The Return of the Shadow Villain: My Role Is My CEO Wife's Furnace

Ernest's moment of contemplation was interrupted by a playful ringtone. It was the kind of ringtone that kids loved. The sound came from his old phone inside his sling bag.

Without even checking the phone, he already knew who was calling.

When he received his old phone at the hospital yesterday—oddly enough, fully charged—it came with a flood of messages and missed call notifications.

"Just as I thought."

The calls were from people ready to demand the debts he owed, just as he had expected. The messages contained threats for him to repay his debts immediately.

"Sorry, I don't have any money right now!"

Just as he was about to turn off his old phone, he sensed the presence of several people behind him. When he turned around, three men were already standing right there, staring at him with intimidating gazes.

The one in the middle was holding a smartphone to his ear, as if on a call. Occasionally, his eyes darted to a tablet held by the man next to him.

"This is the guy, right?"

"Yeah, no doubt about it. Even though his face has changed a little since two years ago, based on the photo the boss gave us, he's definitely the one."

"Heh. My hands are itching, big brother."

Hearing their conversation, Ernest immediately knew they were the same people who had been calling him non-stop.

As he studied their faces, a nostalgic look appeared in his eyes. Unlike the fake smile he always wore, Ernest now smiled sincerely.

The wrinkles on their faces suggested they were around 40 years old, but Ernest knew they weren't that old. Their most distinctive feature was that they were triplets.

There was no doubt about it—they were the triplets from the underground organization that had lent him money, the Cerberus Organization.

The Cerberus Organization was one of the two largest underground groups in Orlando.

Two years ago, Ernest had no idea the Cerberus Organization even existed.

At that time, he was wandering through an alleyway, leaning his head against a wall. He happened to overhear some homeless people whispering about how you could borrow a lot of money from either of the two largest underground organizations in Orlando.

Of course, the homeless weren't encouraging each other to borrow money; they were warning each other to stay away from the underground world.

Ignoring their warnings, Ernest sought out the organizations and happened to find them.

At that point, he was so fed up with life that he didn't care about the risks. He borrowed a large sum of money without thinking it through.

The result? He became a slave.

In his previous life, the triplets had also been the ones to find him.

If things went the same as before, the triplets would take him to their boss. Then, it would be decided that he'd be made a slave for failing to repay his debt.

"Wow, uncles, why do your faces look so alike? You look like doppelganger demons who transform to match their targets, you know?"

Ernest tried to touch the face of the one holding the phone, but the man cruelly slapped his hand away.

"Don't mess with us. Know your place!"

"Exactly. Know your place."

"Hahaha. Did you hear what Big Brother said? Know your place!"

As the man in the middle threatened Ernest, the other two chimed in together. The one holding the tablet spoke first, followed by the most energetic one.

"Pfftt. Just as I thought, your reactions haven't changed."

Ernest laughed at the triplets' predictable reactions. Just like in his previous life, they got angry when called doppelganger demons.

"Hey, don't get all chummy with us, you bastard. Don't you know who we are? We are…"

Thwack!

Before the most energetic one could proudly introduce himself, the one in the middle cut him off with a punch.

"Ugh! Can't you stop hitting me, big brother?!"

Though they didn't tell Ernest their names, he already knew them.

[Name: Branca.]

[Name: Brinci.]

[Name: Bronco.]

Branca was the oldest.

Brinci was the middle brother.

Bronco was the youngest—and the most foolish.

"Stick to the plan. Bring him with us!"

The oldest, Branca, ordered Brinci, who held the tablet, and Bronco, the most dimwitted, to take action. It was clear they wanted to get this over with without much chatter.

Without delay, Bronco and Brinci grabbed Ernest's arms, ensuring he couldn't escape. As they restrained him, Ernest accidentally noticed wolf tattoos on their necks.

Unbeknownst to Ernest, Brinci and Bronco saw him staring at their tattoos. They suddenly smiled with pride—especially Bronco, the youngest and dumbest.

"Heh, are you admiring our tattoos?"

"Well, of course, because they're so impressive."

"Exactly. Aren't our tattoos amazing?"

Irritated by their antics, Branca barked at them.

"Can you two shut up? Just focus on dragging him!"

Branca, still facing away, scolded them while focusing on the tablet he had taken from Brinci.

Watching their interaction, Ernest struggled to suppress his laughter. This kind of classic comedy was something he'd seen countless times in his previous life.

Even though he already knew who they were and what their motives were, Ernest wanted to confirm it. 

He asked with feigned innocence. He was sure they'd answer, despite being told to stay silent.

"How did you know I was here?"

"Hehe, did you think you could escape after borrowing money from us? That's impossible. We already knew a debtor of ours was being discharged from the hospital, and that is you."

It was Bronco who answered.

"Is that so? And then?"

"For the past few days, we've been monitoring your movements without you noticing. Didn't you see the tablet our big brother is using? And did you forget that the dumb phone you're using was given to you by us?"

"So, you monitor debtors using phones provided by your organization?"

"Of course, not just that, but there's also…"

Thwack!

Another hard punch landed on Bronco's head.

Because Bronco kept answering Ernest's questions so openly, Branca didn't hesitate to hit him again.

Just as Ernest expected from Bronco, the dumbest of the triplets, he'd casually reveal critical information—even about their spies at Circle of Hope Hospital.

Laughing, Ernest allowed himself to be dragged into their car, which was parked not far away.

Ernest sat in the back, sandwiched between Brinci and Bronco, while Branca drove in the front.

As he looked at the three of them, Ernest thought to himself, 'Welcome, my future puppets.'