Chapter 1

"Veya AI, book me a table for a business dinner tomorrow."

In my last life, our intern, Vincent Tate, tried using AI to book a client dinner.

I told him Veya AI couldn't make reservations.

Yet he waited until after work to do it himself.

Too late.

Every table was gone.

Vincent immediately started crying to the whole office.

"If Mr. Alford hadn't stopped me from using AI, I would've gotten a table! Now we blew the deal!"

My fiancée, Peyton Welch, and the rest of my coworkers piled on.

"Why can't AI make reservations? Vincent's right. You're paying for every dollar we lose!"

Peyton shoved me during the fight. Then I fell off the building.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back.

Right at the moment Vincent tried using AI to book the table.

This time, I kept my mouth shut.

I listened as he gave Veya AI the command.

Go for it, Vincent. Let's see AI get you that table...

Chapter 1

"Guys, look! AI is freaking amazing!

"I told it I needed a VIP room for eight at Lakecrest Hotel tomorrow, and boom—reservation confirmed!"

Vincent Tate had a clean-cut look and that fresh-out-of-college energy.

He held up his phone for the other interns to see.

Veya AI's reply filled the screen:

[Your lake-view VIP room for eight at Lakecrest Hotel is confirmed for 6:00 p.m. tomorrow. Please arrive on time.]

I leaned against the office doorframe, my back still aching.

My fists clenched, nails digging into my palms.

It took everything to shove down the rage boiling inside me.

Nearby, Vincent was still hyping up his phone while everyone sang his praises.

Looking smug as hell, he waved his phone and dropped a screenshot into the department group chat.

The group chat blew up with people hyping him up.

[Vincent, that's actually impressive! You're already this good with AI? Our department's productivity is about to go through the roof!]

[That's what fresh talent looks like. New hires actually think outside the box, unlike certain old-timers stuck in the past.]

[If we land this deal, Vincent deserves all the credit!]

Before I could finish reading, someone tagged me.

It was my fiancée, Peyton Welch—the company's Vice President.

[@Andy Maybe learn something from the younger employees. AI is the future. Stop being so stuck in your ways.]

She'd thrown the exact same jab at me in my last life.

Vincent jumped in right away, acting like the innocent intern who was scared I'd snap.

[If Mr. Alford doesn't like me using AI, I won't use it next time.]

[This is a huge deal, after all. If anything goes wrong, I'll take full responsibility. No reason to drag the whole team down with me.]

Every word made me look like the jerk picking on the new guy.

And if the deal fell through? Easy. Blame me for stopping him from using AI.

Last time, I'd snapped back and got accused of bullying a new hire.

But after dying once, none of this could get to me.

I stared at his fake little act and smirked.

My fingers flew across the keyboard:

[Use whatever you want. If this deal falls apart, it's all on you.]

The group chat went dead silent.

Nobody expected me to clap back that hard.

Even Peyton had nothing to say.

I opened our private chat and sent one message.

[We're done.]

Then I went back to my office and pulled open the bottom desk drawer.

Chapter 2

I pulled out the watch she'd given me for my birthday last year.

I used to treasure it.

Now? What a joke.

Everyone had their heads down, pretending to work while secretly watching the group chat drama.

I walked straight to the trash can.

Right in front of everyone, I tossed the watch in.

Clang.

The face smacked against the metal, loud and sharp.

The whole office went dead silent.

Everyone froze and stared at me.

I ignored them and blocked Peyton everywhere.

Back at my desk, I pulled up my account on Grandview Hotel's website.

Using my membership card, I booked a private lake-view room for eight at 6:00 p.m. the next day and paid the deposit in full.

In the notes, I added our prospective client Benjamin Parker's dietary restrictions: no seafood because of an allergy, no sweets, and vegetarian meals for two people in his group.

Once the reservation went through, I deleted the confirmation text.

When I finished, I looked up and caught Vincent sneaking a glance at me.

A smug look flashed across his face.

The second our eyes met, he stood and headed straight into Peyton's office.

A moment later, I heard him speak.

"Ms. Welch, can you put me in charge of this project?

"I've been researching it and preparing on my own for a while. I'm sure I can do just as well as Mr. Alford."

I couldn't hear Peyton's reply.

But Vincent glanced back at me with a smug, challenging look.

A few minutes later, my phone buzzed.

Peyton had tagged me in the work group chat again.

[@Andy Vincent will be fully responsible for tomorrow's business meeting. You'll assist him as needed.]

Around the office, people traded looks.

They were all waiting for me to blow up, argue, and make a scene.

I looked at the message and typed one word.

[Okay.]

I'd like to see how he lands the project I've spent six months on when he can't even book a private room.

***

The next morning, I walked into the office right at clock-in.

The second I stepped into the department, I almost laughed.

Vincent was sitting at my desk—the one reserved for the Business Development Director.

He had on a sharp suit and was kicked back in my chair, messing with my keyboard and mouse like the desk already belonged to him.

Coworkers walking by either pretended not to notice or quietly sucked up to him.

I walked over and looked down at him.

Vincent glanced up but didn't move. He just lifted his chin like he belonged there.

"Mr. Alford, since I'm in charge of this project, I'll be using this desk for now.

"I'll give it back when the project's over. You don't mind, right?"

He sounded casual, but he was clearly putting me on the spot. He was betting I'd keep the peace and let it slide.

What he didn't know was I wasn't the same Andy who'd swallowed everything and backed down in my last life.

I laughed.

"Grab your stuff and get out of my office."

Vincent's smile froze.

Then he sat up straight, instantly defensive.

"Ms. Welch approved it! She said I'm in charge of the project, so there's nothing wrong with me sitting here for now!"

I scoffed.

Instead of arguing with him, I turned and headed straight for Peyton's office.

