When I opened my eyes, I had returned to five years ago—the exact day my boyfriend, Liam Vance, was supposed to enter an arranged marriage with the wealthy heiress, Chloe Sterling. In my past life, I was kicked out of the Vance family without knowing I was pregnant. Five years later, Liam was diagnosed with leukemia and desperately needed a bone marrow transplant. Chloe, having discovered she was infertile, hid the truth from everyone and stole my daughter. My little girl died a tragic death while being used to save Liam. Reborn, I hid for five whole years, raising my daughter, Aria, to be healthy and chubby. This year, on Valentine's Day, I brought Aria to the waterfront promenade to sell roses. Someone set off fireworks. The loud explosions terrified Aria, and she ran into the crowd crying. I chased after her, only to see her bump straight into Liam's legs. Liam stared at the two identical little faces—hers and his own childhood photos—and gasped. He picked the child up, his voice trembling: "How... how old are you?" "Five!" "Who is your mother?" "Maya. She's right over there." 1 The wind coming off the water was freezing. I pulled my scarf tighter, crouching by my little stand to organize the roses. I wrapped them in cellophane, bunch by bunch, and placed them in plastic buckets. It was Valentine's Day, and the promenade was packed with people selling flowers. Aria stood beside me, her little hands red from the cold, helping me count the dollar bills. "Mommy, will we sell them all today?" "We will." I patted her head, my voice soft. A five-year-old child, so well-behaved it broke my heart. She never threw tantrums, never asked for toys. She only asked, "Will we sell them all today?" Because if we sold them all, we could afford to eat meat tomorrow. Music drifted over from a distance. Someone was proposing by the water. Fireworks shot into the sky. Aria looked up, her eyes sparkling. "Mommy, it's so pretty!" "Yeah, it's beautiful." I looked at the fireworks, feeling absolutely nothing inside. In my past life, Liam had set off fireworks for me, too. It was my eighteenth birthday. He told me he would marry me. Later, he broke that promise. Bang—! A massive firework exploded, and the crowd surged backward. Aria flinched, her little face turning pale. "Mommy! I'm scared!" She stumbled, and a wave of pedestrians separated us. My heart seized. I lunged forward. "Aria! Don't run!" There were too many people on the pier. She was so small, and in the blink of an eye, she was gone. I desperately shoved through the crowd, my hands shaking. I couldn't lose her. I couldn't lose her again. Finally, I spotted that tiny silhouette. She had bumped right into a man's legs. The man was wearing a long black wool coat, his figure tall and lean. My breath stopped. It was Liam. It had been five years. He looked exactly the same. Handsome, aloof, looking down at the world from on high. Only now, there was a trace of exhaustion between his brows. I rushed over. Just as he was about to get a clear look at Aria's face, I snatched her up and buried her face into my chest. He didn't see what she looked like. Liam looked at me, his brow furrowing. "Are you...?" "Thank you." I cut him off, holding Aria tight. Keeping my head down so he couldn't see my face, I turned to walk away. "Wait!" He called out. With my child in my arms and my back to him, I froze. "Little girl, what's your name?" He was asking Aria. Aria answered in her sweet, milky voice: "I'm Aria." "Aria..." He repeated it, his voice sounding somewhat dazed. "Liam!" A woman's voice rang out. Chloe Sterling ran over in her designer heels and linked her arm through Liam's. "Why did you walk so fast..." Before she could finish her sentence, she saw me, and she saw Aria in my arms. More accurately, she saw Aria's face over my shoulder. She froze completely, her eyes widening in shock. My heart sank. This was bad. Aria looked entirely too much like Liam did when he was a child. This was the exact time Liam was diagnosed with leukemia. If they recognized us, they would definitely force Aria to do the bone marrow transplant. Holding Aria tight, I walked quickly into the thick of the crowd. "Liam..." Chloe's voice drifted from behind me, trembling. "That child..." "What?" Liam's voice. I walked even faster. Aria wrapped her arms around my neck and whispered: "Mommy, why are we running?" "It's nothing, baby. Mommy is taking you home." I ducked through the crowd and glanced back one last time. Chloe was standing frozen in place, staring in our direction. Liam was beside her, talking to her. By the time we got back to our cramped apartment in the working-class part of the city, my hands were still shaking. I laid Aria on the bed. She had already fallen asleep, exhausted from the scare. I sat on the edge of the bed, looking at her face. This face... It was what got her killed in my past life. In this life, I would not let tragedy repeat itself. But... I saw Chloe's expression just now. She recognized her. She definitely recognized Aria's face. