“I was in love with my fiancée for years, but when it came time to seal the deal, I walked away. I let her go, handing her over to my adopted brother on a silver platter. I did it because I’d lived this life before. In the first one, I fought for her. I clawed and schemed and cheated to make sure my name was the one she chose. My brother, Leo, left for London with a broken heart, and I thought I had won. Thirty years later, my heart failed. My wife, Audrey, didn’t hesitate. She signed the papers, giving me hers. Everyone called us a model of devotion, a testament to true love. They envied me. They never saw her final letter. Three thousand words, and twenty-nine hundred of them were a tribute to Leo, the man she’d mourned since the day he died young. She had wanted to join him all along. For me, she left only a single sentence: “If you ever felt a shred of decency, Cole, do me one favor. In the next life, stay away from me.” The grief was a physical blow. The only woman I had ever wanted had never wanted me. And then I opened my eyes. I was back. Watching Audrey, poised to make her choice. So I tore the paper to shreds. “Don’t bother,” I said, my voice ringing through the silent, cavernous room. “You and Leo can have each other.” 1 My surrender stunned the glittering crowd of family friends and business partners my father had assembled. They all knew I was obsessed with Audrey Prescott. They’d all heard the stories: how, even after she was unofficially promised to Leo, the golden boy my parents adopted, I had debased myself. I’d begged, I’d pleaded, I’d knelt in the rain on the Prescott’s manicured lawn for three days straight, all for this one chance—a public declaration. “Is this you being noble, Cole? Or is it guilt?” Audrey’s voice was ice. She knelt, gathering the scraps of paper from the polished marble floor. She pieced them together, then held up the other, unopened envelope for everyone to see. “Both of them say ‘Cole Grayson,’” she announced, her eyes locking onto mine. “You were afraid of getting caught, weren’t you? That’s why you backed out.” In that instant, I knew. She remembered, too. She was reborn, just like me. A bitter laugh escaped my lips. I couldn’t even speak. Well, this simplified things. Let the star-crossed lovers have their reunion. Leo, a master of theatrics, rushed forward, feigning shock. He snatched the papers, his voice thick with false emotion. “Brother, I know Audrey was promised to you from birth. I’m not a true Grayson, I don’t deserve her. You didn’t have to do this, to stain the family name by cheating. I would have stepped aside. I’m stepping aside now!” If he’d truly meant that, we wouldn’t be standing here in the first place. But Audrey bought it completely. She gently wiped a tear from his cheek, her eyes filled with a tenderness I hadn’t seen in thirty years. A tenderness never once directed at me. “Don’t cry,” she whispered. “It was always going to be you.” I stood there, a clown in the presence of gods. The whispers started, sharp and cruel. “When they found Cole two years ago, I knew he was trouble. Look at him, no class at all. Trying to cheat his own brother out of a fiancée.” “My daughter told me he’s always forcing himself between them. He has no shame!” My father’s face was a thundercloud. He glared at me, the disappointment radiating from him in waves. He dismissed the guests with a clipped, “Family matter,” then dragged me into his study. The door had barely clicked shut before his hand cracked across my face. The sound was sharp, electric. I stumbled back, my cheek stinging. He kicked the back of my knee, forcing me to the floor. “You have disgraced me, Cole. You’ve shamed this entire family. After their wedding, you’re done. Get on a plane and don’t come back. Stay the hell away from Audrey and Leo.” He threw a one-way ticket to London on the desk in front of me. He couldn’t even look at me. My mother, standing by his side, just nodded. “You have our name, and our blood, but nothing else of us. Perhaps some time abroad will do you good.” I picked up the ticket. A hollow laugh echoed in my chest. They’d already planned my exile. In my first life, when Leo lost and flew to London in a rage, my parents had been devastated. They gave him half the company to “ease his suffering,” called him every day, and mourned him like a fallen prince when he died. When his casket was flown home, their hair turned white overnight. They were gone within a year. Now, they looked at me like I was something they’d scraped off their shoe. The difference between being loved and being tolerated is a chasm. Fine. In this life, I wouldn’t beg for scraps of affection. I would