Category: English

Rumor had it that Old Man Silas, the billionaire tycoon, built a golden palace specifically to house a collection of one hundred wives. After forcefully acquiring ninety-nine women, he set his sights on me—pregnant and married. The day I was sent away, our housekeeper knelt on the floor, begging my husband. “Sir, please reconsider! They say Old Man Silas is a monster. If the Madam goes, the baby… the baby won’t survive!” My husband, Julian, looked at her coldly. “Silas asked for her specifically. She has to go. If the baby dies, it dies. I won’t divorce her. When she comes back, she’ll still be Mrs. Sterling. We can always have another child.” In my past life, I fought tooth and nail not to go. In the end, Julian’s assistant, Chloe, volunteered to take my place. When she returned, she slit her wrists. The autopsy revealed she had been pregnant too. Julian held his rage until the day I gave birth. Then, he walked to the hospital rooftop and threw our newborn son off the edge. That was when I realized he had hated me every second of our marriage. Reborn into this moment, I didn’t struggle. I calmly stepped into the luxury car sent by Old Man Silas. 1 “Did you hear? Silas demanded the Madam personally, or he’d bankrupt the company! The Master already agreed.” “Silas is over sixty and a known pervert. Going to his ‘palace’ is a death sentence… How can the Master just watch her jump into the fire?” “Well, that’s the power of a first love, isn’t it? If it were Chloe going, the Master would let the company burn before handing her over!” The whispers of the maids drifted through the half-open door of the living room. Mrs. Potts, who was packing my clothes, couldn’t hold back. “Madam, don’t listen to them! Go beg the Master! You’re husband and wife, he can’t be that heartless!” I smiled helplessly. “It’s useless.” Everyone in our circle knew Silas was untouchable and ruthless. Julian would never offend Silas for me. I knew that much. In my past life, the moment Julian heard Silas’s demand, he agreed without hesitation. To make me go willingly, he feigned deep affection, spinning lies about sacrificing the company for me. Just as my resolve wavered, I saw him kissing his “first love,” Chloe, in the garden. So, I rebelled. I threatened suicide, holding a knife to my pregnant belly, forcing him to back down. Then Chloe stepped up, offering to go in my place. Julian’s eyes turned red. The day he sent Chloe to Silas’s villa, he promised her in front of me: when she returned, he would divorce me and marry her. But Chloe came back and killed herself the next day. The autopsy report stated clearly: Pregnant. Julian handled her funeral quietly. He didn’t mention divorce. I thought that although he loved Chloe deeply, with her gone, he would honor our marriage and live out our days together. I never expected that on the day I gave birth, he would take our child and throw him off the hospital roof! Watching my baby turn into a broken heap on the pavement. I realized he had been acting all along! He never got over Chloe! He hated me! So, when I heard Silas demanding me again, I didn’t fight. In this life, I’ll let them be together. “Madam, the Master is back. He wants to see you.” I nodded calmly. “I know.” Downstairs, Chloe was there too. Seeing Julian holding Chloe’s hand tightly without shame, I paused. Did he… come back too? “Lola, Silas expects you in two days. Go pack.” “By the way, Chloe is moving in starting today.” In the past, I would have screamed and fought. Now, I just nodded. “Okay.” Julian avoided my gaze, guilty but impatient. “What game are you playing? Fighting is useless. Disobeying Silas is a fate worse than death.” Chloe chimed in, “Yes, Mrs. Sterling. This is to save the company. Besides, catching Silas’s eye is a blessing.” I couldn’t help but laugh. “Is it? Do you want this blessing?” Julian exploded. “Silas wants you. Why take it out on Chloe? Don’t use that tone. Apologize to her!” I ignored him, but Chloe suddenly dropped to her knees behind him. A picture of self-sacrifice. “Julian, don’t be mad at Mrs. Sterling for me. I’m just an assistant. It doesn’t matter if she looks down on me.” “If it saves the company, I’ll go to Silas in her place!” Before her knees could hit the floor, Julian pulled her up tenderly. “Chloe, you’re pregnant. Don’t kneel to her.” He looked at her with adoration. “I know you’d do anything for me, but Silas wants Lola.” Then he turned his cold glare on me. “I’m warning you, don’t touch Chloe. Or I won’t let you off.” “If you’re worried I’ll dump you when you get back, don’t be. I promise I won’t divorce you over this.” I scoffed internally. I turned around, picked up a document, and handed it to him. Julian frowned. “What is this?” I smiled. “Stepping aside for the worthy. Julian, let’s get a divorce.” 2 Julian didn’t even look at the divorce papers. He threw them across the room. “Lola, have you lost your mind? I said I wouldn’t divorce you.” “I know you don’t want to go, but if you don’t, the company goes under! Do you want everything I’ve built to be destroyed because of you?” I marveled at his audacity. The moral blackmail was impressive. He made it sound like my refusal was a deliberate act of sabotage against his career. Did he think I was as easily manipulated as before? Reborn, I had already formulated a plan to deal with Silas. Seeing my silence, Julian’s face darkened. “Lola, let me be honest. The baby in Chloe’s belly is mine.” “As long as you save the company… I can make you the child’s legal mother in the future.” “No need,” I interrupted, kicking the papers on the floor. “I have no interest in being a stepmother, and I certainly don’t want a bastard calling me Mom.” “Lola!” Ignoring his shouting, I walked upstairs. Seeing me calmly packing, Mrs. Potts teared up again. “Madam, are you really going to Silas? I don’t understand. When his parents died, you stayed by his side through the darkest times. Does years of devotion mean nothing compared to a gold-digger who came running back after failing abroad?” “He swore he’d only love you. How did that woman bewitch him?” I shook my head. “Don’t call me Madam anymore. I have nothing to do with this family.” Mrs. Potts wiped her tears. “But Madam, going to Silas… you’ll be skinned alive…” My hand paused. Even she thought it was a death sentence. Before I could speak, a glass of cold water splashed into my face. “Oops, so sorry, Mrs. Sterling. My hand slipped.” It was Chloe. Holding an empty glass, apologizing with a smirk on her face. “By the way, you shouldn’t pack too much. Silas has everything. After all, you’re not the first woman he’s taken…” Mrs. Potts trembled with rage. “You are too much!” “Mrs. Potts, leave it.” Chloe thought I was too scared to fight back. Her provocation escalated. Her gaze landed mockingly on my stomach. “I heard Silas has… unique tastes. Women who go there come back insane. Who knows how long you’ll last…” “Even if you make it back, that little bastard inside you probably won’t!” I wiped the water from my hair and slapped Chloe hard across the face, shoving her out of my room. “Save your worry. I didn’t plan on keeping it anyway.” As I turned, Chloe grabbed my arm. “Lola, guess what Julian will do if I fall down these stairs?” She whispered venomously in my ear, then threw herself backward. “Ah! Help!” Julian turned pale and rushed to catch her. “Chloe! Are you okay?” Chloe feigned kindness. “I’m fine… Julian, don’t blame Mrs. Sterling. She’s just jealous I’m carrying your child…” Her words fueled Julian’s hatred. He stormed over and slapped me. Hard. “Lola, you disgust me!” “You treat her like this, and she still defends you. You’re not worth a strand of her hair!” “You deserve to be used by that old man! I hope he kills you!” With each vicious word, he ordered the bodyguards to lock me in the basement. “No water until I say so!” Mrs. Potts knelt, begging. “Sir, you can’t! She has severe claustrophobia! She’s terrified of the dark! She’ll die…” Julian ignored her. Chloe, clutching her head, whispered poisonously, “Mrs. Potts, you work for the Sterlings. Why do you always side with Lola?” “What did she give you to make you protect her like a daughter?” Mrs. Potts was furious. She tried to lunge at Chloe but was restrained by guards. She cried outside the basement door all night. Until the next evening, when Silas’s men came for me. 3 Julian opened the basement door. Dim light spilled in, illuminating my curled figure in the corner. Twenty-four hours without water or light. My lips were cracked, my face paper-white, my breathing shallow. Julian stood at the door, pupils contracting when he saw me. “Lola!” He rushed in, hand hovering near my face, afraid to touch me as if I were fragile glass. “How did you get like this? I… I just wanted you to calm down…” Only now did he remember Mrs. Potts’s words. I had severe claustrophobia. Two years ago, his competitors kidnapped me to force him out of a bid. They locked me in a pitch-black container for three days. I developed this fear because of him, yet he sent me back into the abyss with his own hands. “Lola, I…” Just as his voice trembled and he reached to hug me, Chloe walked in. “Strange. I checked the cameras. She seemed fine all day… how did she end up like this?” Julian froze, looking at Chloe, then back at me. His gaze cooled. He stood up, suspicion in his voice. “Acting?” Chloe feigned surprise. “Mrs. Sterling was an actress, after all. A waste of talent…” She paused, glancing at Julian. Seeing his dark expression, she added fuel to the fire. “Don’t blame her, Julian. She probably just wanted you to feel sorry for her. A desperate move.” Julian’s face shifted. The last trace of hesitation vanished. He took a deep breath and shouted to the door, “Someone, get her out. Silas’s car is waiting.” Bodyguards rushed in, dragging me up. I didn’t have the strength to stand. I let them drag me out. Julian didn’t want to see me. He went straight upstairs. Then, Chloe walked over with a bottle of water. “Her lips are cracked. Give her some water!” She unscrewed the cap and ordered the men to force it down my throat. A sharp, chemical taste flooded my mouth. I choked, tears streaming, but Chloe made sure I drank every drop. Silas’s assistant had been waiting. Seeing me pale and limp, panic flashed across his face. He ran over, taking me respectfully from the guards. “Ms. Lola, are you alright?” I shook my head. Just as I was about to get in the car, Chloe grabbed me. She whispered in my ear, voice low enough only I could hear. “Lola, don’t worry. If you die at Silas’s, I’ll collect your body.” She smiled like a flower. “As for our little family of three, we’ll be very, very happy.” She stuffed a signed divorce agreement into my arms. “He didn’t want to sign at first. Felt guilty…” “But I told him I didn’t want to be a mistress forever. I want to be Mrs. Sterling, the mother of his child. So he signed.” Chloe patted my stomach. “Can’t even keep a man’s heart. Lola, you’re such a failure.” Holding the divorce papers, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. In this moment, I truly thanked her. “Thanks.” As the luxury car drove away from the Sterling estate, I rolled down the window, looking back at Chloe’s triumphant face. I smirked. The show was just beginning. 4 Halfway there, a dull ache started in my abdomen. Soon, it turned into agonizing pain. I realized what was in the water Chloe forced me to drink. I thought she just wanted to humiliate me. But she was more vicious than I imagined! She was afraid that if I survived Silas, I’d threaten her stolen position. She wanted me and the baby dead before I even reached the “Golden Palace.” That way, she could blame it on Silas. And with Silas’s power, who would dare investigate? “My stomach hurts… help me…” I rasped to the assistant in the front seat. The assistant turned pale. “Ms. Lola! What’s wrong? Mr. Silas said nothing can happen to you!” Thirty minutes later. The car stopped at Silas’s villa. My consciousness was fading, each breath weaker than the last. I was carried into a room. The assistant stayed by my side, anxious. “Ms. Lola, you have to hang on…” I nodded weakly, face white as a sheet. The pill I swallowed earlier—an antidote I had prepared—meant I wouldn’t die immediately. But it didn’t guarantee survival. “Mr. Wang, please call someone for me. His name is Ethan Silas.” “Tell him Lola is dying.” The assistant rushed out. I don’t know how much time passed. It was dark outside. I heard servants whispering. “Mr. Wang looked terrified. Who is this woman?” “Silas asked for her personally, and she’s almost dead before seeing him. Of course he’s scared. If Silas finds out, heads will roll…” I pinched my arm hard, forcing myself awake. Dragging my useless legs, I slid off the bed onto the floor. Footsteps approached. Silas was here. He pushed open the door. In an instant, he rushed over. Seeing me on the floor, his face went white. He roared at his men, “What happened?! What did the doctor say?” “Sir, please calm down. It was Julian’s mistress, Chloe. She forced Ms. Lola to drink an abortion drug. She’s stable now, just needs rest…” Before he could finish, I passed out. Panic filled Silas’s eyes as he caught me. “Lola!” He screamed like a madman. “Doctor! Get the doctor!” I dreamed a long dream. I dreamed of meeting Julian. I was a rising actress; he was a passionate but penniless entrepreneur. He had just broken up with Chloe. His parents died, his company was bankrupt, and Chloe left him to go abroad. He was hollowed out, locking himself in a tiny office, writing plans with red eyes. I couldn’t watch it. I turned down a role and went to him. “You still have me,” I said, holding his hand. “I believe in you. You won’t lose.” I stayed up with him, met investors, learned accounting. I brought him lunch every day. I peeled apples while he worked. “Building a dream requires a body to hold it up,” I’d say. He’d take the apple, complaining I was nagging, but his eyes would light up. Once, he didn’t sleep for three days. I dragged him from the computer and forced him into bed. “Lola, you’re annoying! I have a proposal to finish!” “Be annoyed then.” I handed him warm milk. “If you don’t sleep, I don’t leave.” He stared at me, then smiled. “Lola, with you, I feel like I can actually make it.” His business improved. I faded from the entertainment industry. Friends said I was crazy to become a housewife for a man. I didn’t care. I loved him. I wanted to be his support. I cooked for him every day. Soup, steamed fish, sweet and sour ribs. He’d eat until he was full, joking, “Lola, if you opened a restaurant, I wouldn’t need to work.” “You’d have to pay me wages. I only serve one boss.” Days passed until the night his company went public. At the celebration, he stood on stage in a black suit, radiant. The applause was thunderous. I watched him with pride. Then he walked down, knelt on one knee, and pulled out a ring. “Lola, I thought I’d never believe in love again. You stayed with me through the bitterest days. You taught me to stand again.” His voice trembled. “I can’t give you the world, but I’ll give you my everything. Lola, will you marry me?” I felt like I had the world. But the dream shifted. Our second anniversary. I waited two hours. He canceled, citing work. Later, an anonymous email revealed Chloe had returned that day. He threw her a massive welcome party. Flowers, music, luxury. From that day, he came home late. He even whispered “Chloe” in his sleep while holding me. I knew the name. But I played the turtle, hiding in my shell. Ignoring the monthly business trips, the receipts for luxury goods, the visits to the suburban villa… The dream shifted again. The past life. Julian, like a demon, holding our newborn on the hospital roof. I begged on my knees. “Please! He’s your son…” He threw the baby without hesitation. The crying stopped abruptly. I suffocated in despair. Julian looked delighted. “Lola, you killed Chloe.” “Do you know how long I’ve waited for this? I wanted you to watch your child die!” I strangled him. “Julian! He was your child too! Why?!” He glared at me, smiling hideously. “He wasn’t mine! He was a bastard!” Nightmare after nightmare. As I was about to wake, I heard a man’s anxious voice. “You said she was fine! Why isn’t she waking up?”