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Maya, don't be afraid. No matter what happens, you cannot panic. My phone suddenly buzzed. It was an unknown number. I hesitated for a moment, then answered. "Hello?" "Maya. Long time no see." It was Chloe—Liam's arranged fiancée, and his current wife. 2 My heart dropped. "How did you get my number?" "Finding you was easy," she said with a light laugh, her voice sickeningly sweet. "Maya, that little girl from earlier... is she your daughter?" I stayed silent. "She's so cute," Chloe paused. "She looks just like Liam did when he was little." I gripped my phone tighter. "Chloe, what are you trying to say?" "Nothing, I'm just curious. Who is the father?" She laughed. I bit my lip. "That's none of your business." "Don't be mad," Chloe's voice grew even sweeter. "I just care about you. Raising a child all by yourself must be so hard, right?" "Chloe," I said calmly. "I have nothing to do with the Vance family anymore. I'm no longer their foster daughter, and I will never be your enemy. Live a good life with Liam, and leave me alone." I hung up. The phone rang again. It was her. I powered the phone off completely. I tossed it onto the table and leaned back in my chair. Trouble was coming. Chloe recognized Aria. What would she do? Tell Liam? Or... I remembered her methods from my past life. She wouldn't just tell Liam. She would wait until Liam was diagnosed with leukemia, then she would steal Aria, telling Liam she simply found a random orphan who was a match. Then... Aria would have her bone marrow extracted over and over again, eventually dying before she even turned six. And Liam would never even know that the person saving him was his own daughter. I leaned back, closing my eyes as the memories flooded in like a tidal wave. When I was eight, the Vance family took me in. It was raining that day. I was squatting on the steps of the foster home, hugging my knees. Mrs. Vance, wearing a sleek black dress, held an umbrella. She looked down at me and frowned. "You're Maya?" "Yes." I nodded. "From today on, you are a child of the Vance family," Mrs. Vance said. "Your new brother is a bit aloof. You need to be obedient, understand?" "I understand," I whispered. Back then, I thought I finally had a real home. When we arrived at the Vance estate, Liam was standing by the door. He was two years older than me. Ten years old. Wearing a crisp white button-down, he looked incredibly cold. "Liam, this is your new sister. Take good care of her," Mrs. Vance said. Liam glanced at me. "Whatever." He turned and walked inside. I followed behind him, walking on eggshells. The Vance family was a cold place. Mrs. Vance was polite but distant. Mr. Vance was always busy; I barely saw him. Only Liam occasionally acknowledged my existence. Once, I was bullied by some kids at school. They called me an unwanted orphan. I ran home crying. I hid under the covers in my room, sobbing alone. The door suddenly pushed open. Liam stood in the doorway. "Stop crying, it's annoying." He frowned. I wiped my tears, not daring to make a sound. Liam walked over and tossed a piece of candy at me. "Eat this and shut up." I stared blankly at the candy. It was my favorite milk caramel. "Thank you..." "Don't thank me." Liam turned to leave. "If anyone bullies you again, tell me." And with that, he left. Leaving me alone, clutching that piece of candy, crying and laughing at the same time. From that day on, I followed him everywhere. Like a little shadow. Wherever he went, I went. Whatever he did, I watched. This went on until I turned eighteen. I knew I had fallen in love with him, but I never dared to say it. Our social statuses were worlds apart. Until one winter night, Liam got drunk, and I helped him back to his room. He suddenly grabbed my hand. "Maya." He looked at me, his eyes hazy. "Do you know? I love you." I froze. "I've loved you for a long time," he said. "But I didn't dare say it, because you're supposed to be my sister." Tears fell from my eyes. "I... I love you too..." Liam smiled. He pulled me in and kissed me. From that day on, we were together. Secretly. Terrified of Mrs. Vance finding out. Liam said that as soon as he took over the company, he would marry me. I