My father, Mr. Dawson, had pressed charges against Ashley Hayes, the company’s financial controller, for embezzlement. She was staring down a life sentence, and her future, as far as we knew, was sealed. My fiancé, Dex Vance, was on his knees, begging my father to spare her. His desperate plea ignited my father’s fury, who then threatened to send Dex straight to prison alongside her. In my previous life, I had shielded Dex. I’d defied my father, knocked Dex out, and dragged him away, ensuring his freedom. Ashley, however, had been sent to prison and took her own life within those walls. When Dex woke, he thanked me profusely for saving his future, showering me with even more tenderness and affection. We married soon after, and I quickly became pregnant. But on the very night I gave birth, he colluded with my father’s rivals, severing our company’s financial lifelines and forcing my father into bankruptcy and suicide. As for me, he imprisoned me in our home, then sliced me open, tearing the life from my womb. While I lay in agony, teetering on the edge of consciousness, he smiled—a chilling, hollow smile—and drowned our tiny, gasping baby in the toilet bowl. “Did you ever consider this day,” he’d whispered, “when you murdered Ashley and the child I carried within her?” “I want you to live through every moment of this – watching your father leap to his death, seeing your child flushed into the sewers, and finally… watching your very being torn apart, piece by agonizing piece.” The world spun, then snapped back into focus. I was back. Back to the day Dex Vance knelt outside Dawson Industries. This time, I decided to let him have his way. 1 “Mr. Dawson, Ashley really just made a mistake, a momentary lapse. Please, just this once, forgive her.” The words were the first thing I registered upon opening my eyes. Dex Vance, kneeling on the pavement outside Dawson Industries. He was a man who prided himself on his aloof dignity, yet here he was, prostrate, for Ashley. My father’s assistant, a kind man, nudged me. “Miss Dawson, please, talk some sense into Mr. Vance. What Ms. Hayes did is too serious. Besides, Mr. Dawson has irrefutable evidence that she’s a spy sent by a rival company. He simply cannot let this go.” I lifted my gaze to Dex, his face etched with earnest desperation. In my past life, it was this very scene, this fear of his entanglement, that had driven me to knock him out and drag him away. I never imagined it would lead to my utter ruin. Reborn into this life, I decided to stay out of it. “It’s his choice,” I stated, turning away. “But… if he keeps kneeling, Mr. Dawson said he’d send him to prison right along with Ashley!” The assistant’s voice rose, the warning clear, inevitably reaching Dex’s ears. He turned his head to me, his eyes blazing with disgust. “Olivia Dawson, satisfied now?” Dex’s voice was as cold as ice, as if I were the architect of his misery. I simply watched him, a sudden surge of absurdity washing over me. “Satisfied with what? Ashley’s the one who made a mistake. What does that have to do with me?” His face contorted, eyes flickering with an unreadable emotion, before quickly settling into a facade of righteous indignation. “What are you talking about? Ashley is innocent! She was just used!” “Innocent?” I let out a soft, mocking laugh. “Embezzling thirty million dollars, with undeniable evidence. Where exactly is her innocence? Or do you think my father conspired with the courts and police to frame her?” His face instantly darkened, a hint of viciousness flashing in his eyes. “Isn’t that exactly what he did? Olivia, do you really think your father can control everything?” The assistant quickly intervened, his voice urgent. “Mr. Vance, you can’t just say things like that! Be careful Mr. Dawson doesn’t hear you and terminates your position!” Dex’s face went through several rapid changes, as if the reality of his position as a future son-in-law, dependent on our family’s good graces, finally registered. He seemed on the verge of speaking, then bit back the words, glaring at me before abruptly standing and walking away. I knew he was going to find Ashley. As long as he stayed out of my way, I couldn’t care less. I stepped into the Dawson Industries building. Leaving my father’s office, a profound sense of relief washed over me. Just moments ago, I had successfully persuaded him to dissolve my engagement to Dex. “Perhaps it’s for the best,” my father sighed, his expression complex. “I held onto that old family arrangement your mother made, unwilling to break it. I never imagined this young man would turn out to be such a disappointment.” “In three days, I’ll announce it to everyone. For now, get some rest.” I nodded, but then my father’s assistant rushed in, looking distraught. “Miss Dawson! Ashley Hayes tried to kill herself!” My father had only just filed the lawsuit against Ashley; her case was still in the evidence review phase. She was temporarily confined to the basement of her own villa. This time, perhaps because I hadn't intervened in Dex's pleas, her suicide attempt had happened even sooner. When I arrived, the scene was chaotic. Ashley was clutched tightly in Dex’s arms, a bandage wrapped around her slender wrist, her face ashen. Seeing me enter, she instantly recoiled, burrowing deeper into Dex’s embrace like a startled rabbit. “Dex… I really don’t want to live… this feeling of being framed is just too unbearable…” Her voice was a faint, tearful whisper. Dex stroked her hair with tender concern, but when he looked at me, his eyes were piercingly cold—exactly like they were in my past life when he’d murdered me to avenge “Ashley.” “Olivia Dawson, are you and your father really so determined to wipe her out? Ashley has already proven her innocence by trying to take her own life! What more do you want?” A security guard, who had been watching her, quietly explained, “Miss Hayes sharpened a toothbrush and tried to… luckily, we found her in time…” Dex looked down at the trembling Ashley in his arms, his voice instantly softening. “Don’t be afraid, I’m here…” Ashley leaned weakly into his embrace, but through Dex’s