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In my past life, I was a legal shark. After working myself to death, I was reborn—with my memories intact. While other toddlers made mud pies, I begged my dad for life insurance. While other kids rebelled, I dragged my family to a notary to secure my property rights. But my adoptive parents were painfully honest—even writing IOUs for borrowed sugar. For 18 years, my legal strategies gathered dust. Just as I embraced my comedic fate, a powerful family appeared, claiming I was their lost daughter. The impostor, Celeste, clung to the matriarch’s arm. At their mansion, they slid a severance agreement toward me. “Sign this for five million. Don’t get ideas.” Celeste fake-cried, “I’m sorry, Nina. They’re just protecting me…” As they watched with contempt, I calmly pulled out a voice recorder and a countersuit. “Severing ties is fine. First, pay 18 years of child support, emotional damages, and identity theft compensation—let’s call it 800 million. Oh, and I’ve already frozen the company’s assets. Until this lawsuit ends, you won’t touch a cent.” 1 “This is the final mediation before the hearing. Are you sure you want to proceed?” I leaned back in my chair, observing the family of three seated on the sofa across from me. No, a family of four. My so-called brother, Connor, was glaring at me with murder in his eyes. The man who had spoken was Mr. Sterling, the Delacourt family’s chief legal counsel. He adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, his tone dripping with a condescending charity. “Ms. Lin, Mr. Delacourt is willing to increase the compensation to fifty million dollars and purchase a villa for your adoptive mother. This is our final, most sincere offer.” “All you have to do is drop the lawsuit and issue a public statement admitting this was all a misunderstanding.” I smiled. “Mr. Sterling, how many years have you been practicing law?” He blinked, caught off guard. “Fifteen.” “Then you must be familiar with the criminal code regarding felony child abandonment?” I slowly sat up straight, my gaze sweeping over the family, their expressions shifting. “When circumstances are heinous, resulting in serious injury or death, the sentence is no less than five years in prison.” “The day I was thrown in a dumpster, it was below freezing. If it weren’t for my adoptive parents, I would have been dead from hypothermia within twenty-four hours.” “Tell me, Mr. Sterling,” I said, my voice dangerously soft. “Wouldn’t you consider that heinous?” The color drained from his face. The patriarch of the Delacourt family, my biological father, Julian Delacourt, finally spoke. “Is that a threat?” His voice was deep, heavy with the authority of a man used to being in charge. “It’s not a threat.” I took out my phone and played a recording. “Sign this, and five million dollars is yours. Don’t get any ideas about things that don’t belong to you.” It was the first thing my biological mother, Isabelle, had said to me. I hit pause. “This is evidence of your admitted attempt to sever our relationship with a paltry sum, a threat which caused me secondary emotional distress.” “As for the eight hundred million…” I glanced at my assistant, who immediately handed me a thick file. “This is a calculation of your family’s average annual income based on Delacourt Enterprises’ financial reports for the last eighteen years. By law, the child support you owe is the sum total of all living, educational, and medical expenses enjoyed by Celeste during the time I was missing.” “Add in emotional damages and identity appropriation compensation, and eight hundred million is already a steep discount.” “Oh, and by the way,” I said, waving another document, “this is the court order to freeze your assets. Until this lawsuit is settled, you won’t be moving a penny from your corporate accounts.” Julian Delacourt’s face turned thunderous. Beside him, Celeste was sobbing, her face a mess of tears. “Nina, why are you doing this? We’re family…” “Shut up.” My gaze turned to her, cold as ice. “Illegally occupying someone else’s identity for eighteen years for immense personal gain. You’ll be receiving a second lawsuit from me shortly.” Celeste’s crying stopped abruptly. She stared at me in disbelief. “You’re insane! A complete lunatic!” my brother, Connor, shouted, leaping to his feet and pointing a finger at me. “How could the Delacourt family produce someone as cold-blooded as you? Suing your own parents for money!” I met his furious gaze, my own expression perfectly calm. “You’re wrong.” “I’m not suing you for money.” “I’m suing you to teach you the meaning of the law.” 2 “Connor, sit down!” Julian barked, silencing his enraged son. But the look he gave me was just as venomous. “Let’s talk.” That was the language of the weaker party at a negotiation table. I gestured for him to proceed. Mr. Sterling cleared his throat, trying to regain control. “Ms. Lin, there’s no need to burn bridges. You’re a young woman with a long future ahead of you. It’s unwise to be so absolute.” I ignored him, my eyes fixed on Isabelle, my impeccably preserved mother. Since I had walked in, she’d been watching me with a complex mix of disappointment, disgust, and a sliver of fear. “Mrs. Delacourt, eighteen years ago today, you gave birth to me in a hospital.” Her body gave a slight, almost imperceptible flinch. “You experienced the joy of motherhood, while I was waiting to die in a dumpster.” “For eighteen years, Celeste wore princess dresses, attended the best international schools, and grew up surrounded by your love. Meanwhile, I wore hand-me-downs from the market and collected plastic bottles for a week to afford a few dollars for school supplies.” I paused, watching her eyes well up with tears. I felt nothing. “So, you’re hoping to make up for those eighteen years with tears?” “I…” Isabelle’s voice was choked. “I didn’t know… I didn’t know you suffered so much…” “You didn’t know?” I laughed as if it were the funniest joke in the world. “You didn’t look for me out of guilt. You looked for me because of Celeste’s marriage prospects.” I pulled two photos from my file and tossed them on the table. One was of Celeste cozying up to a young, wealthy heir. The other was the heir’s medical report, highlighting a rare genetic disorder. “The Zhou family needed a healthy heiress to marry into their family and continue their precious bloodline. Unfortunately for you, Celeste’s medical exam didn’t pass. So you remembered me, your backup, didn’t you?” Julian’s pupils contracted. Isabelle’s sobs died in her throat. Connor’s face was a mask of shock. Even Mr. Sterling looked surprised. “How did you know?!” Connor blurted out. “Secrets have a way of coming out.” I leaned back, calmly adjusting my cuffs. “You thought my adoptive parents in that small town were simple country folk? Wrong. My father is a retired criminal detective, and my mother was an archivist. Your half-baked private investigations were like child’s play to me.” That was the first surprise I had in store for them. My adoptive parents were indeed humble, but their professional skills were my ace in the hole. “Now,” I said, my gaze landing on Julian. “Let’s talk about ‘sincerity.’ I don’t just want the money. I want a public, full-page apology in every major newspaper, admitting to the abandonment of your daughter and the deliberate confusion of your bloodline.” “Never!” Julian slammed his hand on the table, trembling with rage. “Then I’ll see you in court.” I stood up to leave. “Wait!” Julian stopped me, taking a deep breath to control his fury. “The apology is… negotiable. And the money… we can discuss it. But you must guarantee that this ends here.” I looked at him and smiled. “Mr. Delacourt, you still don’t get it.” “I’m the one in charge now.” 3 The Delacourts, as expected, fought back. The next day, the internet was flooded with stories about me. #Real-Life Viper: Heiress Returns Home, Demands $800 Million from Saviors# #Greed Personified: Poor Girl Sues Own Parents for Fortune# The articles painted me as a manipulative, bitter girl from the countryside, warped by poverty. They used a photo of me in a washed-out school uniform, eating at a cheap street stall. Juxtaposed with it was an elegant photo of Celeste in a couture gown, playing piano at a charity gala. The stark contrast immediately ignited the internet’s righteous fury. Is this woman insane? 800 million? Why doesn’t she just rob a bank? Her real parents come back to give her a life of luxury and she bites the hand that feeds her. What an ungrateful snake. I feel so bad for the fake daughter. Her identity was stolen and now she has to deal with this monster. Soon after, Celeste gave a video interview to a major news outlet. On camera, her eyes were red and swollen, her face pale. Her voice was as fragile as a feather. “I don’t blame my sister,” she whispered. “She… she must have had a very hard life. She’s just not thinking clearly.” “The money, the status… I don’t want any of it. I just want my sister to come home, so we can be a family…” She covered her face, breaking down into heart-wrenching sobs. Her performance of magnanimous victimhood won her the sympathy of the entire country. The hashtag #CelesteTheAngel trended at number one. My phone blew up with hateful, threatening messages. Red paint was thrown on my adoptive parents’ front door, with vicious words like “GET OUT OF THE CITY” scrawled across it. My mother’s blood pressure skyrocketed, leaving her bedridden. My father silently scrubbed the paint off the door, the veins on the back of his hands bulging. The Delacourts’ media blitz was swift and brutal. They thought that by turning me into a public enemy, they could force me to surrender. Connor called me, his voice dripping with triumphant glee. “See that, Nina? This is what happens when you cross the Delacourts!” “I suggest you drop the suit and apologize. Otherwise, I guarantee you and your pauper parents will never be able to show your faces in public again!” I listened to his tirade, feeling nothing but a cold calm. “Is that so?” I said. “We’ll see about that.” I hung up and dialed another number. “Hello, is this Ms. Zhang? This is Nina Lin. Yes, I’d like to hold a press conference. The location? Right in front of the Delacourt Enterprises headquarters. Time? Ten a.m. tomorrow. I have a gift for them. One they’ll never see coming.” 4 The Delacourts obviously heard about my plan. They probably assumed I was going to publicly surrender and beg for forgiveness. The day of the press conference, the plaza in front of the Delacourt Tower was a sea of reporters and news vans. Julian had even “graciously” sent company security to “protect” me. I stood at the makeshift podium, facing the flashing cameras. In the distance, behind the floor-to-ceiling windows of the tower, I could see their silhouettes. I knew they were watching, waiting for me to humiliate myself. “I know you’re all wondering why I am demanding eight hundred million dollars from my biological parents,” I began, getting straight to the point. “It’s because they owe me more than just eighteen years of child support.” “They owe me a life.” As I spoke, the large screen behind me lit up. It wasn’t a childhood photo or a family portrait. It was a faded police report. “Eighteen years ago, at City General Hospital, a female infant went missing three hours after birth. The report was filed by a nurse on duty.” “The police later found the infant in a dumpster in the alley behind the hospital, freezing and near death.” “That infant was me.” A wave of gasps went through the crowd. “And my biological mother, Isabelle Delacourt, despite knowing her child was missing, chose not to call the police. Instead, she and another new mother—Celeste’s biological mother—completed their discharge paperwork, and she went home with someone else’s child.” I pointed to the screen, where a second piece of evidence appeared: a hospital discharge form signed by Isabelle Delacourt. “What does this prove? It proves that from the very beginning, this was not a simple case of switched-at-birth. This was a premeditated swap and abandonment.” The crowd murmured in shock. The figures behind the glass tower window seemed to stir. “I know some of you will say this was all the other mother’s fault, that my biological parents were victims too. In that case, please see the next piece of evidence.” A new document appeared on the screen: a hospital record for Celeste from when she was ten years old. She’d had an emergency appendectomy and required a blood transfusion. The record clearly stated her blood type. “Julian Delacourt has type O blood. Isabelle Delacourt has type A. According to the laws of Mendelian genetics, it is impossible for them to have a child with type B blood.” “Which means, at the latest, the Delacourts have known for eight years that Celeste was not their biological daughter!” The crowd erupted. “But what did they do?” My voice rose, filled with the righteous anger of eighteen stolen years. “They did nothing! They didn’t call the police, they didn’t search for me. They chose to bury the secret, to continue enjoying the parental love that was rightfully mine, while I was left to grow up like a weed in some forgotten town!” “This is no longer a simple civil dispute!” I looked directly into the cameras, my voice ringing with clarity. “This is, by the definition of the criminal code, a case of malicious abandonment that has continued for eighteen years!” “I am standing here today not just to ask for money. I am standing here as a victim, to formally file a police report!” “I am demanding an investigation into the criminal liability of Julian and Isabelle Delacourt in this case!” As my last word echoed through the plaza, two uniformed police officers emerged from the crowd and walked purposefully toward the entrance of the Delacourt Tower. Every camera swiveled to follow them. I saw Isabelle’s form collapse, caught by a frantic Connor. And Julian… he just stood there, motionless. Even from this distance, I could feel the venom in his gaze. I met it without flinching. As of today, the nature of this war had changed. This was no longer a fight about money. This was a fight to the death, about crime and punishment. I, Nina Lin, a legal shark in my past life, a vengeful daughter in this one, was officially declaring war.

