Rebirth: I Died as a Nobody, Came Back as a Legend

Damien guided me toward a side door, the eyes of the entire banquet hall fixed on us. I felt the stares of curiosity and envy. As we stepped outside, we entered a hallway adorned with luxurious decor, echoing the opulence of the banquet hall. Ornate light fixtures cast a warm glow over the plush carpeting, and fine art hung on the walls, giving the corridor an air of exclusivity.

"Where are we going?" I asked, intrigued.

"Where the date can finally begin," Damien replied with a wink, his confidence infectious.

We walked down the hallway until we reached a fancy door. Damien pushed it open, revealing a large, luxurious room filled with card tables and food stations. The atmosphere was lively, with young people around our age chatting animatedly. The room maintained the same elegance as the rest of the hotel but had a more relaxed, festive vibe.

In the center of the room, Aston stood on a table, speaking loudly about something, and everyone who could hear hung on to his every word. The moment he spotted us, he shouted, "Damien! Jack Spencer!" All eyes turned to us as we entered.

I confidently strode forward to the table. Aston jumped down and approached us, a wide grin plastered across his face. "I told you we'd definitely party soon, Jack," he said, clapping me on the back.

I didn't think he meant we'd party together this soon.

I glanced around the bustling room. "Looks like there aren't any more seats at your table."

Aston looked around, his expression akin to a conflicted five-year-old. After a few seconds, he pointed at the two people next to the empty center seat. "You two, fuck off."

The couple looked up, startled. "But that's not fair," one of them pleaded.

Aston simply gestured with his other hand, and security sprang into action, escorting the couple out of their seats. Damien and I exchanged amused glances as Aston waved us over.

"Come on, take a seat! You're my most important guests," Aston said, his enthusiasm growing more annoying by the second.

Damien led me to the now-vacant seats, and we sat down as Aston resumed his rant about his experience in New York investor circles. Damien poured me a drink, and we watched as Aston's speech eventually came to an end. Suddenly, Aston jumped off the table and turned his attention to me mid-sip. "Now you!" He dramatically announced. "Tell me your story!"

I downed the rest of my drink and held the glass out for a refill, thanking the cocktail pitcher for its timely arrival. "What about it?" I asked, playing along.

"How did you become the heir if you were once unfavored?" a girl at the table asked. I recognized her almost immediately as one of Debbie's friends from school. Clearly, she was here to cause me some trouble since Debbie couldn't get in to do it herself. Well, fine then; I'd give her a battle she'd never see coming.

I downed another drink and stood up. "Debbie gave up the position of heir herself," I announced, causing the girl to gasp in shock.

I feigned a look of sorrow and continued, "Debbie has been hypnotized by Eli. The guy is an evil mastermind who wants to monopolize all of her budding talents. I don't know for sure, but I think it was his idea for her to give everything up because he's so insecure about himself. Since I couldn't stop that from happening, as her brother, it's my job to make sure the Spencer family is the best it can be so she always has a soft place to fall."

Another lady at the table chimed in, "Why didn't you force them to break up?"

I solemnly replied, "I'm not meant to get in the way of people in love. My sister is the happiest she's ever been, and I want her to stay that way if possible." As I acted like a concerned brother, I even heard someone whisper, "I wish I had a brother like him."

I capped off my story with, "I have to make sure the Spencer family thrives so my sister can too when she finally realizes she's far too smart and talented to stay with Eli, who will just steal her accomplishments because he thinks women belong at home in the kitchen."

Debbie's friend slammed her hands down on the table in rage. "How do you know that?"

"I've been his friend since we were babies, so I know the Roth family better than anyone. This is what they do—they don't value women. They just make them heir incubators and ignore them. They hate a woman with brains, so she dumbs herself down."

This seemed to sell my story to her, and she looked even more furious. "I can't believe it! If Eli is the reason she dumbed herself down, then... that poor sweet girl. She's too naive to realize she's trapped."

"Exactly. If I fight her, she'll just cling to him harder," I said, maintaining my act.

The girl began to speak words of pity toward Debbie and admonishing herself, making it all about her. This pity would be the death of her friendship with Debbie for sure; Debbie hated pity more than anything. "She told me you were just jealous, but all this time you were just trying to protect her. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," I said, "You were just caring for my sister where I couldn't." The girl smiled at me like she meant it. I took another drink just so she wouldn't see my shit-eating grin.