choose myself. I swallowed the bitterness and met my father’s gaze, a strange calm settling over me. “I’ll go. But I want what’s mine. My inheritance.” My father’s face hardened. I was a lost cause. “You insolent brat! Fine. You want your money? Then sign this.” He pulled a document from his desk. “A legal disavowal of all future claims on the Grayson estate. I’m not running a charity.” My mother touched his arm, murmuring for him to calm down, for me to just apologize. Instead, I took the pen, signed my name, and pressed my thumb onto the ink pad without hesitation. My father’s expression grew even colder. “The money will be in your account the day you leave.” He didn’t trust me not to take it and stay. A few hot tears splashed onto the paper. I wiped them away angrily, left the document on his mahogany desk, and walked out. Audrey and Leo were waiting in the hall. Leo put on a concerned face. “Cole, what’s that in your hand? I heard Dad yelling. This is all my fault. Let me go talk to them for you—” The same old act. If he wanted to help, he wouldn’t have waited until now. Audrey shot me a cool glance, then patted Leo’s hand. “Cole is their son. They won’t be too hard on him.” She turned to me, her voice dropping to a low, intense whisper. “I exposed you today to kill any lingering hope you might have. You can’t force happiness, Cole. Please, just stop chasing me.” Her words, so reminiscent of her final letter, sent a phantom pain through my chest. I just smiled faintly. “I will.” My simple agreement left her speechless. A dozen pre-rehearsed arguments died on her lips. Leo, ever the opportunist, slung an arm around my shoulder. “Come on, bro. Don’t be like that. The wedding’s in a week. We can still compete fairly until then! Name your terms, anything you want.” Audrey’s eyes narrowed. She pulled Leo behind her as if I were a threat. “Cole, I’m warning you, don’t repeat the past. No matter what tricks you pull, I will never marry you. Leo has been nothing but good to you. If you have any gratitude, you won’t do this to him.” There it was again. That familiar guilt trip from her letter. The irony was, I understood the lesson better than she ever could. I let out a short, sharp laugh. I clutched the plane ticket, my one tangible piece of this family’s love, and looked her dead in the eye. “Audrey, I will never bother you again,” I said, my voice clear and steady. “Or may I rot in hell.” If they all wanted Leo so badly, then fine. They could have him. I didn’t want any of them anymore. 2 I left Audrey and Leo standing there, stunned, and went to my room. It was in the back of the house, small and windowless. The only light came from a small desk lamp, perpetually on, illuminating a watch under a glass cloche. My gaze fell on the watch, and the memories flooded back. Five years ago. I was eighteen, a waiter at Leo’s extravagant college acceptance party. I’d bumped into Audrey, spilling soup all over her designer dress. But instead of anger, her eyes lit up with recognition. She dragged me in front of Robert and Eleanor Grayson. That’s how I found out the truth: my birth mother, a desperate woman, had switched me with their son to give him a life of luxury. The woman who raised me had beaten and starved me, pulling me out of school at sixteen to work and support her. When I first came to the Grayson estate, I was naive. I thought we could be a family. But I was a ghost. If I asked for a glass of water, the staff would look right through me until Leo gave a nod. I learned my place quickly. I learned to want nothing. A year later, on our shared nineteenth birthday, they threw a massive party. Everyone treated Leo as the sole heir. One mountain of gifts, one birthday boy. I stood in the corner, invisible, until Audrey found me. She pressed a small, wrapped box into my hand, her smile so bright it eclipsed everything else in the room. In that moment, she was an angel. And I was hopelessly, instantly lost. A single thought took root and became an obsession: Audrey was promised to me. That should be my life. The desperation grew like a weed, choking out everything else, and I began to fight Leo for every scrap of her attention. Her quiet permissions, her occasional gifts and kind words—I mistook it all for reciprocated love. But after I finally married her, she never smiled at me again. I told myself she felt guilty about Leo leaving. I tried to earn her love. I did her laundry, cooked her meals, drank myself sick at business dinners so she wouldn’t have to. I tended to her every need. She remained polite, distant, a beautiful piece of art in our cold house. I convinced myself this was what settled love looked