Chapter 2

I stared dead at the glass of whiskey Julian had just slid toward me.

The ice clinked sharply against the crystal glass.

After a brief, jarring few seconds of mental static, my brain snapped into absolute clarity. I abruptly stood up, taking in the familiar, lavish decor of the room.

It hit me with the force of a freight train: I had been reborn.

And I knew exactly what day it was.

In my past life, on this exact day, in this very VIP suite of the restaurant, Julian had used that exact same gentle, considerate posture to coax me into drinking this drug-laced whiskey.

What followed was a perfectly orchestrated nightmare: I lost consciousness and was dragged to a pre-booked hotel room upstairs, where the thugs Mia hired took the scandalous photos that utterly destroyed my reputation.

"Why are you spacing out?" Mia leaned back unhurriedly against the plush leather sofa, her eyes brimming with flawlessly acted concern. "I specifically asked the bartender to mix this just for you. Aren’t you going to try it?"

I looked between the two of them, suppressing the violently burning urge to tear them apart right then and there.

I had no evidence yet. If I completely lost my temper now, they would simply record it and brand me as mentally unstable.

I reached out, feigning a move to accept the drink.

Then, I let my hand slip.

Crash.

The heavy glass shattered violently against the floor. Ice cubes and amber liquid splattered everywhere, a few drops staining the cuffs of Julian’s expensive tailored trousers.

He stumbled backward in shock, clearly not anticipating the fumble.

I immediately pressed the heel of my palm hard against my forehead, contorting my face into a grimace of extreme pain. "I'm so sorry. My migraine just flared up out of nowhere. I feel awful."

Mia shot to her feet, hurrying over to grab my arm. "A sudden headache? Let me take you upstairs to a room so you can lie down and rest, okay?"

I dodged her hand without a second of hesitation.

Snatching my coat from the back of the chair, I threw it over my shoulders. "No need," I said with unyielding firmness. "I’m calling my private doctor."

Refusing to give up, Mia chased me out of the suite, trying to block my path. But I didn't give her a single opening. I strode briskly down the corridor, shoved open the restaurant's heavy glass doors, and walked straight out into the night.

The cool evening wind hit my face. I flagged down a passing cab and left cleanly.

Sitting in the backseat, I watched the glaring neon sign of the hotel-restaurant complex shrink in the rearview mirror.

I knew that as long as I removed myself from their carefully staged crime scene tonight, Mia’s vicious chain of traps would completely lose its prey.

The next morning, armed with a folder of freshly printed documents, I drove straight to Sebastian's consulting firm.

In my past life, his actions in that courtroom and standing alone in the rain at my grave proved that he was the only person in this world willing to step up and avenge me.

Since Mia was so incredibly eager to "test" my men, I was going to let everyone see exactly how she performed those tests.

I knew Sebastian was a good man, and I knew he likely harbored feelings for me, but I refused to exploit that to make demands.

I needed an absolutely equal, bulletproof alliance.

His secretary showed me into a sprawling, modern office.

Sebastian sat behind a massive mahogany desk, wearing a crisp, dark gray dress shirt, focused on answering emails. Seeing me walk in, he immediately paused his work and gestured to the leather guest chair across from him.

I walked over and slid the manila folder straight across the polished wood.

"Sebastian, there is something incredibly important I need your help with." I looked him dead in the eye, my tone as composed as if I were negotiating a corporate merger.

"Don't worry, I’m not asking for a favor. I want to establish a highly mutually beneficial partnership between us."

I paused, laying my chips directly on the table.

"This is a proposal for a contract marriage. And simultaneously, a binding commercial agreement."

I tapped the cover of the folder. "As long as you are willing to cooperate with me, every single company under my family's name will immediately enter a deep strategic partnership with your enterprise. Our core resources will be fully integrated."

Sebastian didn't say a word.

He picked up the file, lowered his gaze, and flipped through the first few pages.

Seconds ticked by. Finally, he looked up at me through his thin, silver-rimmed glasses, and a relaxed, deeply intriguing smile touched his lips.

"A perfectly fair trade, Chloe." He snapped the folder shut and tossed it casually onto his desk. "I accept."

By that afternoon, Mia unsurprisingly couldn't hold back anymore and showed up at my front door.

With her grand scheme completely derailed last night, she was evidently feeling guilty and anxious, coming specifically to sound me out.

The maid set two delicate porcelain cups of black tea on the coffee table.

Sitting rigidly on the fabric sofa in my living room, Mia meticulously arranged her features into a mask of pure, apologetic guilt. She reached over and gently grasped my wrist.

"Chloe, are you still mad at me for getting too close to Julian?" Mia bit her lower lip, her eyes expertly brimming with unshed tears. "I swear, I purely wanted to help you test him! I just needed to see if he could resist temptation. I did all of this to protect you!"

Looking at that sickeningly familiar face, my stomach violently cramped.

I forced the blinding nausea down.

With a calm, composed smile, I smoothly pulled my hand out of her grip. I picked up my teacup, took a measured sip, and kept my voice perfectly even.

"You're overthinking it, Mia. I'm not mad."

Mia noticeably exhaled, her shoulders dropping. "Your migraine is alright?"

"It was just a headache from a mild cold. I slept it off and I'm totally fine." I set the cup down, my eyes locking onto hers.

Then, I casually dropped the bomb.

"While I was at the doctor's last night, I did some thinking. I've already dumped Julian."

Mia froze completely.

Just as her mouth opened to speak, I delivered the next blow.

"Also, I'm getting engaged soon."

"What?!"

Mia’s voice shrieked up an octave, the sheer, unadulterated shock shattering her carefully crafted innocent facade.

I pulled out my phone, brought up a photo of Sebastian, and pushed the screen right under her nose.

"He's the son of an old friend of my dad's. His family background might be a bit modest, but he's a wonderful man. My dad really wants me to marry him, so I agreed."

In the photograph, Sebastian was dressed in an impeccably tailored black suit. He stood tall, his striking, sharp features and cold, piercing gaze radiating an undeniable, magnetic attraction.

I watched Mia's face like a hawk.

No matter how desperately she tried to conceal it, I clearly saw the toxic flush of jealousy and raw greed instantly ignite deep in her eyes.

As long as it was a man who belonged to me—as long as it was mine—she absolutely would not let him go.

In a fraction of a second, she pasted her "best friend" mask back on.

She slid intimately closer to me, throwing an arm around my shoulders, loudly and exuberantly congratulating me for finally scoring a more reliable man.

"Well, since the marriage is a done deal, you won't need to help me test him anymore," I said lightly.

"Of course not!" she vehemently agreed.

She agreed a little too quickly. But I knew right then that this woman's pathological, obsessive desire to win had been fully sparked. She would very soon begin deploying her favorite, disgusting little tricks.

I eagerly awaited Sebastian’s feedback.