Another kid our age asked, "Are the Spencers looking for any special contacts?"

"I can't take over yet," I replied, playing coy.

"But it doesn't matter. You can't find loyalty like that just anywhere," the guy said, and soon enough, business card after business card began piling up in my hand.

Then someone asked, "How did Damien and you get so close?"

I took another sip of my drink and leaned back, a mischievous grin spreading across my face. "Oh, that's quite the story," I began, catching everyone's attention. Damien shot me a warning glance, but I pressed on. "It all started at school. One day, out of nowhere, Damien called me out in front of everyone," I said, setting the scene. "I was confused and a bit annoyed at first, but then he did something unexpected. He pulled out twenty large rose bouquets. I mean, can you imagine? Twenty bouquets!"

The girls at the table gasped and leaned in closer. "Hey, what are you doing?" Damien growled, but I was enjoying myself, exposing something he'd done in his last life with added embellishments.

"He stood there, holding all those flowers, and with a voice full of emotion, he confessed, 'Jack, I've been in love with you for as long as I can remember. I know it sounds crazy, but I can't keep it to myself any longer.'"

Damien shifted uncomfortably, his face turning a deeper shade of red.

"'I want you to start using your talents for someone who truly acknowledges you,' he said, 'Someone who sees you for who you really are. That someone is me.'"

I paused for dramatic effect, enjoying the full attention of my audience.

"I was stunned, to say the least. But then I realized he was right. He'd always seen me for who I am, always supported me. That's when I knew—he was the one for me. Since then, I've thrived, knowing I have someone like Damien next to me."

The girls sighed dreamily. One of them clapped her hands together, saying, "That's the most romantic thing I've ever heard!"

Damien looked mortified, but before he could say anything, another girl chimed in, "You're so lucky, Jack! I wish my boyfriend was as romantic as Damien."

"Damien, why don't you ever talk about this?" one girl demanded, patting his arm.

"I never knew my cousin had this side to him," Aston interjected, clearly enjoying the scene I was making.

I turned to Damien, flicking his tie flirtatiously, earning a chorus of "Woooooo's" from the table. "Isn't he just the best?" I said, grinning.

Damien finally found his voice and muttered, "It's not quite like that."

"Oh, come on, Damien," another girl said. "We all know you're secretly a romantic at heart now. No wonder you weren't dating for so long."

"I guess I am," Damien admitted with a strained smile, still blushing.

Aston, clearly entertained, leaned back and watched the unfolding scene. As I collected more business cards, I couldn't help but feel a sense of triumph. Tonight was proving to be more fruitful than I ever imagined.

"I propose a toast! To the person that claimed my cousin's heart!" Aston held up his glass.

"Aston, stop it!" Damien ordered with a smile, but I could see he was struggling to suppress a glare.

"Cousin, don't let me lose face in front of my future in-law! I have a feeling we'll get along really well!" Aston pleaded.

"Come on, Damien, get the stick out of your ass," I tugged on his sleeve, enjoying the moment.

Damien looked upset but finally relented, raising his glass for a toast.

"Look at him, he's red!" a girl at the table squealed.

"I'll get you back for this," Damien promised me, his tone mock-serious.

"Like you could. You're just a kid," I smirked back, feeling a rush of exhilaration.

"You want to play? Ok, Challenge accepted," Damien grinned and put his glass down. "You guys can toast to my baby here! But I'll be the one to profit tonight!"

With that, Damien placed one hand on my cheek, his other sliding to my waist, pulling me closer. He kissed me, this time certain and assertive. A tingling contentment spread through my entire body as I pressed closer, melting against him. He curled a hand around the back of my head and drew me even more firmly into the kiss, every bit as enthusiastic.

The kiss lasted only a couple of seconds, but it turned my world upside down. He's really good at this! Better than Eli! When Damien pulled back a few inches, I blinked, my heart hammering away inside my chest. "That sure shut you the fuck up, didn't it?"

Fuck!

I couldn't believe this brute could make my heart race so effortlessly. It must be because, in my last life, I'd never had a kiss that felt so... right.

I don't like him!