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1 After my family went bankrupt, I was sent back to my biological parents. My CEO sister dropped her prayer beads when she saw my bleached blonde hair. “Are you here to collect protection money?” I whistled loudly, rolled up my sleeves to reveal the dragon on my left arm and the tiger on my right. “Hey sis! My family’s broke, lend me some cash to spend~” My adoptive parents, who cut their vacation short to rush back, nearly fainted when they saw my nose ring. Their expressions cracked: “Oh my god! How did our son turn into a delinquent?” My family went bankrupt because a rival set a trap and tampered with a contract. On the day the court sealed our property, my parents looked solemn and told me I was picked up from a dumpster, and now they had found my biological parents. They had told me this a thousand times before, and I always thought it was a joke. Because they also said my sister was a prize from a claw machine. And my little brother was a free gift with a recycling drop-off. It wasn’t until they dropped me off in front of my biological parents’ mansion that I realized they were serious! My sister, Cherry, held my hand reluctantly. “No wonder I’m Cherry, Little Brother is Chase, and you’re Charlie. Turns out we’re not the same breed.” My little brother, Chase, looked grave. “Second Brother, don’t forget us when you’re rich.” They didn’t hesitate for a second before dumping me and running. I stood in front of a mansion ten times bigger than our old apartment, completely confused. If I’m not mistaken, this is a property of the Sterling family. That multinational corporation worth billions. I can’t believe a wealthy family would throw me in a dumpster just because I’m a boy. Tsk! I pulled a piece of gum from my pocket, threw it in my mouth, and looked down at myself. Ripped jeans, skull T-shirt, hair bleached like corn silk, and a nose ring sparkling in the sun. I rang the doorbell. No answer. Rang again, still no answer. I squatted down to act like a mushroom, pulling out my phone to call my adoptive mom to see if she could take me back for a while. Just then, the door suddenly opened. An impossibly tall woman, wearing a high-end black dress, appeared in front of me. She was holding a string of expensive prayer beads, her features deep as a sculpture. The moment she saw me, the beads fell to the ground with a clatter. Ooh~ Isn’t this the “Buddhist CEO” from novels? I’ve finally seen one in the flesh! I heard these people love counting beads—eating, sleeping, pooping, always counting! More schemes in their heads than seeds in a lotus pod! “Are you… here to collect protection money?” Sarah’s voice was low, carrying a hint of confusion and shock. I whistled loudly, blowing a bubble with my gum until it popped. Then I rolled up my sleeves, revealing the temporary tattoos I applied yesterday. Left Green Dragon, Right White Tiger. “Hey sis! My family’s broke, lend me some cash to spend~” I deliberately used my most punk tone and winked at her. Her expression looked like she’d been struck by lightning, lips moving as if reciting sutras. “Sis, who is it?” A childish voice came from inside, interrupting my stare-down with Sarah. Sis? My eyes lit up again. Novels always have a standard setup. Where there’s a real son, there’s a fake son. The fake son is always beloved by all, while the real son is vicious and brainless, ending up dead or crippled! I narrowed my eyes, ready for battle. However, when the owner of the voice bounced to the door, my eyes nearly popped out. This is the fake son? I stared at the little boy with short hair in a black suit, my brain crashing on the spot. He’s five at most, right? Zack was looking at me curiously with big round eyes. This age doesn’t qualify for a fake son plot! Is there another one hiding inside? “Second Brother? Sis, is this Second Brother?” He looked at me in surprise. The atmosphere was a bit weird. 2 I decided to strike first, pulling a crumpled paper from my pocket and slapping it on Sarah’s chest. “I’m not a scammer!” Sarah forgot to pick up her beads. Seeing the paternity test, her face changed. It clearly showed a 99.9% probability of paternity between me and Mr. Sterling. I didn’t know when my adoptive mom did this behind my back, only shoving it to me before sending me out. I crossed my arms. “How about you give me a sum of money? Buy out this relationship, and I promise never to appear in front of you again! My lips are sealed!” Sarah looked like she’d been punched. She slowly folded the report, her voice low. “No.” I froze. What no? No money? So stingy? Isn’t the Sterling family rich? A little leak from their fingernails would be enough to pay off my adoptive parents’ debts. “A son of the Sterling family cannot be left wandering outside.” “You were deliberately taken and abandoned by a nanny sent by a rival.” “Dad got into a car accident looking for you and recuperated for half a year. Mom almost committed suicide. The family company nearly collapsed.” Sarah said word by word, her eyes reddening. They didn’t throw me away? The rival was so toxic, going straight for the heart by dumping a child?! Sarah not only refused to let me go but also called the Sterling couple who were traveling abroad. She asked the butler to take me to my room to drop off my luggage first. I wanted to refuse, but couldn’t think of a reason. The second-floor hallway was long, rooms on both sides. The butler stopped at the door at the very end. “This is your room, Second Young Master.” I pushed the door open and widened my eyes. This isn’t a room; it’s a prince’s palace! The whole room was decorated luxuriously and exquisitely. The corner was piled with gift boxes. Big and small, colorful, stacked from floor to ceiling. My tattered backpack looked out of place in such a room. “Is this… a mistake?” My throat tightened. “Madam personally arranged this for you, redecorating it every year according to your age.” Every year? I was shaken. So, even though I wasn’t here, they remembered me? Zack stood behind me at some point, holding an Ultraman toy. He pointed to the gift boxes in the corner. “Mom celebrates Second Brother’s birthday every year, buying lots and lots of gifts. Even though you weren’t here, I helped blow out the candles!” “You… you mean these are all for me?” “Yup!” He nodded vigorously. “Mom said Second Brother would come home one day, so she wanted to make up for all the birthday gifts!” My chest felt tight, like I’d been punched hard. Did they really look for me for so many years? “Zack. Tell me honestly, is there… an adopted brother in the house? Older than you?” Zack blinked his big eyes. “Adopted brother?” “Like…” I chose my words carefully. “While I was gone, did Mom and Dad adopt another boy to replace me?” Zack looked confused. “Mom and Dad do charity, but why would they raise someone else as a son?” I was stunned. No one? How can there be no fake son? Then who is my enemy? Isn’t that how novels are written? Real son returns, fake son sets traps. 3 My phone suddenly vibrated in my pocket. I took it out and saw a dozen messages popping up in the “Happy Family” WeChat group. Clicking into the chat, the latest was from Chase: [ @Charlie Did you see the fake son? Remember, don’t be like those vicious supporting characters in novels. We need to be independent men! ] I couldn’t help laughing. This kid watches too much TV. Then Cherry sent an eye-roll emoji: [ @Charlie, if you can’t survive there, come back. We’re having pickles tonight, won’t starve you anyway. ] Then she @’d our parents: [ @Mom @Dad When are you taking Chase and me to find our rich parents? ] [ We want to experience the high life too. ] Just as I was about to reply, Mom sent a voice message. I clicked it, and her loud voice filled the corridor. “You silly child, what rich parents! Look at those eyelids, those cheeks, exactly like mine! Obviously biological! Need to find who?” Zack tilted his head curiously, surprised. “Is that Second Brother’s family?” I nodded, a bit proud. My adoptive parents always treated me well. Sometimes, things Cherry didn’t have, Chase and I would definitely have. Cherry sent a disappointed emoji. Chase followed immediately. “What about me? I’m so handsome, Dad’s genes can’t be this good?” Mom sent another voice message. I could imagine her rolling her eyes. “Getting cocky? Look in the mirror. One takes after me, one takes after your stupid dad! Only Charlie is tall and fair. He was the face of our family, now only the ugly ones are left, can’t even show you off.” I burst out laughing, then felt my eyes heat up. This was the familiar family atmosphere. Roasting each other, yet indescribably intimate. I typed a reply. [ Mom, Sis and Bro will be sad if you say that. ] Cherry: [ The path to riches is broken! @Charlie, introduce me to a rich heir later. I’ll eat soft rice with my own ability! ] Mom: [ Rebellious daughter! Executed! ] Chase: [ Sis, take me with you. My teeth are bad too, can’t eat hard rice. By the way! Second Brother, how is it there? Really no fake son? ] I hesitated: [ Really none, just a five-year-old little brother. ] Cherry: [ Done for, so you’re inheriting the fortune? Don’t forget us! ] Dad suddenly popped up: [ @Charlie How do they treat you? ] How do they treat me? I don’t know either; the Sterling couple is still on the plane. So far, seems okay. Finally, I just replied: “Okay.” Cherry was relentless: [ What does okay mean? Gave money? How much? ] I rolled my eyes. [ Sis, can you have some ambition? ] Chase interjected: [ Second Brother, if they bully you, come back! ] Just as I wanted to reply, there was a gentle knock on the door. Sarah stood at my door, handing over a phone. “Charlie, put your number in.” I raised an eyebrow and took the phone. The screen was unlocked, open to the new contact page. I deliberately typed my number slowly, putting “Big Bro Charlie” as the name. Sarah took the phone back, saw the name, and the corner of her mouth twitched imperceptibly. She calmly deleted it and re-entered “Charlie” to save. Then she pulled a card from her inner jacket pocket. Black matte texture, gold lettering shining under the light. My eyes went straight. 4 Is this the legendary Centurion Card? “Take it.” Sarah handed the card over. “My personal welcome gift.” I took the card, fingers trembling a bit. At my adoptive parents’, my monthly allowance was at most three thousand, after much begging. This card supposedly could buy a plane, and she just gave it to me? “How much is in here?” I asked shamelessly. “Enough to buy the entire downtown villa district.” I immediately stuffed the card in my pocket, afraid she’d regret it. Fireworks were going off in my heart. This isn’t finding parents; this is winning the lottery! “Thanks, Sis!” I blurted out, then froze. I actually called her Sis? Sarah obviously noticed the address too. Her eyes changed subtly, but she quickly recovered. “Mom and Dad arrive at seven. Do you want to change first?” She left after saying that, leaving me at the door, touching the black card in my pocket, heart beating like I just ran a marathon. Change? Ripped jeans, black T-shirt, dragon and tiger tattoos, plus a shiny nose ring and blonde hair. What’s wrong with this look? So cool! But for the sake of the black card, I decided to tidy up reluctantly. I took off a pair of earrings and changed into a slightly more normal T-shirt. At least no skull pattern. Hair was hopeless for now. At 6:50 PM, I sat on the living room sofa, shaking my leg nervously. Zack sat next to me, his short legs shaking along with mine. “Second Brother, are you nervous?” He asked innocently. “Who, who’s nervous?” “I’m just, just hungry!” Zack nodded, suddenly pulling a candy from his pocket. “For you!” I took the candy, heart softening. How is this little guy so cute? Hearing car sounds outside, he jumped up. “Mom and Dad are back!” My legs shook even harder. First to enter was Mr. Sterling, in a sharp suit, radiating an aura that made one afraid to breathe loud. Behind him was Mrs. Sterling, wearing an elegant long dress, carrying a Hermès bag. The moment they saw me, they froze at the door in sync. Mr. Sterling tripped over his own feet, nearly falling flat. Mrs. Sterling gasped, holding the door frame. “This, this is…” Mr. Sterling’s voice trembled. Sarah nodded. “Dad, Mom, this is Charlie.” “Oh my god! My Charlie… how did he turn into a criminal?” Mrs. Sterling clutched her chest. I looked down at myself. Didn’t I tidy up? Compared to the first look, this is very restrained, okay! Zack ran over and hugged Mrs. Sterling’s leg. “Mom! Second Brother is super cool!” Mr. Sterling recovered, giving a thumbs up. “Has my style from back in the day!” Me?? Mrs. Sterling and Sarah turned to look at Mr. Sterling simultaneously, equally shocked. “David, you dyed your hair and got a nose ring when you were young? How did I not know?” Mrs. Sterling’s voice pitched up an octave. Mr. Sterling coughed, slightly embarrassed. “Not that, but I had long hair! And was in a band!” I stared wide-eyed at his sophisticated appearance. Hard to imagine my bio-dad was a rocker in his youth. Mrs. Sterling took a deep breath, turning her attention back to me, asking hesitantly. “Charlie, how, how many lives do you have on your hands?” I blinked, suddenly wanting to prank them.

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I am an Immortal, born with boundless wealth destined in my fate. Anyone who tries to murder me for money only ends up triggering a mechanism that grants me a huge fortune, making me a billionaire! But I am exhausted. Having been murdered in a thousand different ways, I’ve lost the will to live. To me, money is just a string of cold numbers. The only way to break my immortality is to find someone who loves me, not my money! After countless lifetimes, I finally found him. He truly didn’t care about my money. But he didn’t love me either. Instead, he sliced open my skin with a scalpel… Chapter 1 I lay in the freezing operating room. The surgical lights reflected the gruesome image of my body being cut open. New death unlocked: +1. But this time, the pain was excruciating. It was the kind of agony that pierced through skin and bone, pushed to the absolute limit. I was in so much pain I couldn’t even scream. Gritting my teeth, I forced myself to ask Julian: “Do you want money? You know I have plenty. Just name your price, I can give you whatever you want.” Julian shook his head, his hand trembling as he stroked my hair. He kissed my forehead, tears falling rapidly onto my cheek, yet they felt devoid of warmth. “I don’t want money. I love you. Your money is just a bonus. It’s you I love.” I laughed, my limbs twitching uncontrollably from the pain. When he sliced into me with the scalpel, he didn’t use any anesthesia. He said he was going to remove my organs and drain my blood. Is this his so-called love? I really didn’t understand. If he wants me dead, why can’t he just make it quick? “Julian, how much money do you want? Or rather, what do you want? I’ll give you everything, okay? Just give me a quick death. Don’t torture me under the guise of loving me.” Julian was stubborn, insisting he loved me. I couldn’t see where this “love” was! Five minutes later, another person was wheeled into the operating room. It was a young woman, beautiful, with skin like porcelain. She was already asleep, placed on a gurney parallel to mine. The blood drained from me was being transfused into her body. Immediately, a team of secretive doctors cut her open and began surgery on her too. The woman seemed very sick. After opening her up, the doctors removed several of her organs. Then, treating me like a spare parts bin, they harvested the corresponding organs from my body to replace hers. Finally, I understood. This was Julian’s purpose all along! I froze, a tear slipping unnoticed from the corner of my eye. Choking back a sob, I asked Julian: “Who is she?” Julian didn’t answer, just stared at the woman with infinite tenderness. “Julian! Answer me!” Julian snapped out of it, held my hand, and told me the whole truth. “Her name is Bella. She was my high school classmate. We sat next to each other for three years, promised to go to the same college, and agreed to marry and start a family after graduation.” “But fate played a cruel joke. After graduation, she was diagnosed with a rare genetic disease. Her organs would fail and atrophy within five years, leading to death. There is no cure in the world.” “I couldn’t just watch her leave me like this. I couldn’t watch the person who accompanied my entire youth die. So I came up with this plan.” Hearing Julian’s words, I only found it laughable. “A disease with no cure in the world, and you think transplanting my organs will help? If it worked, wouldn’t doctors have suggested it long ago? Would you need to wait until now?” Julian understood what I meant. He suddenly turned to look at me. His gaze was firm, but utterly cold. After staring at me for a long time, Julian sighed and spoke softly. “Mia, I know your secret.” “I know you are an Immortal!” Chapter 2 Julian’s words shocked me. They also explained everything I was suffering now. So he really didn’t care about my money, but he didn’t love me either! I thought I could break my immortality in this lifetime, but I failed at the last step. Julian was terrifyingly cold. Even seeing me cut open, a bloody mess, he could calmly stand by the operating table holding my hand, his thumb stroking my palm. My entire body rejected his touch, on the verge of fainting from the pain. Julian continued to talk about his and Bella’s hardships. “I took Bella everywhere, sought many famous doctors, but there was no hope. Bella suffered so much, cried in my arms countless times. Only I understand her pain.” “I promised her I would save her. I swore to find a way! I really can’t watch her die. Do you know? She is like the sun in my world. Without her, my world loses all light.” “Mia, after I found out you were an Immortal, I had a strong premonition. I felt you could save her! I felt you could change our lives!” So he didn’t even give me anesthesia? And he lied to me for three years! These three years were just to get close to me, to gain my trust, and then use my organs to save Bella. How could he do this? I screamed, losing my composure in front of him for the first time, cursing wildly. Although I knew death was a common occurrence in my life, something trivial to me. But I couldn’t accept this reality. I’d rather he approached me for my money than for this reason. The double agony made me lose my mind. My spasms worsened, limbs twisting into terrifying angles, but Julian held me down firmly. Julian kept talking, trying to comfort me, but none of his words were human. “Mia, just endure it a bit longer! Just hold on! I know you’ve died many times, experienced all kinds of pain. This is just another one, bear with it and it’ll pass.” “I know you’ve been looking for a way to break your immortality. This time I’m helping you, and you’re helping me. Isn’t this a win-win?” “You help me save Bella, and I help you end this absurd immortality. Afterwards, I will continue to love you, remember you forever, letting you live on in Bella’s body in another way, okay?” I looked at him coldly, biting my tongue until I spat a mouthful of blood. Julian, afraid I would bite my tongue off and kill myself, actually stuck his hand in my mouth for me to bite. “Don’t be scared, Mia, be good, don’t be scared. I’ll stay by your side. Just hold on. The doctor said not using anesthesia ensures better organ adaptation, that’s why it hurts. It’ll be over soon!” His affectionate act, for a moment, made me feel like I was in labor, giving birth to our child. But it was all an illusion. I knew better than anyone. I sneered, exhausting the last bit of trust I had in others. I bit down hard on his hand, spat blood in his face, and growled: “Since you know I’m an Immortal, do you know what happens when someone accepts an Immortal’s flesh and blood? I advise you to stop now! Or you won’t be able to bear the consequences!” Chapter 3 After roaring those words, I passed out from the pain. I didn’t know how long I was out. When I woke up, I found myself in a large tank. I had been immortal many times and died many times. As long as twenty-four hours passed after my death, I would revive in various ways. In freezing water, in sticky mud, in filthy sewers… I had been everywhere. As long as this world wasn’t destroyed, even if I was burned to ashes, leaving only a speck of dust, I could still revive. This large tank was filled with formalin. My hollowed-out body soaked in it like a bath, slowly reviving, but unable to move yet. I heard Julian’s cold voice nearby. He had already checked the tank once. From the reflection in his pupils, I saw my horrific state. My nearly 5’7″ body had curled up into a ball from the torture, not even half my