Chapter 1: Death and Rebirth
Cold rain poured from the dark sky.
Sophia Hart lay helpless on the wet pavement, her body covered in bruises and blood. Every breath felt like knives piercing her chest. Her vision blurred as she stared at the two people standing before her.
One was the man she had loved for seven years.
Daniel Reed.
The other was her stepsister.
Evelyn Hart.
The two people she trusted most.
"Why?" Sophia's voice trembled. "Why did you do this to me?"
Evelyn wrapped her arms around Daniel and laughed mockingly.
"Why? Because you're too stupid, Sophia."
"The Hart Group was never meant to belong to you. Thanks to your signature, everything now belongs to me."
Sophia's eyes widened.
Those documents...
The documents Daniel had begged her to sign.
She had trusted him.
She had believed he loved her.
And she had handed over everything her late father had left her.
Daniel looked down at her with disgust.
"You really thought I would marry someone as boring as you?" he sneered. "I've loved Evelyn all along."
Sophia felt her heart shatter.
Seven years.
Seven years of love.
Seven years of sacrifice.
All for a lie.
Evelyn crouched down and whispered in her ear.
"Oh, and one more thing. Do you remember Alexander Kingsley?"
Sophia froze.
Alexander Kingsley.
The most powerful man in the country.
The cold and untouchable CEO of Kingsley Corporation.
The man who had once proposed to her.
The man she rejected because of Daniel.
Evelyn smiled cruelly.
"He died."
"What?"
"He died trying to save you."
Sophia's mind went blank.
"No…"
"He arrived before the accident, but his car was pushed off the bridge instead. Such a pity. Even while dying, he called your name."
Tears streamed down Sophia's face.
Alexander...
She remembered his gentle eyes.
His quiet protection.
His countless acts of kindness.
And how she had ignored all of them.
She had been blind.
She had mistaken betrayal for love and sincerity for indifference.
Daniel sighed impatiently.
"Enough. Let's go."
Evelyn stood up.
"Goodbye, dear sister."
The two of them left.
Alone.
Broken.
Abandoned.
Sophia looked up at the sky as the rain washed away her tears.
Hatred.
Regret.
Pain.
If only...
If only she had another chance.
If only she could go back.
She would never trust them again.
She would protect the people who truly cared for her.
And she would make those who betrayed her pay the price.
Boom!
A flash of lightning illuminated the night.
The next second—
Sophia opened her eyes.
She sat upright in shock.
Her breathing was uneven.
Her body wasn't hurting.
There was no rain.
No blood.
No pain.
Instead, she was sitting on a soft bed.
Sunlight streamed through the curtains.
Confused, she looked around.
This room...
She knew this room.
It was her bedroom.
Five years ago.
"No way..."
Her trembling hands reached for the phone beside the bed.
June 14.
Five years earlier.
Sophia stared at the date in disbelief.
Tears slowly filled her eyes.
She had returned.
She was alive.
And this time—
She would rewrite her fate.
No one would steal her company.
No one would destroy her family.
And she would never lose Alexander Kingsley again.
Meanwhile, in a luxurious penthouse across the city...
A handsome man suddenly opened his eyes.
His sharp gaze was filled with disbelief.
Alexander Kingsley sat up abruptly.
He looked at the calendar on his desk.
June 14.
Five years ago.
His usually calm expression cracked.
Then—
For the first time in years—
The cold CEO smiled.
"She's alive."
And this time...
He would never let her go.
