She Chose the Ring, I Chose the Empire

Emma's POV

Father calls me and Chloe into his study, and two documents already sit on the desk. On the left, the Whitfield family succession papers. On the right, the marriage agreement with the Sullivan family.

He lights a cigar, the smoke half hiding his face. "You two need to make a choice today. One of you takes over the Whitfield family. The other marries Derek Sullivan."

In my last life, Chloe took the succession papers.

She sat down in Father's office, put on an expensive suit, called in every department head, and announced she'd make the Whitfield family stronger. But she couldn't even read a warehouse ledger, didn't know which shipping route mattered most, couldn't tell flattery from threats in a family meeting.

Within three years, the south warehouse burned down, the north route slipped out of our hands, and cash kept bleeding out of the books like there was a hole in them.

Father died on a dark street, three bullets in his chest.

Chloe fled with whatever money was left, and I got married off to Derek instead.

After the wedding, he took my passport and locked me in the basement of the Sullivan estate. When I refused to sign the transfer documents, he had them cut off my water for three days straight. In family meetings, one wrong word out of me and he'd slap me in front of everyone. During an ambush, he shoved me right into the line of fire.

Later, Chloe found me. She pointed a gun at my chest, and there wasn't a trace of sisterly feeling left in her eyes. "This is all because you're useless. If you'd helped Derek keep the Sullivan family steady, Whitfield wouldn't have gone under."

I opened my eyes in a pool of blood and woke up back on this day.

"I'll marry Derek."

Chloe doesn't hesitate for a second. She puts her hand right down on the marriage agreement.

"Give the succession to Emma. She's always been good at handling the boring stuff. She's the right one to keep things running for Father."

I look at her and understand. She's been reborn too.

The old advisor pushes up his glasses. "Derek's Mr. Sullivan's illegitimate son. Locking down his spot as heir won't be easy. He's made a lot of enemies inside the family. This marriage might not be as easy as you think."

"That's only if you're not good enough to pull it off." Chloe scoffs. "A woman who's actually smart knows how to work a man's weak spots. Marry the right guy and you're set for life."

She turns to me with a sharp little smile.

"Emma, once you're running things, you'll find out handling turf wars and ledgers and all those old men is a lot harder than you think. When you're drowning in it, don't come crying to me."

"I won't."

"Better not." She picks up the pen. "Because by then, I might not feel like helping you out."

Father's face is hard to read.

"This is to pay back a debt to the Sullivan family," he says. "I owe them my life. I can't go back on it."

He signs both documents.

I pick up the pen after him and write my name at the bottom of the succession papers.

The moment the pen leaves the paper, the Whitfield family's power is officially mine.

Father slides the seal across to me, then stops halfway.

"Emma, are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

I take the seal without looking at Chloe.

She holds the marriage agreement and walks toward the door, like she can already see herself in a white dress on the steps of the Sullivan estate.

"Remember what I said." She turns back. "Once you can't handle it anymore, come pour drinks at my party. I'll save you a spot."

"We'll see about that."

Three weeks later, the Belvedere estate is all lit up.

The engagement party is held at the main house on the shore of Lake Michigan, and family representatives from every side fill the hall in formal wear. Cigar smoke hangs under the chandeliers. Waiters weave through the crowd with trays of champagne.

Chloe walks up to me on Derek's arm, flashing the diamond ring on her hand.

"I hear you've been running yourself ragged between the warehouses and the docks lately." She glances at the staff standing behind me. "Why put yourself through all that? Running a family business is a man's job."

Derek has a polite smile on his face, but his arm slips slowly out of her grip.

Chloe doesn't notice.

"Look at me. I got lucky." She keeps going. "I've got a husband to protect me, and he's about to take over the Sullivans. What about you? You don't even have anyone to stand between you and trouble."

"I've got my own two hands."

"Tough talk."

She loops her arm back through Derek's. His eyebrows pull together.

I file that moment away.

In my last life, Chloe had made enemies with half the families right here in this room. Later, when Whitfield came under attack, not one of them lifted a finger to help.

This time, I go around the room with a glass in hand, talking to the other families, working out deals.

Just as I'm signing the third letter of intent, a sharp voice cuts through the hall.

The music stops dead.

Everyone turns at once, and I turn with them, toward the center of the crowd.

Chloe has a grip on a girl's wrist, and a few bodyguards are already closing in.