like. Then came the end. Thirty years later, waking up from surgery with her heart beating in my chest. Waking up to her letter. That cool, reserved woman was capable of such fiery, passionate love. She could write poetry. Just not for me. She’d even denied me her ashes, requesting to be scattered at sea so the currents might carry her to him. The shock and grief were too much for my newly operated body. My system rejected her heart. I died choking on my own blood. I finally understood. You can’t force someone to love you. The only woman I ever wanted had never been mine at all. I reached out and switched off the small lamp. I lifted the glass cloche, took the watch, and dropped it into the trash can. I didn’t expect to see it again. But at dinner that night, Leo’s Samoyed, Lucky, trotted into the dining room with the watch dangling from his mouth, tail wagging. I gripped my fork. I knew what was coming. Leo feigned outrage, snatching the watch from the dog’s mouth and lightly tapping his head. “Lucky, no! This is my brother’s most prized possession! What are you doing? He’ll skin you alive for this!” To anyone listening, I sounded like a monster who’d abuse a dog. He continued his performance. “It was just a promotional gift, but my brother’s worn it for years. Don’t you know how important it is? You’re going to get me in so much trouble!” He held the slobber-covered watch out to me, his expression earnest. “Cole, I’m so sorry. Please, take it back.” A drop of dog saliva fell from the watch and landed in my bowl of soup. My parents, who knew I never let anyone touch the watch, broke their usual silence. “Cole, it was an accident. Leo didn’t mean it. Don’t make a scene.” But I wasn’t looking at them. I was looking at Audrey. “…A promotional gift?” Her eyes flickered away. She placed a piece of asparagus on Leo’s plate. “Don’t be dramatic, Leo. It wasn’t just a cheap giveaway. It came with the Patek Philippe I bought for you. It’s a genuine timepiece, worth a few thousand dollars.” A few thousand dollars. A footnote to his multi-million dollar masterpiece. It all clicked into place. She hadn’t bought a gift for me. She’d just handed off the freebie. And I, like an idiot, had treasured it, thinking someone in this cold, vast house actually saw me. My entire pursuit of her, my thirty-year devotion, it must have looked like a pathetic joke to them. I reached out and took the watch. Audrey, thinking the crisis was averted, managed a small smile. “The thought is what counts, Cole. I’ll get you the latest model next week—” I stood up. And in one smooth motion, I threw the watch across the room. Lucky, thinking it was a game, bounded after it, retrieved it, and brought it back, dropping it at my feet with an expectant whimper. I reached down and scratched the dog behind his ears. “Leo’s right,” I said, my voice calm and even. “It’s a cheap promotional gift. It’s perfect for a dog toy.” 3 Audrey stared at me, her composure cracking. An unreadable expression crossed her face—confusion, maybe even a flicker of hurt. Her cheeks flushed. Leo, seeing his plan to make me lose my temper had failed, switched tactics. His eyes instantly welled up with tears. “Brother, you said you weren’t mad, but you threw it away. If you’re that upset, just hit me. Get it out of your system!” A look of understanding dawned on Audrey’s face, and she seemed to relax, her certainty returning. “That’s enough, Cole. What is this, some kind of reverse psychology? No matter how you provoke Leo to get my attention, you will not be the one standing next to me at the altar.” My father slammed his hand on the table, convinced I was being a petty tyrant. “Cole, if you can’t behave, you can leave the table. Go to the safe room and think about what you’ve done.” The safe room was pitch black, soundproof. A concrete box in the basement. I lost all track of time, my throat raw with thirst, my stomach aching with hunger. Suddenly, the heavy door creaked open. A tactical flashlight beam hit my eyes, blinding me. “Being the blood son has its perks, doesn’t it?” a familiar voice mused, dripping with jealousy. “No matter how much I stir the pot, the worst you get is missing a meal. It’s just a slap on the wrist…” It was Leo. I sighed. “You’re wrong. They’ve already decided to send me to London after the wedding. They only see you as their son. You don’t have to do this. I’m not going to fight you for Audrey anymore.” He paused. “Really?” “I’m serious,” I said. “Check the top drawer of my dresser. The plane ticket is right there.” The silence stretched for a moment. He switched off the flashlight. I thought maybe, finally, this would be the end of it. Then he