’d said these same words to her in my past life. And just like then, she didn’t listen. “You’ve disappointed me, Alex!” she snapped before storming off in a huff. After a few days of forced leave, I got a message from Chris. The drug dealers we’d arrested weren’t talking. Unlike in my previous life, they refused to point the finger at Jeremy. They were too scared of him to say a word. Furious, I slammed my fist against the edge of my bed. To make things worse, Mira had hired a high-powered legal team to defend Jeremy. And, just as I feared, Jeremy was released on bail. Fuming, I stormed into the captain’s office, ready to argue. But before I could even get a word out, the captain raised a hand to stop me. “Alex, it’s done. There’s not enough evidence to hold him. He’s walking free, and that’s final. Arguing won’t change anything.” The day Jeremy was released, Mira herself came to pick him up. She had gone all out, wearing a perfectly tailored dress and flawless makeup. She even invited the media to document the occasion, spinning the narrative that Jeremy had been wrongfully accused. I stood at a distance, watching the spectacle with cold detachment. Then I pulled out my phone and sent Mira a single text: [We’re done.] I saw her glance at her phone. She barely reacted, as if the message meant nothing to her. She put it away and went back to fussing over Jeremy like a concerned lover. It didn’t take long for the two of them to start appearing everywhere together. Hand in hand, side by side, they became the new “it” couple. I had to admire Jeremy’s cunning. Mira’s family had gone to great lengths to keep her from dating me, pulling every string they could to drive a wedge between us. But with Jeremy? They welcomed him with open arms. No matter how they twisted the story, I couldn’t care less about their relationship. Jeremy might’ve won this round, but I’d make sure he didn’t win the war. I swore to myself: no matter what it took, I would bring him down.
I’d just been assigned a new case—a cross-border drug trafficking operation in a neighboring city. In my previous life, I remembered Jeremy’s half-brother fleeing to that city, eventually cementing his control over the underground drug market there. Back then, after taking down Jeremy’s gambling ring, I retired from the force. I never got involved in the neighboring city’s operations. But this time? This time, I wasn’t going anywhere until I saw Jeremy and everyone connected to him behind bars. On the day I was set to leave, Jeremy showed up, flipping a lighter in his hand as he sauntered toward me. His expression was smug, his posture that of a man who believed he’d already won. “Leaving the city, Officer Reed?” he asked with a smirk, his tone dripping with mockery. The hatred I felt for him was no longer a hot, uncontrollable rage. It had cooled into something sharper, something focused—a determination to see him brought to justice. I didn’t respond. I didn’t even look at him. “Our wedding’s coming up soon,” he added, his smirk widening. “You wouldn’t want to come and congratulate Mira and me?” Still, I said nothing. “Shame,” he said, leaning in closer. “You know, I don’t even love her. She’s just a game to me. Just like you were back in high school.” His words slithered through the air like venom from a snake, making my stomach churn. Mira and I had grown up together. From elementary school to high school, we’d been inseparable—until Jeremy entered the picture. Back then, Jeremy was the golden boy. Polished, charming, smart, and good-looking. Teachers adored him, classmates admired him, and no one could get enough of his perfect image. Meanwhile, I was the stereotypical jock—good at sports, terrible at academics, and always getting into trouble. But beneath Jeremy’s flawless exterior was a monster. I’d seen it with my own eyes one day after school. I’d caught him in an alley, torturing a stray cat. He didn’t panic when I confronted him. Instead, he calmly dropped the cat’s lifeless body into my desk the next day. From that moment on, Jeremy stopped pretending around me. He showed me his true colors—his sadistic, manipulative side. He took every opportunity to provoke me, to make me lose control, only to turn around and play the victim. “Ah, that look in your eyes,” he said now, leaning in so close I could feel his breath on my ear. “It’s the same as back then. God, it’s exciting.” Then, his voice dropped to a whisper. “Mira’s been in my bed since high school. You didn’t know? What a shame.” My vision went red. My fists clenched instinctively, and I was ready to swing. “Alex Reed! Don’t you dare!” Mira’s voice rang out as she came running toward us, screaming. Before my punch could connect, Mira’s