Charles POV

“The dead man always wins because no one expects his return.”

I watched myself come back to life.

On every major network, the chyron flashed the same headline:

CHARLES BLACK ALIVE AFTER DISAPPEARANCE — “A MAN OF RESILIENCE RETURNS.”

The city was buzzing, my enemies panicking, and my sons seething.

Perfect.

I swirled the amber in my glass and smiled faintly at my reflection in the penthouse window.

The trick wasn’t dying. Anyone could disappear.

The trick was coming back ...