original height. All usable organs in my body had been taken by Julian and now belonged to Bella. Julian was clearly satisfied, his voice unconsciously pitching higher. “She probably can’t be immortal anymore. She can’t revive like this. Her body is just a skeleton and a head, nothing useful left.” The doctor who operated on me and Bella nodded, agreeing that I couldn’t revive. “There’s probably no hope, and she’s useless for scientific research. So this remaining body…” Julian thought for a moment and made a quick decision. “To be safe, cremate what’s left of her. Scatter the ashes in four directions so she can never revive again. That way Bella can inherit her fortune smoothly.” This doctor was amazingly resourceful. Not only could he perform surgery on me and Bella, but he could also help Julian dispose of my body. They chatted happily, treating me like a dead cat or dog. Having settled my matter, they talked about Bella’s recovery. Julian’s tone was uncontrollably joyful, his eyes shining in a way I had never seen before. “An Immortal’s organs really are different. I thought Bella would need a long recovery, a painful transition period. I didn’t expect her to be spirited the very next day!” “Not only that, her body adapted to the organs quickly, and her wounds are healing fast. She’s full of life, it even surprised me!” “I’ve discussed it with Bella. We plan to proceed to the next step in three days.” Next step? Julian hadn’t mentioned that to me. I wanted to listen more, but Julian received a call from Bella. Bella’s gentle voice came from the phone, suddenly saying she wanted strawberry cake. She was in a good mood and had a good appetite, seemingly recovering well. Julian was ecstatic, cooing doting words into the phone. “You little glutton, just feeling a bit better and already craving strawberry cake?” Bella acted coquettish, her soft voice coming through. “I want other things too, but you’re not here, I dare not think too much…” Julian smiled, sweet words flowing effortlessly. “Then I’m coming now. Think more about it, what exactly do you want to eat? Hmm?” Chapter 4 Hearing their words, my heart turned cold as ice. My body revived faster. Something in my chest felt like it was breaking through my flesh, growing a new heart of my own bit by bit. I smirked, feeling the heart slowly beating, signaling a new round of resurrection. The heart that once loved Julian was taken by him. It took away my love and pain. Now I had grown a new heart. No pain, no love, only filled with hatred and the desire to check the results. I endured in the tank for hours, watching my body fill up and revive. Half an hour before the doctor came to dispose of my body, I broke out of the tank. When the doctor discovered I was missing, he was terrified as if he’d seen a ghost, scared out of his wits, and called Julian. I hid in the dark, listening to the phone ring three times before Julian reluctantly answered. “Hello! Julian! Julian, it’s bad! Where are you? Tell me, I’m coming to find you!” The doctor trembled, looking around, shaking uncontrollably. But Julian blamed him for ruining the mood. “I’m busy with Bella, you know that! She’s just getting better, why are you calling me so late?” His lust-filled voice sounded particularly ambiguous on the phone, as if accompanied by Bella’s delicate panting. The doctor couldn’t have missed it. But the doctor couldn’t care less and screamed into the phone. “It’s bad! Mia is gone! I was going to dispose of her body, but I just opened the tank and there’s nothing inside!” Julian froze, his voice instantly turning cold. “Impossible! Was it too dark and you didn’t see clearly? Look again!” “Impossible! I saw clearly, Mia isn’t in the tank! There are footprints on the floor, Mia must have revived and run away…” Amidst their terrified conversation, the thunder in the rainy night grew louder. I reached the doctor’s car before him, used the stolen keys to drive away, and headed straight for Julian’s house. In the middle of the night, lights were still on at Julian’s. Panting sounds came from the garage, as if someone was moving heavy objects. Bella followed him anxiously, asking in confusion: “Julian, where are we going? What happened? Why are we taking suitcases?” Julian had no time to explain, just focused on moving luggage. “We’re leaving first, taking the earliest flight. I’ll explain when we’re safe!” Bella was confused and wanted to ask more, but froze when the third clap of thunder sounded in the sky. Then, as if summoned, she walked strangely towards the gate, opened it for me, and stood obediently by my side. “Bella, where are you going?!” Julian followed anxiously. Seeing me, his face turned pale with fear, but he still subconsciously worried about Bella, calling her name, which stung my eyes instantly. “Bella, come here, come here first! Listen to me! You can’t handle her, don’t get so close!” I laughed. Laughing at his ignorance. I turned to Bella and whispered: “Grab him. Let’s go inside and have a good talk.” Bella obeyed without complaint. To Julian’s shock, she twisted his arm out of joint and forced him into the house. Julian roared in shock and pain. “How is this happening? Mia, what did you do to Bella?!” I looked at the night sky and shook my head regretfully at Julian. “I didn’t do anything to her. You just didn’t listen to my warning and couldn’t bear the consequences!” “Didn’t you know? Having accepted thirty percent of an Immortal’s flesh and blood, she becomes the next Immortal, and she inherits all the pain I’ve suffered!”

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1 It all started when they found my boyfriend’s brother’s DNA—his fingerprints, his fluids—on my sister’s body. That’s when Julian Howard and I went insane. I hunted his brother down and returned the favor in blood and bone. And on the day of my sister’s funeral, he bought out every digital billboard in the city center and plastered my most private photos across them for the world to see. We were drowning in a sea of red, our hatred too wild, too fierce to contain. The love we once shared twisted into the sharpest of blades, and we plunged them into each other until we were both bleeding out. Eventually, High Command had enough. They shipped one of us overseas and kept the other stateside. The next time we met, Julian was a decorated Major General. And I was riddled with a sickness that would kill me in less than three months. … After picking up my prescription, I headed back to the flower shop I owned, right across from the main gate of the garrison. As I stepped inside, the large screen opposite was broadcasting a news segment on Julian’s return to D.C. The golden boy of the base, now the Army’s youngest Major General, was back from his overseas tour. It was major news, and every network was scrambling for coverage. I tore my eyes away and placed the fresh white daisies I’d brought before my sister’s photograph. Suddenly, the door burst open and a young woman in a white dress rushed in, clutching a massive, dazzling bouquet of red roses. She had a quiet look about her, but her voice was crisp and clear as she pointed to the imported Avalanche roses in the cooler. “All of these. I’ll take them all!” Right behind her was Julian’s adjutant, Marcus. His steps faltered the moment he saw me, his expression growing strained. “Linda, maybe we should try another shop?” “No,” she shot back instantly. “I sent Julian an eternal flower box from here once, and he said it was special. Tonight is his promotion dinner, and I want everything to be perfect.” She blinked her clear, bright eyes at me. “Ma’am, my fiancé was just promoted to Major General. He absolutely loves the flowers from your shop. I was wondering… could we possibly use your space to host a small celebration for him?” I couldn’t refuse. I simply nodded. “Could you add some lisianthus, too?” she added softly. I agreed, but my hands wouldn’t stop shaking as I began to arrange the bouquet. It wasn’t fear, nor was it nostalgia. It was the sickness, flaring up again. The kind there’s no cure for. “Marcus, can you please help me? Julian will be here any minute, and I want to make him happy.” Marcus remained frozen in place. He knew better than anyone that seeing me would never make Julian Howard happy. On the screen, Julian offered the cameras a practiced smile, but his eyes were devoid of warmth. “I imagine she’s watching this,” he said as the camera zoomed in, the scar high on his brow stark and clear. “I’m very much looking forward… to this reunion.” I’d given him that one with a combat knife. No particular reason. I was in a bad mood, and he was there. And the puckered bullet hole just below my collarbone was his handiwork, from when he’d deliberately aimed high during target practice. No particular reason for that, either. We’ve always believed in an eye for an eye. We took pleasure in seeing the other bleeding and broken. On the TV, a female reporter was smiling. “Major General Howard, will you be stationed in D.C. for the long term? I see you’ve brought roses. Are you on your way to see someone important?” He paused, his voice low. “My fiancée.” In the shop, the girl was meticulously arranging the roses and lilies. Hearing his voice, she glanced back at the screen. “Marcus, I heard Julian had an old flame in D.C., someone he was tangled up with for years. Do you know anything about that?” I kept my head down, trimming stems, but in my peripheral vision, I saw Marcus’s gaze land on me. “Julian!” the girl cried out, shattering the tense silence in the shop. She ran outside, so eagerly she forgot her coat. “Linda.” Outside, Julian caught her leaping form with one steady arm, draping his uniform jacket over her shoulders with the other. She stood on her toes and pressed a rain-dampened kiss to his jaw. Julian seemed to turn his head just slightly, avoiding it. Across the misted glass of the window, our eyes met. Linda started to turn, but he cupped the back of her head and pulled her into a deep, possessive kiss. I looked away, snipping the last ribbon. Marcus was now standing in front of me. He hesitated, then lowered his voice. “Sienna, I’m begging you… It’s his promotion day. At least for today, don’t make a scene.” He paused, then added, “The girl just turned twenty. She’s the lead performer in the military’s arts corps. Her smile… it looks a little like yours did, when you were younger.” I nodded, my fingertips numb with cold. “It does. And she’s gentler than I ever was.” The door opened again. Julian walked in, holding a furled black umbrella. “Talking about my fiancée?” His lips were curved into a smile, but his eyes were chips of ice as they fell on me. Marcus held his breath, watching me, waiting to see if I would explode like I always did. But I simply held out the prepared flowers. “Your pre-ordered bouquet. Please check it.” Linda cupped her face in her hands, her eyes shining with adoration for Julian. “Julian, smell it. Isn’t it your favorite, champagne roses?” Julian’s fingers brushed against a petal, his thumb stroking the silk ribbon as he leaned in. “Too fragrant,” he murmured, his voice lilting as he teased her. “Cloying. Not really for me.” Linda looked down, confused. “But it’s so delicate! You’re teasing me again!” She didn’t see it. The moment she looked down, Julian’s eyes were locked on me. The next second, the glass door was thrown open. “Howard! Congrats on the promotion!” A few officers in civilian clothes burst in, their grins freezing on their faces the moment they saw me. Their eyes darted from me to Marcus, full of alarm and suspicion. I walked over with a tray of tea, and they took a collective step back—as if I were carrying a live grenade. Over the years, our battles on the training grounds had often involved them as collateral damage. They were just standard exercises, but I hadn’t realized I’d left them with such deep-seated muscle memory. One of them nudged Marcus discreetly. “What the hell is this?” Marcus just shrugged. “Please, have some tea,” I said, turning to leave. But Linda caught my wrist. “Ma’am, could you take a picture for us?” “No.” I gently pulled my arm free, refusing without a second thought. I had barely turned when a shadow fell over me. I looked up. It was Julian, his face a cold mask. “I know how you people in business are,” he said, his tone flat. “Everything has a price. Name it. How much to buy your…” He paused, his voice dripping with malice, as if waiting for me to lash out. When I didn’t react, he finished coldly, “…services as a photographer.” I looked him up and down, then started to walk around him. An old injury in my forearm screamed as he grabbed it. I stumbled, falling to my knees as a black credit card hit my face, the card’s edge slicing a thin, bloody line across my cheek. “There’s enough on that card to buy your life.” I pushed myself back to my feet, my eyes locked on his. Linda stepped between us, smiling brightly, trying to smooth things over. “Julian, don’t be like this…” “I’m so sorry, ma’am. My fiancé must be exhausted from his recent field exercises.” But his uniform was crisp, his breathing even. He was just looking for a fight, same as he had for the past decade. For the first time, I truly believed it. His years overseas had made him arrogant. He had forgotten just what kind of person I was. I knelt, picked up the black card, and stood before him. A snicker came from the group of officers. “Look at that, Howard. The woman hasn’t changed a bit. Sees money and she can’t walk away.” He held out his phone, a smug look on his face, clearly satisfied with my apparent submission. I wrapped a thorny rose stem around the black card, then grabbed his wrist and ground it into his palm. I didn’t stop until I smelled blood. Then I snatched two cups of tea from the table and threw them in his face. “Your mouth is filthy,” I said calmly. “Allow me to wash it out.” In the same motion, I slapped the man who had spoken. “You useless dog. If you can’t use your mouth for anything but barking, shut it.” It all happened too fast for anyone to react. The only sound was the rain lashing against the windows. Marcus leaned against the wall, downed a cup of tea in one gulp, and sighed. “Why did you have to provoke her?” Linda, snapping out of her shock, stepped forward, her voice trembling with indignation. “Ma’am! I know we were rude, but this is completely out of line!” Her face was flushed with anger. She raised her hand to strike me. “Ah!” The moment her arm moved, I caught her wrist, twisted, and a sharp slap echoed in the small shop. The only sound left was Linda’s choked sobs. Julian wiped the water from his face, his smile chilling. “Hitting me is one thing. But touching my fiancée… that’s where you crossed the line.” He pulled the weeping Linda behind him. “How about I smash this place up for you? Would that make you feel better?” Linda bit her lip, tears welling in her eyes, and nodded. In an instant, several soldiers rushed in from outside. Flower stands toppled, glass shattered, crystal vases exploded. Icy rain and wind poured in, soaking my white shirt. Julian grabbed my chin, forcing my head up. “You weren’t wrong. But she needs an answer. Think about what you want for compensation. Write it down, send it to me. I’ll pay it in full.” His eyes were dark, like he was interrogating a prisoner of war. I shoved him away and broke into a violent coughing fit, frantically searching through the wreckage. A small pill bottle rolled out. My eyes lit up. But he was faster. He bent down, picked it up, and studied the label. “Six painkillers at once? You really do have a death wish.” With that, he casually tossed the bottle into a puddle of water, wrapped his arm around Linda, and left. I knelt by the puddle, retrieved the bottle, and swallowed two more pills. They didn’t just kill the pain; they calmed the storm inside me. I used to need half a pill. Now, even eight wasn’t enough. The pills were almost gone. My life, too, was almost over. In the last three years, both my parents had died. My health never fully recovered, so I took a medical discharge and used my savings to open this shop. Now it was destroyed, and I had nowhere else to go. Maybe it was the pain, a fresh wave crashing over me, but I didn’t have the strength to move. I just sat there, in the ruins, as the night rain soaked me to the bone. Overnight, the gossip spread through the garrison: “Major General Howard Trashes Old Flame’s Shop for New Fiancée.” As dawn broke, I prepared to leave. Before I went, I turned to the wreckage, sank to my knees, and bowed my head three times in a final, silent farewell. Julian appeared behind me, seemingly out of nowhere, and yanked me to my feet. “It’s just a broken-down shop. Is it really worth all this?” I wrenched my arm free, steadied myself, and then, with three sharp, clean motions, I slapped him across the face. “My parents’ military decorations were in there,” I said, my voice flat. “They’re gone.” He flicked his tongue against the inside of his bruised cheek and let out a cold laugh. “Is that right? Three slaps for your parents’ medals? Sounds like I got the better end of that deal.” I ignored him, my gaze fixed on the ruins. He stood behind me, his voice a low venom, deliberately saying things to cut me deep. “Sienna, I’m talking to you.” I acted as if I hadn’t heard, walking straight past him. He caught up in a few strides, blocking my path. “Don’t play stoic with me! Look at yourself. Your face is as white as a sheet. Who are you trying to fool?” “It’s just an old injury acting up. Makes me look a little tired, that’s all.” I looked up, forcing a smile that didn’t reach my eyes. “Julian, do you really think you’re important enough to affect me?” But I knew the truth. He had come back for this. To torment me. If my body were what it used to be, I wouldn’t have minded another round with him. I’d have enjoyed giving him another taste of a bullet tearing through flesh. But now, just standing here was draining the last of my strength. The military hospital smelled sharply of antiseptic. A group of army doctors stood around my scans, their faces grim. “The experimental medication I gave you last time, how much is left?” “It’s gone.” “Gone?!” Dr. Evans’ voice shot up. “That was a three-month supply! It’s only been a week!” Dr. Evans had been managing my case for a long time. The way he hesitated now, unable to meet my eyes, told me everything. My time was shorter than I thought. “Do you… have any family?” he asked tentatively. “You forgot, Doctor?” I replied calmly. “My father was killed in action. My mother is gone. My sister…” “I’m all that’s left.” He took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “But you were stable for three years. What happened this week?” I glanced at my phone. The news feed had automatically pushed an article to the top. A picture of Julian with his arm around Linda at the promotion dinner. The person I thought I had stopped caring about could still wound me the deepest. Julian was the one bullet in my life that always found its mark, killing without leaving a trace of blood. “Your prognosis is not good. Once you’re off the medication, seven days, a month, three months… it’s all a critical period.” “Take this,” he said, handing me a small bottle. “Three pills when the pain is unbearable. Remember, no more than three…” Before he could finish, I had twisted the cap off, poured a handful into my palm, and swallowed them dry. The number didn’t matter. Not as long as it could silence the agony gnawing at my bones. Seven days or three months. It made no difference to me. After taking the pills, I slumped in a corner of the hospital corridor, my back pressed against the cold tiles. It was a trick I’d learned. If I could make myself cold enough, numb enough, the pain would recede. A cold sweat soaked through my clothes. For ten minutes, I listened to the prayers and weeping from outside the operating room next door, all those desperate hopes hanging on the thread between life and death. “Mommy, isn’t that the sister from the bed next to ours? Should we go say goodbye?” “Her illness… it’s not going to get better. Let’s not bother her. Poor girl. Both parents died in service, and now she’s so badly injured. I’m afraid at the end… there won’t be anyone to even collect her body.” The little girl looked up, confused. “But surely someone in the world must care about the pretty sister?” I blinked, my vision blurring, then focusing on my phone screen. A text from Julian. He’d been messaging me nonstop since last night, demanding to know what I wanted as compensation. I thought about it. Maybe there was no one who cared. But there was, at least, someone to collect the body. I dialed the number I knew by heart. He answered on the first ring. “Decided what you want?” I took a breath, swallowing the metallic taste in my throat. “If you really want to compensate me, Julian, you can collect my body.”