believed him. Like an idiot, I believed him for two years. Until five years ago, Mrs. Vance called me into her study. She sat behind her massive mahogany desk, her face ice-cold. "Maya, I know about you and Liam." 3 "Mrs. Vance..." "Pack your things. You're moving out tomorrow," she cut me off. "The Vance family doesn't need you anymore. Liam has grown up. He doesn't need a live-in babysitter anymore." I froze. "Besides, Chloe is returning from abroad." Mrs. Vance looked at me. "She is the one Liam is meant to marry. A true socialite, a billionaire heiress. You are just a stray we picked up from a foster home. You aren't worthy of him." I bit my lip, tears spilling over. "But... but Liam said he was going to marry me..." "That was before he understood what the right choice was," she sneered. I ran to find Liam. He was standing in his bedroom, his back to me. "Liam..." I cried. "Your mother told me to move out... tell her you're going to marry me. Please..." Liam turned around. His eyes were completely devoid of warmth. "Maya, I'm sorry. I'm marrying Chloe," he said calmly. "Chloe's family can help the Vance empire." "But you said you'd marry me..." I grabbed his hand. "That was just talk." Liam shook me off. "Maya, it's time to grow up. Stop dreaming." I looked at him, my heart shattering into a million pieces. "Did you... did you ever love me at all?" Liam fell silent. After a long time, he finally said: "I do. But love doesn't change anything. I have more important things to do." I collapsed onto the floor. A flash of pain crossed Liam's eyes. But ultimately, he turned and walked away. It was New Year's Eve. I packed my bags. Mrs. Vance stood by the door, watching me coldly. Carrying my suitcase, I walked out of the Vance estate. The place I had once thought was my home. It was snowing outside. I stood by the gates and looked back one last time. Liam was standing at the second-floor window. Looking down at me. Our eyes met. Then, I turned and walked away, and I never looked back. I opened my eyes, my mind clear and cold. That was the past. That naive, crying Maya was dead. In this life, I would never love him again. And I would never shed another tear for him. Early the next morning, I took Aria to the wholesale flower market to restock. As soon as we reached the entrance, I saw a black SUV parked by the curb. My chest tightened. The door opened. Chloe stepped out, followed by two men in black suits. She was wearing a beige trench coat and designer heels. Seeing me, she smiled. "Maya. What a coincidence." I shielded Aria behind me. "What do you want?" "Don't be nervous." Chloe walked over. "I just wanted to have a chat." "We have nothing to chat about." I grabbed Aria's hand to leave, but the two men blocked my path. "Move!" I glared at them. "It's broad daylight, what are you trying to do?!" "Don't get so worked up." Chloe stepped right in front of me and looked down at Aria. "Little girl, how old are you?" Aria hid behind my legs, staying silent. "Five, right?" Chloe smiled. "If I do the math, she was born the exact same year you left the Vance family." I bit my lip, saying nothing. Chloe looked at me. "Liam is the father, isn't he?" "It's none of your business." "Of course it's my business." Her smile vanished. "If this child belongs to Liam, it is absolutely my business." I stared at her, my blood running cold. I could never let her take Aria. "She's not his." "I did my research." Chloe pulled a stack of photos from her coat. "For the past five years, you've been raising this kid completely alone. There has never been a man in the picture. So, the father can only be Liam." I clenched my fists. "What do you want?" "Simple." Chloe held out a piece of paper. "Five hundred thousand dollars." "Take the money and leave. Go anywhere you want, just don't ever show your face in this city again. And the child stays with me! I will raise her as my own!" I looked at her and sneered. "I won't take your money, and I won't disappear. If you want to tell Liam..." "I think you're the one who should be afraid. If Liam finds out I'm in the city, with how deeply he loved me, and with Aria here... your status as Mrs. Vance will be nothing but an empty title." "So I suggest you don't do anything stupid." Chloe's face twisted in rage. She grabbed my arm and raised her hand to slap me. Aria suddenly broke free from behind me and stood in front of me. "Don't bully my mommy!" Chloe's hand connected with Aria's face. A sharp, cracking slap. Aria was knocked backward. Her little head slammed against the concrete steps of the flower shop. "Aria!"
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