laughed, a low, cold sound. “You must think I’m an idiot, Cole. First you were the quiet little mouse, then you suddenly decided you were in love with my fiancée. You expect me to believe you’d just give her up?” He leaned in close, his voice a venomous whisper. “I don’t believe in luck, Cole. I believe in making my own.” He grabbed my arm and dragged me out of the room. I was weak from hunger, my legs unsteady. He pulled me toward the grand staircase. My eyes widened in alarm. “What are you doing?” A twisted smile played on his lips. “Guess how ugly your end is going to be?” I tried to pull away, but he was already in motion. With a final, conspiratorial glance, he let himself fall backward, tumbling down the long, winding staircase. He crashed into a massive porcelain vase at the bottom. The sound of shattering ceramic and his own theatrical screams echoed through the entire mansion. Lights flicked on everywhere. Audrey was the first one out of her room. She saw Leo crumpled on the floor and her face went pale. She flew down the stairs. “Leo! I’m taking you to the hospital!” In my first life, I’d been hit by a car saving her from walking into traffic. Lying in a pool of my own blood, I never saw that look of sheer terror on her face. Leo, knowing full well he was fine, clutched her dress, sobbing. “We can’t go. They’ll arrest Cole. Please, don’t blame him. I shouldn’t have gone to check on my tux… I wouldn’t have seen him sneaking out to cut it to pieces, and he wouldn’t have… he wouldn’t have pushed me.” He looked up at me, his eyes gleaming with malice. “Brother, I know you were mad about the watch, and I already said I was sorry. The wedding is next week… what am I going to do without a tuxedo?” Just then, a maid came running, her face white. “Mrs. Prescott-to-be, it’s true! Mr. Leo’s suit… it’s been shredded!” The frame was perfect. Audrey looked up at me, her lips a thin, hard line. The disappointment and shock in her eyes were a physical blow. I knew her better than anyone. When her gentle nature finally gave way to real anger, she could be ruthless. Her voice was cold steel. “Cole. Get down here and apologize to Leo. Now.” Before I could move, two of my father’s bodyguards grabbed me and hauled me down the stairs, my shins banging against the sharp edges of the steps. My head was finally clearing. I pointed to the corner of the ceiling. “Check the security cameras!” “How dare you!” My parents had appeared at the top of the stairs, their faces masks of fury. “Are you saying Leo is lying?” Audrey’s brow furrowed. She leaned in, her voice a low hiss in my ear. “Last time, you were the death of him, Cole. Are you going to torment him in this life, too? Don’t you feel the slightest bit of guilt? Apologize now, and I’ll put in a good word for you.” A lightning bolt of understanding struck me. I was the death of him? “What? No! He went abroad, he was reckless with money and made enemies! He got into a fight and was beaten to death—” CRACK! She slapped me, hard. The idea that I would slander his memory was too much for her. “There is a limit, Cole. He is the future son-in-law of the Prescott family. You will offer him a formal apology. Now.” The last bit of warmth in my heart turned to ice. It all made sense now. In our first life, our relationship, which had been slowly warming, turned arctic the day we heard Leo was dead. She became a stranger in our home, moving through the rooms like a ghost, never speaking to me unless she had to. In her mind, I wasn’t just her husband. I was a jealous monster who had chased his own brother to his death. A wave of despair washed over me. I looked around. Every single person was staring at me with anger and condemnation. It took a long time to find my voice. When I did, it was a hoarse whisper. “You’re right. It was my fault. Is that what you want to hear?” My father snorted. “Lock him in the safe room. Double the bolts. No one gives him food. If anyone lets him out, they’re fired.” As the guards dragged me away, I heard Leo’s voice, deliberately loud. “Audrey, you’ve always been so kind to everyone. I think it gave him the wrong idea. Seeing you get angry for my sake… it must be breaking his heart, don’t you think?” There was a pause. Then Audrey’s voice, devoid of all emotion. “He brought this on himself. He doesn’t deserve my kindness.” I laughed, a dry, rattling sound in my throat. In my first life, everyone envied me for marrying such a gentle, kind, perfect wife. They never knew. She was kind to everyone in the world. Everyone but me. This time, I was locked away for what felt like an eternity. Delirious from hunger, I was barely conscious when the door finally