t life when she was knocked unconscious, her hands and feet bound with stones, and thrown int

ank, her breath ceased, and her sou

woman standing by the riverbank in the night. Their faces were pain

right thing? If Emily finds out, she would be

. She's nothing but a conniving woman who clings to men for favors. She'

day she'll appear before me, accusing me of steali

s trouble you. I've already taken care of everything. She

is better for everyone," the

an was her best friend, Claire Summers, and

and stab these two despicable people to death. They wer

re, securing clients and sealing deals. Without her, the Roberts family business would have gone ban

hown her that eve

ed on three words:

d deceit from start to finish. No one

stepfather's high-interest loans, she sold

herself as noble and kind, deceiving everyone. Emily's death was s

g her hard-earned money, wearing the wedding dress Emily designed, living in

a money-making tool. Once he achieved success, he discarded her without mer

d everyone who had trampled on her since

ted, for believing in love too easily, fo

osely, listened carefully, she would have seen through them. But she had been blinded b

es, breaking them piece by piece until the pain was unbearabl

g skinned alive, the torment of shattered bones-all thi

arkness more oppressive, as her drifting

heavily, the panic still etched on her face. Her already pale skin was

alendar had the number '1

17,

ths ago, she had been reborn, brought back to two yea

most every night, waking up in a cold sweat each time. The hat

ircled '18' on the cal

ore her mother sold her to that perverted old man in her previous life. She had one month to carve out a

t her past tragedies never repeated. She would live freely and r

who had wronged her, she would return the s

-these cheap things mean

only one th

Alexander Remington as her b

er of th

pa

-

r body had lessened significantly, though walking was still painful. But

check. She then opened two new bank accounts, one with

had avoided for so long-the "home" she loathed,

-

lin, ten years ago, bringing Emily and her younger sister, Lily, w

but he wanted his family to live well. Unfortunate

es, he lost the entire $5

Victor's hands if he didn't repay the money within three

-

ed her with a mixture of disgust and resolve. She steeled h

of her past life flooding back. Every corner, every crac

r stepfather, Victor. His face was lined with worr

. Come in," he said, step

mbered. Her mother, Diane, was arguing with Lily

face hardened. "What

oice steady. "I have some money. It shou

e and relief. "Emily, you don't

ed skeptical. "Where d

"What matters is that we can settle the

h a mix of suspicion and grudgin

her shoulders. This was just the beginning. She had p

re her future. Alexander Remington was just a stepping stone. She would navigate this dangerous path with c