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The world’s richest man commissioned a ten-billion-dollar ring, custom-made to my exact size, and declared he would marry whoever it fit. In my first life, the fake heiress secretly had the ring resized and married him. The magnate lashed her face raw and screamed, “It’s not her!” In my second life, my adopted sister lost sixty pounds to fit into the ring. The magnate shoved her from a balcony and snarled, “It’s not her either!” In my third life, my stepmother, in a grim act of determination, shaved the flesh from her own finger to force it on. The magnate just laughed coldly and drowned her in the bathtub. In my fourth life, they ran out of ideas. Terrified, they pushed me forward. I slipped the ring on. It was a perfect fit. The whole family breathed a sigh of relief. But the moment the magnate saw me, he drew a knife and gutted me, his voice a roar of despair: “How are you still not her? Where is she!” In this, my final life, the magnate’s secretary delivered the ring. This time, all four of us said it didn’t fit. But the secretary gave us a strange look. “Mr. Sterling was very clear. The owner of this ring is among you.” … The four of us stared at the diamond, the size of a pigeon’s egg, completely baffled. Every eligible woman in the family had already tried marrying him. Who on earth did this man actually want? My stepmother, Meredith, repeatedly questioned the secretary. “Are you certain there hasn’t been a mistake? I don’t believe anyone in the Ashwood family is Mr. Sterling’s beloved.” Otherwise, we wouldn’t have nearly completed a collection of family corpses over four attempts. But the secretary’s brow furrowed in annoyance. His voice was stern and serious. “At Mr. Sterling’s gala, the four of you occupied a table alone. He glanced your way and told me explicitly that the ring’s owner was among the four ladies of the Ashwood family. There is absolutely no mistake.” He held out the velvet box, his posture oozing arrogance. “Shall we try it on, one by one?” Seraphina, the fake heiress who cared most about her appearance, shrank back. “I’m… allergic to diamonds. I’ll die on the spot.” Lily, my adopted sister who would do anything for money, waved her hands frantically. “I’m so fat, I’d break the ring!” Meredith, who had been looking for a way out of her widowhood for years, forced a smile that was uglier than a grimace. “My heart belongs to my late husband. Mr. Sterling couldn’t possibly be in love with me.” Finally, all eyes fell on me. The secretary’s face crinkled into a wide grin. “Miss Elara Ashwood, wasn’t it you who shared a fateful glance with Mr. Sterling? Love at first sight, I believe?” “This ring must be meant for you.” Love at first sight? My heart was barely beating at all. In my last life, when I heard those words, I had been moved to tears. After all, Alistair Sterling and I had been in a secret relationship. He’d even had the ring made using my measurements. So when I finally escaped the clutches of the other three and married him, I thought my suffering was over. I waited for him in our marriage bed, trembling with a mix of excitement and shy anticipation. But the moment he saw my face clearly, his expression contorted with rage. He grabbed a fruit knife and stabbed me until I was nothing but holes. His eyes, reflecting my own terrified face, burned with an inferno of fury. “How dare you take her place? You are not her!” I bled out in agony, and even after I woke up in this new life, I couldn’t understand it. If the woman Alistair was searching for wasn’t me, then who could it possibly be? Lost in thought, I stood frozen, not taking the ring from the secretary’s hand. He smiled condescendingly. “Marrying into the Sterling family is a great deal of pressure. I suppose you need some time to prepare yourselves mentally. Very well. Mr. Sterling will come in person tomorrow. That gives you one night to think it over. I’ll leave the ring here for now.” He left the box on the table and departed in a diamond-studded, stretch Maybach. But as we stared at the blindingly brilliant diamond, none of us dared to touch it. We were all too afraid to die. For the first time in years, the three women who had made my life a living hell were on my side. We held an emergency meeting in the living room. They took turns trying to slip the ring on, but in the end, they confirmed it again: my finger was the only one that came close. Meredith looked at me suspiciously. “Are you sure he killed you on your wedding night too?” I rolled my eyes. “My body was delivered back to this house looking like a sieve. You all saw it, didn’t you?” Lily nodded vigorously. “It was brutal. There wasn’t an inch of skin left untouched.” Even Seraphina sighed. “I spent ten years fighting with Elara, but when I saw that… even I felt sorry for her.” We looked at each other and let out a collective, hopeless sigh. Meredith broke down. “If we can’t produce the right woman tomorrow, is he going to kill us all?” The other two looked just as grim. Suddenly, I had an idea. “There might be a way. The gala… there must be security footage, right? If the person he’s looking for isn’t one of us, maybe we can find his real beloved on the tape.” Driven by the need to save our own skins, we sprang into action, immediately hailing a cab to the hotel where the gala was held. Lily, a master of playing the victim, used her crocodile tears to gain us access to the security room. The footage began. As the gala opened, the Ashwood family, having lost its patriarch, was relegated to a lowly table in the corner. Meredith frowned. “That’s definitely us, tucked away in the back.” And because the four of us radiated a force field of animosity, no one else dared to sit with us. Not even our distant relatives. Seraphina was puzzled. “And it’s only the four of us.” Then, Alistair Sterling made his grand entrance, striding down the red carpet. But as he passed our table, he stopped. He turned with unnerving precision, his gaze landing directly on us. A shockingly tender smile spread across his face as he leaned over and said something to his secretary. Watching that smile now, we felt nothing but a cold, creeping dread. “It seems,” I said, my voice hollow, “that his beloved really is one of us.” Four pairs of eyes met, and in each, I saw the same stark terror. If we didn’t all share the memories of our past four lives, this would be an unsolvable mystery. Lily shivered. “If it’s really one of us… then why would he kill us in such horrible ways?” I took a deep breath. A single, desperate plan began to form in my mind. I looked at them with newfound resolve. “I think I need to go to the Sterling mansion. Wait for my signal.” Under their gazes of awe and gratitude, I set off. They had no idea that I was the most bewildered of all. Because, up until this very moment, Alistair Sterling and I were still in a secret relationship. And he was the one who had pursued me. Using the private entrance we always used for our clandestine meetings, I easily slipped into Alistair’s private study. He started when he saw me, then his expression smoothed over. “You’re here. Why didn’t you call first?” The gentle man before me flickered, overlapping with the image of the madman who had butchered me in my last life. I suppressed a tremor of fear and stepped forward. “The woman you intend to marry… is it me?” Alistair paused, a strange, unnatural flicker in his eyes. “We’ve been together for so long. Don’t you know my heart by now? I sent the ring to the Ashwood family to ask for my beloved’s hand. Of course, it was for you.” He smiled, pulling me onto his lap in an intimate gesture. But I detected a critical omission in his words. He said he was marrying his beloved, but he never explicitly said his beloved was me. I dug my nails into my palm and forced a smile. “So, who is she, then? Your beloved?” He fell silent, his eyes raking over me. “You should know. Why are you asking me this?” I thought he would continue to be evasive, but then he added, “Of course, it’s you, Elara. As long as you want it to be you, it will be you. Marry me tomorrow, and I promise I’ll treat you well.” I stared into his eyes, seeing nothing but deep affection. Ever since our affair began, he had been incredibly good to me. I wasn’t the brightest, I was constantly bullied by Meredith and the others, and I had no shares in the family company. But Alistair had supported me in secret, giving me gifts that the Ashwood family could only dream of. A man born with a silver spoon, he would personally tie my shoelaces and cook for me. I had once been so sure that I was the one he wanted to marry. But I had also seen him transform into a deranged monster, screaming as he plunged a knife into my heart. “You’re not her! Why do you get to marry me in her place?” “A hollow title is all you have! Do you really think you’re worthy of me?” “You were just a toy to pass the time! How dare you dream of replacing her!” I snapped back to reality as he took my hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it. I had to fight the urge to snatch it away. But that one gesture sparked a thought—an insane, yet terrifyingly logical theory. I looked at him, my eyes wide with disbelief. “Your beloved is…” He cut me off, placing a finger over my lips. His eyes flashed with a dangerous glint. “You’re asking a few too many questions tonight, aren’t you?” The warmth returned to his expression just as quickly. “Tomorrow is our big day. You should go home and get some rest.” A fine, chilling fear prickled my skin. I nodded quickly and left. When I got back to the Ashwood house, the other three were still awake, pacing anxiously. They swarmed me the moment I walked in. “What happened? Do you know who his beloved is?” I said nothing, just shaking my head. Their faces fell, filled with a mixture of frustration and despair. Lily started to cry. “I don’t want to die! Maybe we should just run away!” Meredith snapped at her. “Run where? Alistair Sterling is the most powerful man in the country. He’d find us no matter how far we went.” Seraphina’s jaw was set. “There are only four hours until dawn. Running would at least buy us a few more days. It’s better than dying tomorrow.” But I cut in, my voice firm. “We can’t run.” “Someone has to marry him.” “And it’s going to be me.” Seraphina stared at me in disbelief. “I know I despise you, Elara, but have you forgotten how horribly you died last time?” Meredith frowned. “If you’re still this blinded by love, I’m starting to think I was too easy on you all these years.” The billion-dollar ring still sat on the table, its massive diamond glittering under the light. If Seraphina wore it, her face would be beaten to a pulp and she’d be left to die of infection in a cellar. If Lily wore it, she’d be pushed from a balcony, her body shattering on impact, left to die in agony. If Meredith wore it, she’d be drowned in a tub, her body bloating before being unceremoniously dumped back on our doorstep. And if I wore it, my death would be the most painful of all. To punish his impudent mistress, Alistair had stabbed me twenty times, each wound carefully placed to avoid a quick death. I had bled out slowly, feeling the life drain from my body, a terrifying, drawn-out execution that had left even my worst enemies shaken. The perfectly cut diamond sparkled, a beautiful guillotine waiting for one of us. I walked over and slid the ring onto my finger without hesitation. “Of course I know the risks. But this is the only way for all of us to survive.” Lily stared at me, her eyes wide. “What do you know?” Telling them the truth would certainly increase our chances of success. But if my theory was correct, the truth was too bizarre, too horrifying. I couldn’t drag them all into it. I shook my head. “I’m sorry. I can’t tell you yet.” Seraphina’s expression was grave. “What do you need us to do?” I lowered my eyes. “I need you to attend the wedding tomorrow and act as if you know nothing.” Meredith’s brow furrowed deeply. “He’s going to stab you to death after the ceremony, and you want us to pretend everything is normal?!” The three of them looked at me, their faces etched with genuine concern. For the first time, we were truly on the same side. I thought about all the petty things they had done to me over the years—small schemes to get more money or make my life difficult, but never anything that threatened my life. And yet the man I loved and trusted had tortured me to death on our wedding night. I took a deep breath and decided to tell them a part of the truth. “When I went to see Alistair tonight, he grabbed my hand and kissed the back of it. That’s when I realized who his beloved is.” “She is one of the four of us. Someone we would never, ever suspect. She is…” I looked each of them in the eye, delivering the answer they had been waiting for. Lowering my gaze to hide the guilt and sorrow, I pointed to myself. “Alistair Sterling’s beloved… is me.” The other three were aghast, shaking their heads in disbelief. Lily grabbed my arm. “That’s impossible! If you were really the one he wanted to marry, why would he kill you so brutally?” Seraphina’s eyes were red. “I saw your body with my own eyes. It was you. It makes no sense for him to marry you just to murder you in such a cruel way!” Meredith couldn’t wrap her head around it. “The Ashwood and Sterling families have been business partners for generations. There’s no feud between us. He has no reason to torture the woman he loves like this.” “Believe me or not,” I said, “it’s me. That’s all I can tell you.” Though they didn’t believe me, there was nothing they could do. The next morning, Alistair arrived with his secretary. I went to greet him, wearing the ring, and studied his face carefully. He smiled warmly, his eyes filled with adoration as he looked at me. For a moment, even Meredith, Seraphina, and Lily started to believe my story. If only they hadn’t seen my mangled corpse in a past life. The wedding proceeded as planned. At Alistair’s supposed request, we both walked down the aisle wearing veils. In front of all the guests, he recited his vows with heartfelt sincerity and placed the wedding band on my finger. When we lifted our veils, he looked at me with an expression of profound love, as if he had finally found the person he’d been searching for his entire life. “This ring belongs to you,” he said gently. “It suits you perfectly.” The massive diamond was a perfect fit, clearly made just for me. I looked at his familiar face, and a memory flashed through my mind: him, holding my face with such tenderness as he drafted the papers to transfer company shares to my name. He had hated seeing me bullied at home and wanted to give me the power to stand up for myself. When I was sick, he would drop everything to take care of me. The time I spent with him had been the happiest of my life. I smiled at him. “I love you.” The room erupted in applause, the guests moved by his devotion and my love. There wasn’t a single crack in Alistair’s facade. During the reception, I changed into a traditional gown and went with him to greet my family’s table. Seraphina leaned in close, her face a mask of confusion. “Is my memory failing me? Does he actually love you?” Lily looked just as baffled. “You weren’t lying to us, were you?” After all, in our previous lives, there had been no wedding ceremony, just a quick, perfunctory process before I was sent to the bridal suite. But this time, there was a grand wedding, and Alistair was looking at me with eyes reserved only for a beloved. I forced a smile and said nothing. If only I had been lying. But the fact that he had brutally murdered me in my last life was an unchangeable truth. I tilted my head back, drank my wine, and waited for the night to fall. Even the grandest reception must end. When the last guest had departed, I went to the bridal suite to await my husband. On the table sat a sharp fruit knife next to a peeled apple. I knew hiding it would be useless. In my last life, the knife he’d used had been hidden under the mattress. He had likely stashed weapons all over the room, all for the purpose of killing me. As the night deepened, the servants of the Sterling estate discreetly withdrew, leaving the two of us alone. I glanced at the clock. He would be here any second. The door opened, and Alistair walked in. The moment he saw me, his brow furrowed, his face twisting into a mask of madness. “You are not her! How dare you marry me in her place!” He snatched the fruit knife from the table. “I’ll kill you!”

