New Life: Never a Simp Again

Back when Burke Group was falling apart, I even helped Rosalie in secret. Eventually, Edward, who'd never thought much of her, started to value her.

"Rosalie, how did you turn into this?"

Whatever fondness I'd once had for her was long gone. I didn't speak to her gently anymore.

She went still, then her voice rose in a sharp rush.

"Mark, what I become has nothing to do with you. You're just some orphan nobody wanted. If I hadn't taken you in, you'd have starved to death long ago."

Rosalie was about to go on when her phone rang, and her expression flipped the second she saw who was calling.

Her tone suddenly turned light and sweet as she answered, "Romy, I'll be right there."

The moment that name left her mouth, my fists tightened, and a hot wave of anger hit me.

So, in my past life, they'd already been involved at this point. Back then, Rosalie told me she was just meeting an old classmate, and I actually believed her.

Now that things were completely out between us, she laid it all on the table.

"Get lost, Mark. We're done. And just so you know, I'm about to marry the CEO of Swain Group. So, don't go around acting like you ever knew me. I'd be mortified!"

I snorted and composed myself. "Then let me congratulate you in advance on getting exactly what you wanted, Ms. Burke."

It was still anyone's guess who would inherit Swain Group. And I was more than ready to give my "beloved brother" Jerome a very special gift.

This time, I wasn't backing down. Whatever was mine, I was taking it back. All I wanted was to watch Rosalie drown in her own mess for a little while longer.

…

The day I returned to the Swain residence, Dad was seriously ill, lying in bed with every bit of color drained from his face.

Coughing hard, he managed to rasp, "Mark, you finally decided to come back."

Kneeling by his bed, I poured out everything I'd suffered through these past years.

Dad always responded to emotion more than anything else. That was how Jerome and his mother, Laura Jones, had driven Mom to her death and then stepped into her place in this house.

"Dad, just give me a year. I won't let you down."

He nodded in approval and immediately had his assistant set up a position for me at the Swain Group.

Laura's face drained with fury, her mouth opening then snapping shut again, while Jerome's face darkened and he said nothing.

My gaze snagged on his tie, that worldwide limited-edition piece Rosalie had bought. Clearly, things between them were moving fast.

Dad looked at me, relief written all over his face. "I'm just glad you're back. Swain Group was always meant to be yours in the end."

Jerome's expression soured. "Dad, Mark just got back. He doesn't even know how Swain Group runs yet. Maybe we should slow down?"

Laura jumped in right away. "Exactly. Jerome's been running the company all these years. Mark just got back. What if—"

Dad cut them off, his voice low and firm. "That's enough. I trust what Mark can do."

Watching Jerome and Laura deflate on the spot filled me with pure satisfaction.

In my past life, I refused to face Mom's death, and it gave Jerome and Laura the opening they needed to steal her estate and wreck my life.

This time, I wasn't letting them win. Every old score was coming due.

The moment I got back to Swain Group, I acted on what I remembered from my past life and bought the struggling digital media company I'd once told Rosalie to go after.

The minute Jerome found out, he came over and laughed in my face. "My dear Mark. Everyone's been calling you a business genius, so I was dying to see what you'd do. And this is it?

"You come back and waste money on some trashy little company? We may be rich, but Swain Group isn't your personal bonfire."

I looked up at him, unfazed, and didn't say a word. He wasn't this cocky for no reason.

Just the day before, he'd locked in a multibillion-dollar real estate deal. With tourism booming, he'd planned to turn the whole thing into an ecotourism hotspot.