Chapter 48: The Deal

[FLASHBACK - One Day Earlier]

After Paige’s apology in the morning, Jax had been preparing to leave, adjusting his academy uniform when something stopped him.

A realization struck.

He turned back.

Paige sat on the edge of her bed, her expression distant. There was sadness there—subtle, but unmistakable. The kind of sadness that came from watching someone walk away.

"You said something," Jax began, his voice cutting through the quiet. "At the signing table. To Jennifer. You told her you could give her assets to me."

Paige looked up, her eyes meeting his.

"Was that just mockery?" he asked. "Or were you serious?"

She didn’t hesitate. "I was dead serious."

"Why?"

"Because those rewards were never mine." Her voice was steady, unwavering. "You earned them. You have the right to all of them. Every single one."

Jax’s tone shifted—sharper, commanding. "Then give them to me."

Paige stood immediately. "Give me a few minutes. I’ll prepare the papers."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course."

"Even if I mess up?" His eyes narrowed slightly. "Even if I lose them?"

"Yes." Her answer came without pause. "You can do whatever you want with them. Build your empire. Destroy what’s already been created. It’s yours."

"Even if I give them back to Jennifer?"

That question made her pause. Confusion flickered across her face. The quick answer she’d been ready to give slowed, caught in her throat.

Jax pressed further. "Even if I give an opportunity for your opponent to strike back? To avenge herself against you?"

Paige stared at him for a long moment, processing. "What are you talking about? I don’t understand. Why would you do that?"

Then her eyes narrowed. She studied his face—the faint smile playing at his lips. "Or... are you plotting something?"

She stepped closer. "If you’ve planned something—no, scratch that. Even if it harms me, my answer remains the same." Her voice dropped lower, softer. "Is that enough to gain your trust?"

Jax didn’t answer. His mind was already elsewhere, calculations spinning.

[PRESENT - Reed Mansion]

Jennifer’s eyes opened slowly. Her body felt broken. Her lower half ached in ways she couldn’t describe—swollen, stretched, reshaped by hours of relentless exertion.

But Jax ignored her condition. He sat at the edge of the bed, pulling documents from the shirt he’d dropped on the floor earlier.

"I’m ready to give you what you lost," he said calmly. "Every bit of it. And in return, I don’t need much."

Jennifer’s lips curved into a weak, bitter smile. "You and your mother are the same. Both of you are clever with your words. With manipulation. With these offers." Her voice was hoarse but sharp. "Kid, I’ve played these games since before you were born."

Jax yawned, rubbing his eyes. "I don’t have time to defend myself. So let me be clear."

He passed the documents to her.

Jennifer’s eyes scanned the top page. Her name had been crossed out. The new owner listed was: Jax Rayne.

Her breath caught.

"Now that you know they all belong to me," Jax continued, "let me explain what I want in return."

Jennifer’s fingers gripped the papers tighter. "Go on."

"I want fifty percent share of the assets I already own."

Her brow furrowed.

"In simpler terms," Jax clarified, "I’ll hold fifty percent of the shares from the assets that I own—and that I’m giving back to you."

Jennifer’s smile returned, sharper this time. "Go on. I know you’re about to add more terms."

"Very sharp." Jax nodded. "But no. The next term benefits you more."

She waited.

"Three years," Jax said. "For three years, you get everything back. Full percentage. The assets you lost. The wealth. The reputation. Everything. You rebuild. You reclaim it all."

He leaned forward slightly. "And after three years, I take what I’m owed. Just half. Fifty percent of whatever you’ve made from my assets."

Silence.

Jennifer just stared at him. Her mind raced.

Years of business. Years of strategies. Years of cutting through deception and manipulation. And yet here she was, encountering a trade she couldn’t decode.

’What’s the trick?’ she thought frantically. ’Where’s the trap? Paige must have planned this. There has to be something I’m missing.’

But she couldn’t find it. No hidden clause. No loophole that would destroy her later.

Because there wasn’t one.

"Why?" Jennifer finally asked. Her voice was quiet, confused. "Why would you do this?"

"Because I can," Jax said simply. "And because it serves my interests."

"Your interests?" She shook her head. "You’re giving me back everything for half shares after three years? That’s a loss for you. By then, I could’ve doubled, tripled the value. You’d be handing me free capital."

"Exactly."

Her eyes widened. "You’re... you’re serious."

"Dead serious." Jax’s tone was flat, matter-of-fact. "Look, Jennifer. I’m not my mother. I don’t play games to crush people for the sake of it. I play to win, yes. But I also play for entertainment. For challenge. For something interesting."

He gestured at the papers. "You’re brilliant. One of the best minds in this world. But right now? You’re broken. Half your empire is gone. The other half is at risk. If you don’t recover, competitors will swallow you whole. And then what? The innovations stop. The quality drops. Everything you’ve built crumbles into mediocrity."

Jennifer’s jaw tightened.

Jax leaned back. "So yes, I’m giving you a chance. Rebuild. Reclaim your empire. Prove you’re still the genius everyone fears. And in three years, when you’ve doubled or tripled the value of what I gave you, I’ll take my fifty percent cut. That’s the deal."