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After successfully “capturing” the villain and faking my own death to escape, I’ve somehow been resurrected. When my name comes up, Julian Thorne looks cold, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “Why would she think I’d throw my life away for her again?” “I’m not that pathetic.” I get it. Message received. I start keeping my distance. But not long after, I receive a video of a very drunk Julian. In the video, he’s screaming his heart out, teary-eyed and desperate. “She’s ignoring me again.” “I don’t want to live anymore.” “I’m just going to drop dead right here.” 1 It took me a year to capture Julian’s heart. And for 300 of those days, I was totally slacking off. Mostly, I just sent him cheesy pickup lines from the internet every now and then. Called him “Hubby” a couple of times. And boom, mission accomplished. When the System congratulated me, showing me Julian’s affection meter soaring way past the target, I stood there dumbfounded. In my head, it asked if I wanted to stay. I zoned out for a second and didn’t answer. The System took my silence as a “no” and defaulted to ejecting me from that world, cooking up some random “death” scenario for my exit. After being “dead” for a year. It came knocking again. [Help! Host! We lost the data from the previous mission!] I asked, unconcerned, “So?” [So you might need to go back and do it again.] What? I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. “Can I refuse?” [You can, but the sports cars, villa, and money you have now might be revoked.] It took me 0.01 seconds to react: “Quick! Send me back!” Before I could finish speaking, a wave of dizziness hit, and I was transported to a strange place. I looked up and found myself face-to-face with Julian, who was in the middle of scolding someone. He was wearing a suit and gold-rimmed glasses, his gaze fierce. He froze when he saw me, the corner of his mouth curving into a mocking smile. He kicked the person in front of him. “Who told you to bring a fake here?” Seeing him like this, I started to get cold feet. I can tease a puppy, but a wolf? I really can’t handle a wolf. I weighed the probability of a successful escape. Before I could put any plan into action, Julian’s gaze shifted to me. “You. Get over here.” My brain went into overdrive, and I decided to strike first. I pinched my thigh hard, squeezing out a tear. I turned to look at him with utter resentment. “Julian! You dare yell at me!” “Is this the attitude you have seeing me now?” “Do you know how much I suffered just to come back to see you!” Julian froze at my words, the glass in his hand trembling. He looked at me, disbelief in his voice: “Serena?” “Serena?” I pretended to be heartbroken, repeating the name. “You used to call me Serena-baby or Honey. Now you’re using my full name.” “Julian, have you changed?” Julian scoffed, as if hearing a joke. “Changed?” “I recall we broke up a long time ago, didn’t we?” I really wanted to ask shamelessly when exactly we broke up. But I didn’t have the moral high ground. Damn System. I cursed it out in my head. Seeing my silence, Julian’s eyes darkened, and his grip on the glass tightened. I was about to make up some excuse when a voice interrupted. Someone walked in, greeting Julian familiarly. I didn’t see his face clearly at first. After saying a few words, the newcomer finally realized the atmosphere was off and turned to look at me. The moment our eyes met, we both saw shock in each other’s gaze. Can someone please tell me… Why is the male lead here? And why is he so chummy with the main villain, Julian? Chase Sterling looked at me like he’d seen a ghost. He thought for a few seconds, then realization dawned. He looked at Julian with an indescribable expression. “Bro, seriously? Read too many romance novels? You’re doing the whole ‘replacement’ trope?” “But where did you find her? She looks exactly like Serena.” “Holy crap! You didn’t get someone plastic surgery to look like her, did you?” I felt like he might have lost his mind. Chase felt my gaze, and his voice unconsciously got louder. “Holy cow, even the look in her eyes is identical! Serena loved looking at me like I was an idiot.” I couldn’t help it; I cursed at him. Chase’s shock only grew. “You… you came back from the dead?” Two years later, and I still haven’t figured out how Chase became the male lead of a sweet romance novel. After confirming I was real, Chase’s eyes darted between Julian and me. Finally, he frowned and asked Julian, “Don’t tell me you’re going to forgive her just because she said a few words?” Julian coughed to cover up, acting tough: “Impossible.” Chase obviously didn’t buy it and started lecturing him. “You have to be ruthless this time. What if she plays you again?” “Things easily obtained are not cherished. You absolutely cannot agree to her so easily this time.” Julian’s expression didn’t change. He fingered his glass, looking at me with a playful glint in his eye. “Agree to her?” “Did I say I wanted to get back together with her?” Chase was caught off guard by this. He took a few seconds to react, then asked tentatively, “You mean no matter what she does, you won’t forgive her?” Julian’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he squeezed out two words through his teeth. “Of course.” My heart sank. My expression froze. My fingers unconsciously gripped the hem of my shirt. My nose started to sting. Before a tear could fall, the System’s voice popped up. [What is this guy pretending for?] [If I didn’t detect an affection level of 80, I’d actually believe him.] [What a poser.] Me, who had just mustered up the emotions: “…” 2 Julian ended up driving me home. Before I got out, he said this was the last time. The System cursed him out again for being pretentious. I found my old phone at home. As soon as I turned it on… A flood of messages popped up. All from Julian. The most recent one was from yesterday. [Serena, you’re something else. Disappeared for a year.] [You don’t think I’m still waiting for you, do you? Don’t be ridiculous. I’ve almost forgotten you.] [Did you never actually like me?] [Was saying goodbye properly that hard?] He sent me huge paragraphs almost every few days. From the panic of first learning I was gone, gradually turning into sadness, anger, and finally calm, looking like acceptance. Reading paragraph after paragraph made my chest tight. After thinking it over, I sent him a cheesy pickup line. He didn’t reply instantly. After ten minutes, just when I lost hope, his message popped up. [Serena, you still have the nerve to copy this trash from the internet and send it to me?] [If I hadn’t seen this online, I might have actually believed your nonsense.] [I’m not the idiot I was before. This trick doesn’t work on me anymore!] I could feel his anger through the screen. Before I could say anything, the System notification sounded. [Congratulations Host, Affection +2. Current Affection: 82. Keep up the good work.] “…” Talk about stubborn. I explained a few things to him. Julian didn’t seem to believe me and didn’t reply again. I don’t know who leaked the news of my resurrection. A bunch of people, acquaintances and strangers alike, came asking me. The most surprised was Holly. My only friend in this world. [Girl? You’re alive?] [So you didn’t die.] [Then what was all that paper money I burned for you this past year?] I smiled. [Consider it a donation.] Holly replied instantly. [Well, I still didn’t burn as much as your Julian.] [Last Tomb Sweeping Day, he cleared out several shops. The scene was jaw-dropping.] [Pity I couldn’t take a picture, otherwise I’d definitely show you.] Thanks, but no thanks. I don’t have a fetish for watching people mourn my grave. Mentioning Julian opened the floodgates for Holly. [You don’t know, when you disappeared, he drank all day long. Drank himself into stomach bleeding and the ICU.] My heart skipped a beat. Suddenly my throat felt tight. Julian’s message popped up right then. It was a medical report for gastritis. Before I could look closely, he recalled it. [Sorry, wrong person.] [You probably didn’t see it, right? I really sent it to the wrong person.] [Actually, that report isn’t mine, don’t overthink it.] [Okay, fine, it is mine.] After Julian sent these messages, his affection value fluctuated wildly. The notification sound didn’t stop. I didn’t know how to reply for a moment. After thinking about it, I decided to send a polite message of concern. But my hand slipped, and I sent the cheesy pickup line I hadn’t deleted from the text box. I hurriedly tried to recall it, but accidentally clicked delete for myself instead. “…” Julian didn’t reply, but the affection value plummeted. The notification sounds were getting annoying. Finally, the affection value stopped at 70. [Serena, you are ruthless.] I could almost imagine Julian gritting his teeth when he sent that. I tried to salvage the situation. Futile. Julian seemed genuinely hurt this time. No matter what I said, he didn’t react. I sighed, feeling like my mission career was looking bleak. 3 After learning I really wasn’t dead, Holly insisted on throwing me a birthday party. I refused at first. But she said Julian would be there, so I had to bite the bullet and agree. In the end, twenty or thirty people came, most of whom I had crossed paths with. Everyone who saw me had to mention Julian. The protagonist of their conversations walked in at the very last minute of the agreed time. Everyone tacitly left the seat next to me for Julian. He hesitated for a few seconds, then sat down. Holly was great at warming up the crowd. After a few sentences, everyone was chatting enthusiastically. Only Julian and I remained silent. He seemed to find the atmosphere unbearable too, reaching for a wine glass. But I raised my hand to stop him. Julian turned his head, looking at me with confusion in his eyes. I whispered to him, “Didn’t you say your stomach is bad? Better not drink.” Julian stared at me quietly, as if evaluating or probing. Finally, he curled his lips. “Serena, you should know why my stomach is bad, right?” “Didn’t Holly tell you I drank until my stomach bled?” “Guess because of whom?” He was a bit aggressive. I slowly moved my hand away. “Because of me?” Julian chuckled again. “No.” “Because I have no self-respect.” Saying self-deprecating words, he downed a mouthful of wine. My chest felt tight, so I picked up my glass and drank a few mouthfuls too. Feeling it wasn’t enough, I started drinking straight from the bottle. Everyone cast surprised glances at me. Julian reached out to stop me. My alcohol tolerance is actually very good. But Julian didn’t know that. When I was capturing his heart before, I often used the “pretending to be drunk” trick. I repeated the old trick, falling into Julian’s arms. I felt his body stiffen instantly. The thundering heartbeat stimulated my eardrums. Julian’s deep voice came from above: “How many times are you going to use this drunk act?” “You really think I can’t tell?” I was startled. Only a year has passed, how come this guy Julian not only got smarter but also sharper-eyed? I leaned my head further into his arms, trying to struggle a bit more. But he remained unresponsive. So I awkwardly prepared to get up, but a pair of hands wrapped around my waist without warning. At the same time, the affection value went up by 5 points. Julian picked me up and walked out. Whispering in my ear: “Throwing yourself at me while sober? I have no reason to refuse.” As soon as we walked out, we bumped into the latecomer Chase. He took one look at me in Julian’s arms and exploded. “I knew it! You were just being stubborn before. It’s only been a few days, and you forgave her?” If I wasn’t still acting. I would have stood up and fought Chase. This guy holds a grudge too much. Just because I accidentally tripped him up while he was chasing his girl, does he have to take revenge now? Julian didn’t answer him directly, just said a seemingly random sentence: “She’s drunk.” “Drunk?” Chase’s tone was full of disbelief. “Are you kidding me?” “She drank me under the table several times before. You might not know her tolerance, but don’t you know mine?” “Unless she’s been drinking for hours, she is definitely lying to you.” Is Chase living too good a life recently? Thinking just because he’s the male lead and married the female lead, he can sit back and relax? Wait until the female lead’s first love comes back in a few months, he’ll suffer. Thinking of that scene, I couldn’t help but chuckle. Julian looked down at me. His tone was somewhat serious. “If you’re going to act, act seriously.” My mouth twitched. Chase looked dumbfounded. 4 Julian carried me all the way to the car. But he didn’t start the engine. He propped his head on one hand against the window looking at me, the other hand tapping the steering wheel rhythmically. Even with my eyes closed. I could still feel him watching me. I held on for a few minutes. Finally, I couldn’t hold it anymore. I glared at him in exasperation. Julian’s mouth curled up slightly, looking at me leisurely. “I thought you could act all night.” He really has gone bad. Before when I pretended to be drunk, he would be flustered, ears red as blood. Not calm and breezy like now. “You did it on purpose.” I accused him. Julian found it funny, the curve of his mouth rising even more. “Are you referring to this time, or before?” I snapped at him: “You saw through it before, why didn’t you expose me? Just watching me make a fool of myself?” “Before, I called it… playful romance.” Julian’s tone was overly serious. So serious my cheeks burned. I flusteredly pressed the window button. Cold wind poured in, sobering me up for a moment. Anyone knows his next sentence won’t be good, so I deliberately didn’t ask. Julian continued on his own. “Played by you repeatedly, even Hello Kitty would get angry.” “It’s just that you’ve used this trick too many times; there’s no novelty left.” I pouted, unwilling to show weakness. “That’s because I only used it on you. If I use this trick on others now, it will be fresh.” [Congratulations Host, Affection +5. Current Affection: 80. Keep up the good work.] Going in circles for days, right back to where we started. Julian suppressed a smile, silent for a few seconds before saying: “You’d better not use it on others.” “After all, not everyone is a gentleman like me.” The nerve of him. Don’t know who stole a kiss from me before. Kissed and then acted like the whole world didn’t know, face blushing like crazy, walking with same arm and leg. Thinking of this, I couldn’t help laughing out loud. Seeing my sly smile, Julian became a bit angry from embarrassment. “What nonsense are you thinking about?” My smile didn’t fade. “Haven’t seen you for a year, you’ve become so domineering, controlling heaven and earth and now controlling my thoughts?” Julian couldn’t out-talk me, reached out to start the car to divert attention. Just turned the key, suddenly remembered he drank, had to give up and call a designated driver. Julian and I sat on each side of the back seat. Far enough to fit another person. Watching the scenery flash by outside the window, my eyelids slowly became heavy. My whole body tilted crookedly towards that side. Finally leaning on someone’s shoulder. In my haze, I seemed to hear the system’s affection increase notification. And Julian’s voice. “Pretty good acting this time.” After he finished, he slowly lowered his head. And placed a kiss on my forehead.