When I pushed open the door, she was leaning back in her chair, flipping through some documents.

She looked up, raised an eyebrow, and gave me that familiar, amused smile.

"Here to make up with me? That was fast. You only lasted one night."

Chapter 3

A chill ran through me.

In our three years together, every time we fought and talked about breaking up, I was always the one who gave in.

I'd soften, hold on to the past, and refuse to let us end.

So Peyton thought this was just another tantrum.

She was sure I'd come crawling back like always.

She'd always believed I couldn't live without her.

I looked at her cold, beautiful face and pushed down everything churning inside me.

"I'm not here to make up. I meant what I said yesterday. We're done."

The amusement vanished from Peyton's face, replaced by surprise.

She really hadn't expected me to mean it this time.

Before she could answer, I kept going.

"And what gives you the right to hand my office over to an intern? Vincent doesn't even have a full-time offer yet. Everyone can see how blatantly you're favoring him. What do you think they're gonna say?"

The second I mentioned Vincent, she relaxed.

A dismissive smile returned to her face.

She stood and reached for my hand, her voice turning gentle.

"I thought it was something serious. So this is about Vincent.

"How many times do I have to tell you? There's nothing going on between us. We went to the same school, so I look out for him a little more.

"He's about to get a full-time offer. He just needs one solid project.

"If he closes this deal, he's in.

"Andy, you already have seniority and a strong track record. You don't need this opportunity. Just let him have this one, okay?"

As she reached for me, I stepped aside.

Her fingers brushed my sleeve and grabbed nothing.

Looking at her phony smile, I finally snapped.

"If you wanted to give him a chance, why didn't you put him in charge from day one?

"I pulled countless all-nighters on that proposal. I spent six months chasing this deal and months building trust with the client.

"Now everything's finally ready to close, and suddenly you're handing all the credit to someone else. Real generous.

"Just because he went to school with you and knows how to play nice and act like the victim, I'm supposed to step aside and let you two take everything?"

Peyton's face darkened, but she still tried to smooth things over.

"This is work. You're just helping out a new hire. Don't be so petty."

"Petty?"

I let out a cold laugh.

"Fine. If you're that determined to back him, I've got nothing else to say.

"Let's see if he can actually handle the project."

I turned and slammed the door behind me.

***

The second I stepped out of Peyton's office, Vincent walked over.

He gave me an innocent smile, sounding almost nervous.

"Mr. Alford, how'd it go? What did Ms. Welch say?

"If she wants me to move, I'll move right away. I'd never want to upset you."

He acted all innocent, but the smug look in his eyes gave him away.

I looked down at him.

"I hope you get to keep that seat for a while."

Without another word, I took my stuff to an empty desk and got to work.

Everyone kept sneaking looks at me, whispering among themselves.

Some looked sympathetic. Others were clearly waiting for the drama.

But before long, most of them crowded around Vincent again, sucking up to him.

He was running the project now, and he had the VP backing him.

Of course everyone wanted to stay on his good side.

Chapter 4

I ignored all of it and focused on my work.

After lunch, Vincent didn't come back right away.

I checked social media and saw his latest post.

He'd tagged himself at a high-end mall downtown.

The photo showed off an expensive suit and watch.

The caption was one big flex:

[Lucky to have a boss who mentors me and always has my back!]

Every word was a flex.

He wanted everyone to know Peyton had his back and treated him differently.

He wanted everyone to know he was about to land a major deal and lock down a full-time offer.

I muted his account without a second thought.

A little after four, Vincent and Peyton came back to the office together.

Vincent showed up in his new suit, looking way too pleased with himself.

He walked straight to my desk and turned around.

"Mr. Alford, what do you think of the burgundy? Too much for meeting the client?"

Before I could answer, Peyton jumped in.

"He's new and nervous about handling a deal this big for the first time. I just helped him pick out a suit so he'd look professional. Don't make it weird."

I looked at them and said nothing.

Then I grabbed the printed proposal and my document folder and stood.

"It's almost time. Let's go wait for Mr. Parker downstairs at Nova Corp."

When we got to Nova Corp, Benjamin and his team were just coming downstairs.

Vincent immediately rushed ahead of me with a polished smile.

"Mr. Parker, hi! I'm Vincent Tate, and I'm in charge of this project.

"I've got everything set for today. Veya AI booked us a private room overlooking the lake, and I had the menu planned around your preferences. I'm sure you'll love it."

He sounded completely confident, like the deal was already his.

Benjamin paused, then looked at me, confused.

I'd handled everything with Benjamin up to this point, so of course he was confused when someone else suddenly took over right before we signed.

I didn't explain.

I exchanged a few polite words with him and led him to the car.

Once we were inside, Benjamin smiled and got straight to business.

"Mr. Alford, I've gone over the brand upgrade proposal you've spent the last six months working on several times.

"I really like the concept and direction. As long as dinner goes smoothly tonight, we'll sign the contract on the spot."

I was about to answer when Vincent jumped in.

"Mr. Parker, I actually used AI to help Mr. Alford polish some of the key ideas in the proposal!"

I just smiled and let him talk.

A flicker of annoyance crossed Benjamin's face, but he didn't call him out.

He gave a stiff laugh and stayed quiet for the rest of the ride.

Before long, we reached the restaurant.

The second the car stopped, Vincent jumped out first.

He hurried ahead, looking way too smug, and led Benjamin straight to the front desk.

He slapped a hand on the counter.

"Hi, I'm Vincent Tate. I reserved a VIP lake-view room for eight yesterday. Show us to the room."

The hostess paused and checked the system.

Then she checked the reservation book.

After nearly five minutes, she finally looked up with a polite smile.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Tate, but we don't have a reservation under your name."