Jennifer stared at him for a long time. Her mind spun through possibilities, scenarios, outcomes.

Finally, she spoke. "And if I refuse?"

"Then you keep nothing," Jax said simply. "The assets stay mine. You rebuild from scratch—if you even can. Your competitors move in. Your people lose faith. And the Reed name fades."

Her hands trembled slightly.

"But if I accept..."

"You get everything back. Today. Right now. And all I ask is that you do what you do best—build an empire."

Jennifer exhaled slowly. "You’re either a genius or a fool."

"Maybe both."

She looked down at the papers again. Then, slowly, she nodded. "Fine. I accept."

Jax pulled out another document—a transfer agreement. "Sign here. This transfers ownership back to you, with the terms we discussed. Fifty percent shares to me, three-year clause, no further obligations."

Jennifer hesitated for only a moment. Then she grabbed a pen from the nightstand.

Her signature flowed across the page—sharp, decisive, elegant.

When she finished, Jax took the document and signed his own name beneath hers.

"It’s done," he said.

Jennifer stared at the papers in her hands. Everything she’d lost. Returned. Just like that.

"Why do I feel like I just made a deal with the devil?" she muttered.

Jax smirked faintly. "Because you probably did."

He collapsed onto the bed beside her, exhaustion finally catching up. The large mattress was more than big enough for both of them.

Jennifer stayed where she was, still sitting up, clutching the papers. Her mind refused to stop.

’What gain does he get from this? What’s his angle? Is this Paige’s plan? But how? It doesn’t make sense. He’s giving me everything for... what? Half shares in three years? That’s nothing compared to what he’s losing now.’

She glanced at him. His eyes were closed, his breathing already slowing.

’What are his intentions? What exactly is he?’

Her thoughts drifted to the past day—the impossible stamina, the relentless endurance. ’His body isn’t normal. He dominated me for hours no full day—longer than any human could. He shouldn’t exist. That kind of stamina, that kind of control... it’s inhuman.’

And then the games. The Battleground Match. The shooting match. The Death Race. Every single one, he’d dominated.

’He’s not human,’ she thought, her chest tightening. ’He’s an anomaly. Something else entirely. Jax Rayne... who are you?’

Meanwhile, Jax’s mind was still working, even as sleep pulled at him.

’Jennifer’s brilliant. I know that. My involvement messed her up, broke her focus, shattered half her empire. But she’ll recover. She has to.’

He thought of the game he’d played back on Earth—the original timeline. In that world, the Reed Game Studio had produced some of the most innovative VR games and Advanced Tech. he’d ever seen. Every major game, every cutting-edge innovation, had the Reed name stamped on the game interface.

’Without her at her peak, those games won’t exist. Or they’ll be inferior copies made by competitors who don’t understand the vision. I need her empire strong. I need her creating at full capacity. Because I want to enjoy what she builds. I want to see those innovations come to life.’

[A/N: Jax cares about only one thing — his Amusement]

He thought of the fifty percent shares. ’It’s not just about avoiding suspicion. I know those assets will grow exponentially with time. And I’ll own half of it. That’s my real prize.’

His thoughts drifted further. ’I don’t know what’ll happen after the academy. I need money. Security. Independence. Paige backs me now, but for how long? She’s unpredictable. And I’m worse. I can’t even predict what I’ll do. Hell, I might destroy my own family if I see fit.’

Kiera’s face flashed in his mind. Then Paige’s.

’Kiera would stand in my way. Paige sees me as a tool, not a son. I don’t like that. There’ll come a day when I might burn it all down. So I need to secure my future. And I did. Today.’

He turned onto his side, trying to find a better sleeping position.

His eyes landed on Jennifer’s face. Her eyes were closed now, but her expression was still tense. Her hair was a mess. Her body bore the marks of everything he’d done.

A flicker of guilt touched his chest.

’I went too far today. Humiliating her in front of her people—the ones who actually care about her, who’d die for her. That was cruel. Unnecessary.’

He remembered Rose’s tearful plea. The rage in the guard’s eyes. The way Jennifer’s staff had looked at him with pure hatred.

’She built her empire differently than Paige. Through loyalty. Through care. And I shattered that image in front of them. Made her look weak. Made her look broken.’

He turned her face away gently, so he didn’t have to look at the evidence of his actions.

Then, quietly, he whispered, "Jennifer... I’m sorry."

Jennifer’s eyes remained closed, but she was still awake. She heard the words.

’Sorry? For what? For humiliating me? For breaking me? For taking everything and then giving it back?’

Her thoughts spiraled. ’What does he mean? What are his real intentions? Is he the same devil I cursed all day, or is he being forced to play this role?’

She didn’t understand him. Couldn’t decode him. And that terrified her more than anything.

Meanwhile, Jax’s final thought before sleep took him was simple.

’Just one more morning, Jennifer. Then I’ll leave you. I won’t hurt you anymore.’

His breathing evened out.

The room fell silent.

Two people lying side by side, each lost in their own thoughts.