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When the city code enforcement officers were chasing me and my daughter away from our street stall, my ex-husband stepped in to help. He sighed, “Let’s get remarried. Lily is still young; she shouldn’t have to suffer like this.” I agreed without hesitation. After returning, I stopped being jealous or throwing tantrums. Lily stopped fighting for her father’s attention against the daughter of his childhood sweetheart. When he stayed out all night with his childhood sweetheart and her daughter, neither my daughter nor I called to check on him. When we ran into them outside, my daughter and I tactfully avoided them. We became exactly the sensible, understanding family he wanted. But instead of being happy, his eyes turned red. “Wifey, why aren’t you angry?” “Lily, why don’t you act spoiled with Daddy anymore?” 1 After completing the remarriage paperwork, we went home. Jason trailed a step behind us. Lily and I were standing at the door. “Why don’t you go in?” I said calmly, “The passcode was changed.” Just then, the door opened from the inside. Hannah, wearing an apron, scolded playfully, “What took you so long? Bella asked several times—Miss Xu?” I nodded politely. “Miss Xu, please don’t misunderstand. Jason has been busy with work lately, so I came over to make him some soup.” “I always forget the passcode, so Jason changed it to my birthday. I’ll change it back right away.” But she made no move to do so, her eyes unable to hide the smugness. “Daddy!” A small figure threw herself onto Jason’s legs. Hannah hurriedly covered the girl’s mouth, acting as if she were afraid of me. “Bella, didn’t Mommy tell you to call him Uncle Jason?” Jason looked over awkwardly. Seeing that Lily and I didn’t make a scene like before, a look of surprise crossed his face. There were many new things in Lily’s room. Hannah bit her lip lightly. “Bella sometimes sleeps here…” The small hand in mine tightened. Lily said softly, “Mommy, I can change rooms.” My heart, which had been calm, suddenly ached. In the past, whenever she saw Jason caring for Bella, she would pout and cry, shouting, “Daddy is mine alone!” Every time, Jason would scold me for not disciplining her properly. Now, she just quietly looked at her changed room. Children are sensitive; she had learned that only those who are favored can afford to be spoiled. Jason frowned. Hannah quickly said, “I’ll take the things away. Miss Xu, you and Lily, please don’t be angry with us—” The mother and daughter huddled together, trembling slightly, looking pitiful. In the past, I would always be provoked by her suggestive words and end up arguing with Jason. But now, I just watched indifferently without speaking. Jason suddenly spoke up, “Don’t come in and out of my house freely in the future. As a single mother, people will gossip.” After packing up, Bella said with a sob, “Daddy, Bella wants you to drive us.” Jason hesitated and looked at me. I smiled. “You and Miss Hannah have been friends for so many years; you should drive them.” He opened his mouth to say something, but I turned to boil water. Before leaving, Jason hurriedly said, “Wait for me to come back. We need to talk properly.” Only after they left did Lily and I completely relax. Soon, a message popped up on my phone. Hannah: [So sorry, Miss Xu. Bella is used to Jason watching cartoons with her. He’ll be back a bit late.] 2 That familiar “so sorry” again. I smiled and replied briefly: [Okay.] Jason didn’t return until the next day. I was reading a bedtime story to Lily before her nap. I didn’t question him. Making a scene or getting jealous like before would only cause him to be dissatisfied with me and would implicate Lily. After Lily fell asleep, Jason handed me a box. It was the black diamond necklace I had wanted but lost to another bidder. If it were before, I probably would have been ecstatic and hugged Jason. But now, my heart was very calm. I used to love jewelry. But after moving into the low-income housing, a thief grabbed my necklace and pulled me down the stairs, leaving me bleeding from the head. From then on, I realized these things were flashy but useless, and could even cost me my life. Not getting the enthusiastic reaction he expected, Jason’s expression shifted slightly. “Let me put it on for you.” I smiled and dodged. “Thank you, but I don’t like wearing jewelry anymore.” He stiffened. I went to the kitchen to cut fruit. When I came out, Jason was gone. In the afternoon, I took Lily out. Money had been tight for the past two years, and Lily often wore hand-me-downs from the landlord’s daughter. Now I could finally buy her clothes that fit. When we entered a children’s clothing store, we ran into Hannah and her daughter. And Jason. The sales clerk was attentively introducing items to them. “Mr. Jason, Mrs. Jason, this is the new arrival from yesterday. It suits little Princess Bella perfectly.” Bella screamed, “I want this one!” Jason smiled and swiped his card. “Ma’am, do you need anything?” A sales clerk approached me. I said softly, “I want to buy a couple of outfits for my child to wear now.” Jason and the others looked over. I pretended not to see them and pulled Lily inside. When we came out after trying on clothes, Hannah and her daughter were gone. Jason looked at me with a complicated expression. “Today is Bella’s birthday. I bought her clothes as a gift…” “Mm, wish her a happy birthday for me.” After speaking, I turned to the puzzled sales clerk. “Pack both of these sets.” Just as I was about to go pay, Jason grabbed me. I quickly pulled my hand away. The sales clerk’s gaze shifted back and forth. “Ma’am, you and Mr. Jason…” I smiled. “We’re acquaintances.” A clatter sounded behind me. “Mr. Jason, you dropped your phone!” I turned back. Jason was staring at me intently. “What nonsense are you talking about?” I was confused. “Aren’t you going to celebrate their birthday?” He continued to glare at me, his chest heaving violently, but he didn’t say a word. I didn’t understand, but I didn’t dare provoke him, so I pulled Lily and walked out. Just as we stepped out of the store, Jason grabbed me. He asked in a low voice, “You’re just going to let them misunderstand our relationship?” I laughed. “Aren’t you the one who cares most about Hannah’s reputation?” Jason choked on my words. It took him a while to speak. “Why are you different from before?” I used to make a fuss over things like this. Jason was always impatient. “Stop being unreasonable. It’s not easy for Hannah as a single mother. With the title of Mrs. Jason, no one will bully her.” But now, what was the point of fighting with Hannah over these things? I just wanted to raise Lily well and give her the comfortable life she deserved. I said calmly, “Isn’t this what you always wanted?” Jason’s face turned livid, and he stormed off. I didn’t care. I took Lily to eat and drink, and bought quite a few things. This life without worrying about livelihood felt like returning to before the divorce. 3 After getting married, I became a full-time housewife. Everyone around me envied me. I had a wealthy father and married a self-made young talent. I once thought I would be this happy forever. Until Hannah got divorced. The first time Jason missed Valentine’s Day, he told me he was working overtime at the company. But as soon as he got home, Hannah delivered his tie. I was confused. He just pinched the bridge of his nose. “Hannah works at the company. She dropped it off on her way.” I wanted to ask more, but seeing how tired he was, I couldn’t bear to. I lived a life of leisure at home, while he worked so hard outside. It seemed I really shouldn’t suspect him. I told myself there should be basic trust between husband and wife, and I shouldn’t be blindly jealous. But later, more and more such incidents happened. On our wedding anniversary, Jason left me alone in the restaurant to rescue Hannah, who was being given a hard time by her landlord. During a sudden rainstorm, Lily and I were trapped at the early learning center, while Jason drove Hannah and Bella home. Lily caught the flu and had febrile convulsions. I couldn’t reach Jason and took her to the hospital alone, only to see him there with a team of experts looking at Bella’s scratched hand. Every time, Hannah would proactively message me to report. [So sorry, Miss Xu. Jason said he wouldn’t let me live here anymore and arranged for me to stay at his property.] [So sorry, Miss Xu. It’s all because I felt dizzy. Jason will pick you up right after dropping me off.] [So sorry, Miss Xu. Jason is just too nervous about Bella. I’ll scold him later.] I couldn’t stand it anymore. I questioned Jason time and again: who exactly were his wife and daughter? At first, he explained patiently. “We’ve known each other for so many years. I help where I can.” Later, he became increasingly impatient. “Your family is rich; you don’t understand the hardships of people at the bottom. Can’t you be more understanding of her?” “It’s not easy for Hannah as a single mother. Why do you have to target her?” “Don’t you have the ability to take care of yourself? I have so much work to do, and I still have to revolve around you two?” “If you can’t teach the child well, get someone else to do it! Learning to bully others at such a young age, she’ll become a menace!” Lily and I no longer waited for him to come home with anticipation. Because as soon as he returned, arguments greeted this small family. Lily became more and more silent. Even the kindergarten teacher asked me if something had happened at home. What made me finally decide to divorce was the day of Jason’s company annual party. He told me he was working overtime. I was always tired and sleepy during that time, so I forgot about the annual party. Until I scrolled past a local post on social media. [The boss and lady boss of Hengda Tech are such a perfect match. Like a couple from a romantic drama.] The attached photo showed Jason and Hannah standing side by side at the annual party. I called Jason five or six times, but no one answered. The seventh call finally connected, but Hannah’s voice came from the other end. “Miss Xu, Jason is very busy right now. You can tell me whatever it is.” I asked her to put Jason on the phone. She laughed coquettishly. “Miss Xu, I’m Jason’s secretary. He has no secrets from me.” “Did you know, many people today said I’m more suitable to be Mrs. Jason.” Trembling all over, I hung up the phone and rushed to the annual party venue in my slippers. 4 Hannah had her arm around Jason’s waist, leaning her whole body into his embrace. Furious, I pulled them apart and glared at Jason. “This is what you call overtime? Is hugging her also overtime?” Hannah came over to pull me. “Miss Xu, I drank too much, don’t misunderstand—” I shook off her hand and glared at her. “Don’t touch me! Homewrecker!” I didn’t use much force, but she cried out and fell to the floor. “Sarah Xu! Are you crazy?” Jason shoved me hard, then solicitously helped Hannah up, carefully checking her condition. My lower back hit the corner of a table, painful enough to bring tears to my eyes. Hannah’s eyes were red, holding back tears. “It’s all my fault. Don’t fight because of me…” Jason quickly comforted her. “It has nothing to do with you. She’s crazy.” Then he turned to me and said coldly, “Sarah Xu, I’ve told you many times. Hannah’s mother entrusted me to take care of her on her deathbed.” “Do you know how hard it is for her to raise a child alone? As a woman yourself, how can you be so vicious as to insult her with terms like ‘homewrecker’?” His gaze toward me was cold, even tinged with disgust. “My patience with you has limits. Stop while you’re ahead.” “Don’t make me regret marrying you.” As soon as he finished speaking, a buzzing sound filled my ears. I looked at Jason in disbelief. I wanted to say, You are my husband, Sarah Xu’s husband. How can you side with an outsider? I wanted to say, Don’t you know Hannah provokes and shows off to me every time? I wanted to tell him her true colors revealed on the phone just now. But something blocked my throat. After a long while, I only managed to say, “Then let’s divorce.” The moment the words left my mouth, I felt a sudden release. I didn’t even want to care about Hannah’s gloating expression. Jason froze, then sneered. “Sarah Xu, what can you do besides threaten divorce? Is there nothing else in your life besides jealousy?” With that, he supported Hannah and left. That day, I went home and sat in the living room until dawn. It wasn’t until Lily cried loudly that I realized there was blood between my legs. The second child who had quietly arrived, quietly left. A week later, Jason and I went through the divorce procedures. I got custody of Lily. Later, my dad’s company ran into trouble. Several cooperative projects were maliciously stolen, and within half a year, he had to file for bankruptcy. My dad had a heart attack and was hospitalized. Despite several resuscitation attempts, he passed away. I used the remaining assets to pay the employees’ wages, transforming from a rich heiress to a single mother in low-income housing. Lily suffered a lot with me. Countless times I woke up crying from dreams, regretting that I had harmed her. This time, I wouldn’t revolve around Jason and get jealous. As long as I could provide a good life for myself and Lily, I would turn a blind eye even if Jason found ten “Hannahs.”