purse came down on me instead—over and over again. “Stop it, Alex! Stop!” “Don’t blame him, Mira,” Jeremy said, stepping back with mock innocence. “I told him I love you, that we’re in love. He’s just upset because he cares about you so much.” Jeremy’s ability to play the victim was nothing short of Oscar-worthy. “Alex! You’re the one who broke up with me! And I love Jeremy now! If you’ve got a problem, take it up with me, not him!” Mira turned to shield him, her face pale with rage and indignation. “Jeremy’s innocent!” she shouted, her voice trembling. That phrase. I’d heard it more times than I could count. When had she become so unrecognizable? The girl who once stood in front of me to protect me from bullies was now standing in front of Jeremy, defending him. I took a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down. Then I looked her in the eyes and said coldly, “Don’t worry. A snake and a rat are a perfect match. I wish you both a long and miserable life together.” With that, I turned and boarded the bus to the neighboring city. It didn’t take long for me to uncover Jeremy’s crimes during the raid on the neighboring city’s drug operations. His half-brother, as it turned out, had kept a backup of everything—an encrypted hard drive containing damning evidence of Jeremy’s involvement in the torture and murder of law enforcement officers. The moment I got my hands on it, I didn’t stop. I raced back to the city, straight to the captain’s office. Slamming the hard drive on his desk, I filed for Jeremy’s arrest. The captain, stunned by the overwhelming evidence, wasted no time. Within minutes, I had the warrant in hand. Jeremy and Mira’s wedding day was nothing short of a spectacle. The hall was packed with guests, the decorations lavish, the champagne flowing freely. I walked in, interrupting their vows. “Jeremy Brooks,” I said, my voice cutting through the room like ice. “You’re under suspicion for the murder of a police officer.” I threw the arrest warrant onto the table in front of him, watching as Mira’s face twisted in shock. The room erupted into chaos. Mira screamed, clinging to Jeremy as I dragged him away in cuffs. Through all the noise, I kept my focus. This time, I was going to finish what I started. This time, I was going to end him.
In the interrogation room, I found myself face to face with Jeremy once again. He leaned casually against the table, a faint smirk tugging at his lips, his eyes filled with mockery. I placed the evidence in front of him. Jeremy glanced at it—and to my disbelief, he looked completely unfazed. In fact, he stared at the footage as though he were admiring some kind of masterpiece. “Hm,” he said, smirking even wider. “The execution’s a little sloppy, though, don’t you think?” He actually had the audacity to critique the crime scene footage. “Jeremy,” I said, my voice sharp, “the evidence is right here in front of you. What do you have to say for yourself?” I was curious—what excuse could he possibly come up with this time? Jeremy shrugged, the picture of nonchalance. “I’ll wait for my lawyer. Until then, I have nothing to say.” I knew I wasn’t going to get anything out of him, so I didn’t bother wasting more time. But his calm, almost smug demeanor stirred something uneasy inside me. Taking the hard drive back to my office, I replayed the footage over and over again. The video clearly captured Jeremy’s face. There was no doubt it was him. And yet, something about it didn’t sit right. I paused the video at the final frame, freezing on the moment Jeremy looked directly into the camera. That’s when I saw it. He smiled—a slow, chilling grin. And at the corner of his left eye… there was a teardrop-shaped mole. Jeremy didn’t have a mole. A cold shiver ran down my spine as realization hit me. Before I could leave my office, Chris burst in, his face pale with urgency. “Captain, Mira’s here,” he said quickly. “She’s brought a lawyer… and someone else.” He hesitated, his expression uneasy. “You should probably see for yourself.” Pushing past him, I headed straight for the reception area. When I saw who was standing there, the world seemed to tilt. It was Jeremy. Or rather, someone who looked exactly like him. The only difference was the distinct teardrop-shaped mole at the corner of his eye. “Officer Reed!” Mira shouted at me, her voice sharp and commanding. “I’ve brought a lawyer and the real culprit. You need to let Jeremy go immediately!” I ignored her completely, my eyes locked on the man in front of me. He shifted nervously under my gaze, shrinking slightly as though I could see right through him. He was nothing like the cold, calculated monster from the video.
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