opened. Someone kicked me. “The wedding is tomorrow. Leo is worried you’ll cause a scene. Get out, you menace. Get out now!” My fingers twitched. I’d been locked in here for five days. My father hauled me to my feet and shoved a suitcase into my arms. “Stop pretending. No one would dare actually hurt you. The money’s been wired.” He pushed me out the front door into the cold night air. The clock on the Bentley waiting for me read 2:00 AM. The world was silent. Just me, a suitcase, a car, and a driver. Just like the day I arrived, when they snuck me in quietly so Leo wouldn’t get upset. The car started, pulling away toward the airport. I asked the driver for the bag of crackers I saw on the passenger seat and ate them like a starving animal. Suddenly, the driver slammed on the brakes. The seatbelt bit into my chest, and I choked, the taste of blood in my mouth. I looked up. Caught in the high beams of an oncoming car was a tall, familiar silhouette. 4 The driver panicked. “Mrs. Prescott-to-be? What are you doing out here?” Audrey ignored him. She pulled her trench coat tighter and tapped on my window. I lowered it. She saw my gaunt face, the sharp angles of my cheekbones. She frowned, then reached out and brushed a crumb from the corner of my mouth. “Why do you always end up looking so pathetic?” Her voice was softer now. “I heard the car. Leo said you couldn’t handle the punishment and snuck out for a feast. Don’t worry, I won’t tell on you. Just come back quietly, and please, don’t ruin the wedding.” I was too tired to argue. I just nodded. She paused, then reached into her pocket and pulled out a watch. A Patek Philippe. It shimmered under the faint moonlight, worth millions. “Leo and I won’t be getting a marriage license. It’s just for show. I’ll convince him to find someone who truly loves him… Just give me three months, Cole. Three months, and I’ll come back.” I thought I was hallucinating. She pressed the watch into my hand, her gaze intense. “Cole, if you swear to leave Leo alone, to treat him with kindness, I’m willing to be with you. I’ll help you atone for the sins of our last life.” Her eyes, a pale, clear gray, looked almost merciful. And I finally, truly understood. She wanted it all. The tragic romance with her dead lover’s memory, and the steady, obsessive devotion of the man who survived. She wanted to absolve her guilt without giving up a thing. A dry, aching lump formed in my throat. I shook my head slowly. “Don’t worry. I won’t fight him…” She mistook this for agreement. A genuine, beautiful smile spread across her face, the same one I’d fallen in love with at that birthday party. “See, Cole? A few days of discipline and you’re much more obedient. It’s settled, then.” She waved as my car pulled away. “Go on, get your big meal. I’m going back to bed…” The car picked up speed. When her slender figure had completely vanished in the rearview mirror, I rolled down the window and threw the Patek Philippe into the darkness. … The next morning, the wedding went on as scheduled. The venue was packed. My seat at the family table was occupied by a distant cousin. In the bridal suite, Audrey kept checking the time, a knot of anxiety tightening in her stomach. She called my phone. “The number you have dialed has been switched off…” The robotic voice was cut off by Leo’s cheerful one as he entered the room. “My beautiful bride. Are you ready?” Audrey was distracted. “Cole isn’t back yet. The ceremony is about to start.” Leo’s eyes gleamed with triumph, but he put on a pained expression. “Well, maybe he doesn’t respect me enough to attend our wedding. If he doesn’t want to be here, we can’t force him…” But Audrey didn’t relent as he expected. Her brow furrowed. “No. That’s not possible. We had an agreement.” She gathered her skirts and went to find my parents. “Robert, Eleanor, Cole is missing. Have you called the driver? We need to find him.” My mother waved a dismissive hand. “Oh, don’t worry about him.” My father’s face was dark with contempt. “That useless screw-up? I put him on a plane to London last night. I wasn’t about to let him ruin your wedding and embarrass me further—” He was cut off by his assistant, who burst into the room, pale and sweating. “Mr. Grayson, sir, it’s terrible news. The flight… Mr. Cole’s flight… there was an accident. The plane went down.” “What did you say?” Audrey’s voice was a choked whisper, all the color draining from her face. The assistant wiped his brow and repeated, his voice trembling, “Mr. Cole’s flight last night… it went down over the Atlantic this morning at eight o’clock. The airline just confirmed…”
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