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1 The night before my wedding, I found my fiancé tangled in the sheets with his savior’s sister. She was wrapped in our scarlet silk duvet, the flush of passion still on her cheeks. I slapped the positive pregnancy test onto his bare chest. “Do you still want this baby?” I asked, my voice dangerously calm. He chain-smoked until dawn, then crushed the last cigarette. “It’s a responsibility with her,” he said, his voice raspy. “But it’s you I love.” For that single phrase, I put on the white dress. I decided to give him one last chance. Instead of my groom, I got a message: “I’m so sorry, Ms. Vance. Mr. Lockwood says the wedding is off. Miss Reed had a heart attack, she’s in critical condition.” The bouquet slipped from my fingers, shattering on the marble floor along with my dignity. I ran outside just in time to see his car disappearing down the street, leaving me in a cloud of exhaust and humiliation. I called him, my voice cracking on the edge of a scream. “Tim Lockwood! If you go to her today, I swear I’ll go to the hospital tomorrow and make sure the Lockwood line ends with you!” A moment of dead silence, and then he hung up. … The dial tone buzzed in my ear. I stood at the hotel entrance, a bride without a groom, the gown a cruel joke. Guests whispered behind their hands, their pity like a thousand tiny needles. The officiant stood awkwardly on the stage, microphone in hand, at a complete loss for words. Tim’s mother, Catherine, hurried over, grabbing my hand. “Stella, come inside. Don’t give them a spectacle.” I looked at her, my voice barely a whisper. “Catherine, the wedding is off.” “Nonsense!” she hissed, her voice low and urgent. “Tim is just confused. Lily’s condition is critical, he can’t just ignore her.” “So he can take care of her, but not me?” “You’re the woman he’s marrying. You need to be the bigger person.” A bitter laugh escaped my lips. I pulled my hand from her grasp. “Then I won’t be Mrs. Lockwood.” I turned, gathered the ridiculous skirt of my dress, and walked towards the back rooms. Catherine’s voice followed me, sharp and threatening. “Stella Vance! If you walk out that door today, you will never set foot in our family’s home again!” I didn’t look back. In the dressing room, I tore off the wedding gown and changed into my own clothes. The makeup artist carefully removed the pins and jewels from my hair. “Miss Vance, your makeup…” “Leave it.” I picked up my purse and walked out. Outside, the sky was a bruised, unforgiving grey. I hailed a cab. “Mercy General Hospital, please.” My phone buzzed in my purse. I pulled it out. It was Tim’s assistant, Mark. I ignored the call. I already knew the script by heart. Mr. Lockwood is handling an emergency. Mr. Lockwood didn’t mean for this to happen. Mr. Lockwood will explain everything later. After ten years, I was tired of their lines. Lily Reed was Tim’s responsibility. Because her brother, Liam, had died five years ago saving Tim’s life. It was a debt that had shadowed Tim for five long years. I used to think it was right for him to look after her. I used to believe in his honor. It was only today that I understood. Some debts have boundaries, and he had crossed them long ago. The taxi pulled up to the hospital. I paid the driver and walked into the emergency building. Tim was sitting on a bench outside the ICU, his head in his hands, fingers tangled in his hair. His suit jacket was tossed carelessly beside him. He heard my heels click on the linoleum and looked up. He scrambled to his feet when he saw me. His eyes were shot with red. “Stella, what are you doing here? I’m so sorry, today…” “How is she?” I cut him off, my gaze fixed on the closed doors of the ICU. “The doctors said it was acute heart failure. They’re still working on her. It doesn’t look good.” “I see.” I nodded. I turned to leave. Tim grabbed my arm. “Stella, don’t be like this. Liam died for me. I can’t abandon Lily. She has no one else in the world.” I shook his hand off. “I’m not being ‘like this,’ Tim. I just find it interesting that our wedding wasn’t as important as a woman you’ve known for five years.” “That’s not it! Stella, you’re the most important thing in my life! But she’s dying!” “The doctors haven’t said she’s going to die,” I stated, my voice flat and even. Tim’s lips parted, but no words came out. Just then, the ICU doors swung open and a doctor emerged. “Who’s with Lily Reed?” Tim rushed forward. “I am.” “The patient had a panic attack that caused her heart rate to spike. We’ve stabilized her. She’s not in any mortal danger. We’ll move her to a regular room for a couple of days of observation.” A wave of relief washed over Tim’s face. He turned to look at me, and his expression held a hint of reprimand. “See? The poor girl is all alone. Can’t you have a little compassion?” I said nothing. They wheeled the gurney out. Lily lay on it, her face pale, her eyes closed. As she passed me, her eyelashes trembled, her eyes cracking open just enough to meet mine. Tears instantly welled up, spilling down her temples. Tim was by her side in a second, taking her hand. “Lily, don’t be afraid. I’m here.” I turned and walked out of the hospital. The cold wind hit my face, and only then did I realize how hard my own heart was pounding. 2 Tim didn’t come home the next day. The wedding suite was cloaked in a dead silence. I called a real estate agent and put the apartment on the market. “Yes, an urgent sale.” He came back that afternoon, his face etched with exhaustion. “Stella, I’m apologizing on Lily’s behalf. She didn’t mean for what happened yesterday.” “Can’t she apologize for herself?” Tim hesitated. “She’s still very weak.” “Tim, let’s not talk about her. Let’s talk about us. What about the wedding? What do we tell our friends and family?” He was quiet for a long moment. “We’ll wait for things to blow over. Then we’ll have another ceremony.” “Another ceremony?” I stared at him. “You think this is something you can just ‘re-do’?” “Then what do you want me to do? It already happened! Stella, I know you’re hurting, but Lily just survived a near-death experience. Can we please just show a little understanding?” There was that word again. Understanding. I stood up, walked into the bedroom, and pulled out a suitcase. I began to pack. Tim frowned. “What are you doing?” “I’ve listed the apartment.” His face hardened. “Stella, are you done with this tantrum?” “I’m not throwing a tantrum.” I folded a shirt neatly into the suitcase. “I just don’t want to live here anymore.” He strode over and grabbed my wrist. “You are not selling this place! This is our home!” “It stopped being our home the moment you abandoned it for another woman.” The anger in his eyes flared. “You’re being completely irrational!” His phone rang, shattering the tense silence. He answered it, and his tone shifted instantly. “What’s wrong? Another nightmare? Don’t be scared, I’ll be right there.” He hung up and let go of me, his face a mask of impatience. “Stella, stop this. Lily isn’t stable yet. I have to go check on her. We’ll talk when I get back.” He expected me to yield, just like all the other times. “If you walk out that door today,” I said, my voice cold as ice, “don’t bother coming back.” He froze mid-step. He turned to look at me, his gaze glacial. “Stella, my patience has its limits.” And then, he left. I listened to the sound of the door closing. I placed the last item in my suitcase and zipped it shut. 3 I moved back into my studio, a small loft space with my design workshop downstairs and living quarters upstairs. Tim didn’t call. And I didn’t call him. A week later, his mother, Catherine, asked to meet. At the café, she slid a check across the table. “Ten million dollars. Leave my son.” I stared at the long line of zeros. “Catherine, this isn’t about money.” “I know,” she said, lifting her coffee cup. “You two have a decade of history. But you need to understand, Stella, the Lockwood family needs a wife who is gracious, who can support Tim, not a liability who only causes trouble.” “And Lily is gracious?” “Lily is simple and kind. And her brother saved Tim’s life. It’s only right that Tim protects her. As his fiancée, you should be supporting him, not fighting him.” I finally understood. In their eyes, all my pain, all my humiliation, was just me “causing trouble.” I pushed the check back to her. “I don’t want the money. And I don’t want Tim anymore, either.” I stood up. “I wish him and Lily a lifetime of happiness.” I walked out of the café and blocked every number associated with the Lockwood family. The world finally went quiet. I threw myself into preparing for the Milan Jewelry Design Competition, three months away. It was the highest aspiration I held as a designer. Life was full, and peaceful. Until an unwelcome guest showed up at my studio one day. Lily. She wore a simple white dress, no makeup, the very picture of fragile innocence. “Stella, I came to apologize.” She sat down across from me, her eyes already red-rimmed. “On the wedding day… it was my fault. I shouldn’t have…” “Get to the point,” I said without looking up from my sketch. She faltered. “Tim… he’s been in a really bad way these past few days. Drinking all the time. I know it’s because of me.” She took a credit card out of her purse. “This is the card Tim gave me. I saved up everything he gave me, I never spent it. I’m giving it back to you. Please, just don’t be angry with him anymore, okay?” I finally put down my pen and looked at her. “Lily, do you enjoy this?” The rehearsed expression on her face froze. “I… I don’t know what you’re talking about…” “Every time you get sick, every time you have an ‘incident,’ it’s always right at a crucial moment for him and me. You time this, don’t you, Lily?” Her face went pale. “No, I would never…” “Take your card and get the hell out of my studio.” She bit her lip, and tears began to fall. “Stella, I know you hate me. But… but if the person who died five years ago had been Tim instead of my brother, what would you do?” I stared at her, silent. She stood up and placed the card on my desk. “Believe me or not, I never wanted to destroy what you had.” “I’m just… so lonely.” She turned and left. I threw the card in the trash. That night, Tim came. He was drunk, reeking of whiskey as he kicked open the door to my studio. “Stella! What did you do to Lily?” He stormed towards me, grabbing my shoulders. “She went home and slit her wrists! If the housekeeper hadn’t found her, she’d be dead! Are you satisfied now?” My heart sank into a cold, dark pit. The same old trick. “I didn’t do anything.” “Still lying! She’s a kind soul, she came to give you her savings, and you had to provoke her?” His grip was crushing, my shoulders ached. “Tim, who do you believe? Her, or me?” He stopped. I stared into his eyes, watching the storm of emotions warring within them. Finally, he shoved me away. “I’m taking you to the hospital. You’re going to apologize to her!” “I’m not going.” “It’s not up to you!” He grabbed me, trying to drag me out the door. I fought back, struggling against his hold. “Tim, you’re insane!” “You’re the one who’s insane!” he roared, his eyes wild. “You never used to be like this! When did you become so vicious, so unreasonable?” He was right. I never used to be like this. The old me would have believed every word he said, understood his every dilemma. I would have shouldered his responsibilities as if they were my own. When did it all change? It probably started when he began choosing another woman over me, time and time again. He dragged me down the stairs, his car parked right outside. He wrenched the passenger door open and tried to shove me inside. With a final surge of strength, I broke free. “Tim,” I said, my voice eerily calm. “We’re over.” He froze, as if he couldn’t process what he’d just heard. “What did you say?” “I said, we’re breaking up. From now on, you and your precious Lily have nothing to do with me.” His face turned to stone. “Stella, don’t you dare say something you’ll regret.” “My biggest regret is spending ten years pulling you from the gutter, only for you to spend the next ten pushing me back into it.” I turned, walked back upstairs, and slammed the door, locking it behind me. I leaned against it, listening to him pound on the wood. Again and again. Then, the sound of an engine roaring to life. He was gone. I slid to the floor, hugging my knees. A sharp, stabbing pain shot through my abdomen. I looked down. Blood was trickling down my legs.

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On the way to take the SATs, my best friend and I saw someone drowning. My friend, focused on the exam, told me to mind my own business. I thought saving a life was more important, so I jumped into the river. I saved the girl, but I missed the test. It turned out the girl was the daughter of the wealthiest family in the city, the Sterlings. To thank me, the Sterlings gave me a huge sum of money. Later, even though I only had an associate’s degree, they gave me a high-paying executive job. I was set for life. My best friend, struggling to find a job despite her degree, went mad with jealousy. She slipped poison into my water. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day of the SATs. This time, my friend shoved me aside and jumped into the water first. I heard her inner voice, clear as a bell: “This time, that massive fortune is mine.” 1 “Help! Someone’s drowning!” The cry for help snapped me back to reality. Below the bridge, a figure was bobbing in the turbulent water, struggling desperately. The current was strong. Jumping in was dangerous; one slip and you could die too. In my past life, this was the moment. My best friend, Chloe, and I were on our way to the SATs. We both knew how to swim. Chloe told me to ignore it, that the test was more important. This time, Chloe shoved me aside and dove into the rushing river with a splash. She looked back at me, shouting, “Ava, go to the test! Don’t be late! I’m a better swimmer, I’ll save her!” At the same time, I heard her thoughts echo in my mind: “This time, that massive fortune is mine.” Seeing the greedy determination in her eyes, I realized instantly: She had been reborn too. How could I refuse such a kind gesture from my best friend? There were only twenty minutes left before the doors closed. In my last life, I missed the test because I saved the girl. All my years of studying were wasted. I ended up at a community college. My parents were humiliated by Chloe’s parents for years because of it. This time, I turned around and ran toward the testing center without looking back. In my past life, the Sterling family made a huge show of thanking me. They gave me a fortune, and I became a local hero on social media. Everyone praised my beauty and kindness. Back then, Chloe was grinding her teeth in jealousy. She spread rumors that she was going to jump in first, but I stopped her to steal the glory. She said it so much she started believing it. Her hatred grew. Eventually, when she couldn’t find a job after college and saw me—a community college grad—sitting in a C-suite office at Sterling Corp making millions, she snapped. She poisoned my water when I wasn’t looking. Reborn, I glanced back at Chloe struggling in the water as I ran. A cold smile touched my lips. Let’s see who laughs last this time. 2 I sprinted to the testing center, making it just in time. Holding the test booklet, I forced myself to calm down. Failing to get into a good university had been my biggest regret. That summer, I had memorized the questions and answers, obsessing over what could have been. I never thought I’d get a second chance. I wasn’t going to waste it. Chloe was assigned to the same testing room as me. Unlike me in my past life, she didn’t rush back after saving the girl. She didn’t show up at all. When the exam ended, I went home. I saw Chloe getting out of a luxury car in front of her house. She was wearing limited-edition designer clothes, waving goodbye to someone inside the car with a sweet smile. We had been neighbors for years. Naturally, we were close. She turned and saw me. She rushed over, practically vibrating with excitement. “Ava! You’ll never guess who I saved today!” “The Sterlings! The daughter of the richest family in the city, Bella Sterling!” She described the Sterlings’ wealth with wild gestures, but her eyes were fixed on me, probing. She suspected I was reborn too. I feigned ignorance, frowning with concern. “Chloe, you missed the test today. You completely failed the SATs. How are you going to explain this to your mom?” After a few seconds of silence, she confirmed my concern seemed genuine. I heard her thought: “I was overthinking it. Rebirth isn’t like cabbage, you don’t find it everywhere.” She rolled her eyes at me. “Ugh, Ava, you nerd. You’re so boring.” “If my mom knew I latched onto the Sterlings, she’d be praising me.” “Listen, the Sterlings said they’d give me a huge sum of money to thank me. They promised to help me with whatever I need in the future. My life of luxury is starting. Who cares about the SATs?” I pretended to argue, but she cut me off. “The Sterlings said once Bella is out of the hospital, they’re throwing a celebration gala to thank me publicly.” She handed me a black invitation with gold lettering. “Here. I’ll take you to see the world. Once you see it, you’ll know I’m not lying.” 3 Having successfully latched onto the Sterlings, Chloe didn’t even bother showing up for the second day of testing. When I left the house the next morning, Chloe’s mom poked her head out. Seeing me, she sneered. “Ava, going to the test?” “My Chloe is too tired from saving lives yesterday. She’s not going today.” It seemed the whole family was banking on the Sterlings now. As I left, I heard her mutter, “Just a nerd who only knows how to study. No future.” Two days later, Chloe came to find me, excited. The car from the Sterlings had arrived to pick her up for the gala. I didn’t want to go, but Chloe insisted on dragging me along. She said she wanted to show me the high life, but the gloating in her eyes was unmistakable. “In her last life, she lived so glamorously. This time, I need her to see me rise to the top to feel satisfied.” Chloe dreamed of stepping on me to feed her vanity. Thinking of what the Sterlings did to me in my past life, I swallowed my refusal. I decided to go along with Chloe. I really wanted to see if she’d still be this happy once she knew the darkness hiding behind the Sterling name. The gala was held at the Saint Grand Hotel, the most luxurious venue in the city. The moment we stepped out of the car, Chloe was mesmerized by the opulence. Her eyes were filled with naked greed. When she saw my feigned shock, she immediately put on an air of nonchalance, mocking me. “Ava, wipe your drool. I’m a VIP guest of the Sterlings today. I’m being nice by bringing you, so don’t embarrass me.” She lifted her skirt and strutted in on her high heels, chin up, acting like she belonged to the elite. With her exaggerated ballgown, heavy makeup, and waddling walk in heels she couldn’t handle, she looked like a clown. Chloe didn’t notice. She basked in the attention. Mr. Sterling, the head of the family, greeted Chloe with a smile. She beamed and sweetly called him “Uncle Sterling.” Remembering something, she pulled me forward. “This is my good friend Ava. She heard I was coming to the banquet and begged me to bring her along to see the world. You don’t mind, do you, Uncle?” Mr. Sterling looked at me. Chloe tensed up. To highlight Chloe’s “elegance,” I had dressed simply in a white t-shirt and jeans, wearing thick glasses, looking timid. Mr. Sterling glanced at me once, lost interest, and turned back to Chloe. “Of course not. You’re Bella’s savior. You’re welcome to bring friends anytime.” I heard Chloe sigh in relief. “Thank god. He didn’t look at Ava differently like in the last life.” She relaxed completely. 4 Halfway through the banquet, the guest of honor arrived. Bella Sterling wore a haute couture silver mermaid dress. She was breathtakingly beautiful. Her entrance instantly made Chloe look like a child playing dress-up. After some pleasantries, Mr. Sterling brought Bella over. He patted her shoulder. “Bella, this is Chloe. She saved you from the river. Make sure to thank her properly.” Chloe was floating on cloud nine from the praise, completely missing the mockery in Bella’s eyes. All night, Chloe tried desperately to chat with Bella, but Bella’s responses were lukewarm. After the party, the Sterlings arranged a car to take us home. On the way, Chloe complained internally. “The princess is so high and mighty. What is she proud of? If I hadn’t fished her out, she’d be dead.” She resented Bella’s coldness. I recognized the driver. He was a Sterling family loyalist. Chloe didn’t know; she thought he was just a random employee. I spoke up deliberately. “Chloe, Bella seemed quiet tonight. Is she just shy?” Chloe rolled her eyes, blurting out, “I think she’s just looking down on people.” “I’m her savior. Her dad treats me like a VIP. What gives her the right to act like that? Who is she trying to impress?” Through the rearview mirror, I saw the driver glance at Chloe. I knew every word said tonight would reach Bella’s ears. Chloe was in for it.

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