shoulder, she cast me a triumphant smile. My fists clenched. In my previous life, I had been completely deceived by such theatrics, ultimately leading to my family’s ruin. But Dex, precisely, fell for her every act. “If she didn’t have a guilty conscience, why would she stage a suicide attempt?” I demanded, glaring at Dex. “And you, Dex Vance, do you remember who you are? What right do you have to speak to me like that?” At my words, Ashley’s tears streamed down her face. “Miss Dawson, I’m so sorry… please, don’t take it out on Dex…” She trembled, clutching at Dex’s sleeve. “Dex, go… don’t mind me… I don’t want to drag you down…” Dex’s head snapped up, his eyes burning with furious rage. He pulled Ashley even tighter, then swept her into his arms. “Ashley, I won’t abandon you!” “Don’t listen to this crazy woman. We’re going straight to the hospital!” He hurried away with Ashley. As he passed me, he lowered his voice, cold and menacing. “Olivia, if anything happens to Ashley, I swear I’ll make your family pay!” I watched their retreating backs, slowly unclenching my whitened fingertips. Then, I pulled out my phone and dialed a number I hadn’t touched in years. “Noah, I’ll agree to our engagement.” My voice was steady, despite the turmoil within. “But first, could you… do me a favor?” 2 That evening, just as I stepped into my apartment, the door violently crashed open. The jarring slam, kicked open by Dex, made my ears ache. His usually composed and dignified face was now a mask of twisted rage, his eyes swirling with an almost unbearable hatred. “Olivia, you almost killed Ashley’s baby!” Baby? I froze, a horrific scene from my past life flashing through my mind. Tied to a delivery bed, I watched, helpless, as Dex, in rubber gloves, wielded a scalpel and sliced open my abdomen. Blood gushed, and I screamed, a raw, primal sound of agony, but he merely smiled—a gentle, terrifying smile. “Don’t be afraid, it’ll be over soon.” He’d ripped my barely formed fetus from my womb, then… right before my eyes, he’d pressed that tiny, curled-up life into the toilet. Flush! The sound of the water, rushing and swirling, had felt like my very soul being torn to shreds. “Ashley’s pregnant?” I forced myself to remain calm, pretending to be unaffected. Dex seized my jaw, his grip so fierce it felt like my bones would shatter. “What are you playing dumb for?” He sneered, then flung a stack of papers from his briefcase onto the floor. “Sign it.” I looked down. It was a confession. It clearly stated that I admitted to framing Ashley for embezzlement. He wanted me to take the fall for her! “Just sign it, and I’ll pretend none of this ever happened.” His voice softened, his thumb tracing a path along my cheek. “We can still get married, just like before. I’ll keep spoiling you, keep loving you.” My stomach churned. This man truly thought I was a child he could fool! In my previous life, he had used that same tender tone to coax me into drinking drugged milk, then personally sliced open my belly. “Dex,” I said, my voice cold. “I’ve already told my father to break off our engagement.” My gaze hardened. “I am the daughter of the Dawson family. Marrying me is your privilege, not mine. What right do you have to threaten me with it?” His expression twisted instantly. The next second, a searing pain tore through my scalp. He yanked my hair, slamming my head hard against the coffee table! “Bitch!” Warm liquid trickled down my forehead. I curled into a ball on the floor, his gleaming leather shoe pressing down on my hand. The pain made my vision swim, but I bit down hard on my lip, refusing to make a sound. Dex leaned over, his fingers tightening around my throat, his voice chilling, as if pulled from the depths of hell. “Are you going to sign, or not?” “Never… in your dreams!” I choked out, each word a struggle. A cold glint flashed in his eyes. He suddenly snatched the fruit knife from the coffee table and plunged it fiercely into my palm! “Ah!” Blood splattered onto his pristine white shirt, blooming like crimson roses. My body convulsed with agony, but he held my wrist down, his grip unyielding. “This is just the beginning.” He raised the knife again, this time pointing the blade at my stomach. “I imagine you wouldn’t want to experience being cut open again, would you?” In that instant, his sinister face merged with the one from my past. Seeing the ruthless glint in his eyes, my heart seized with a sudden, panicked beat. He remembered too. He had been reborn. The memory of that searing, soul-shattering pain made me tremble uncontrollably. “I’ll sign…” I stammered, extending my uninjured left hand. Dex’s face broke into a satisfied smile. He pressed a pen into my fingers. Blood dripped onto the paper, blurring as I scrawled my name, intentionally tearing the paper on the last stroke. “Do you really think this will save Ashley?” I whispered, a weak, mocking laugh escaping my lips. “Even if you force me to sign, can you silence me? Dex, we’ll meet in court. I’ll expose every single one of your crimes right there.” This time, my father was alive. As long as he was here, I feared nothing. His expression instantly became savage, and he clamped his hand around my throat. “You worthless bitch!” But just as quickly, he let out a cold chuckle and released me. I clutched my throat, gasping for air, and looked up to see his chilling, malicious smile. “This is your choice. I have plenty of ways to shut you up.” He snarled, then turned and left without another glance. A wave of dread washed over me, a strong premonition of disaster. Soon enough, that premonition proved true. “Miss Dawson! You have to come quickly! The warehouse is on fire!” 3 That afternoon, a phone call from the assistant made my heart leap into my throat. When I arrived at the warehouse, the sight before me turned my blood to ice. This massive storage facility, holding hundreds of millions of dollars worth of imported raw materials, was now engulfed in a roaring inferno. Thick plumes of smoke billowed skyward, and the wail of fire truck sirens grew closer. Amidst the raging blaze, my father was inside, desperately trying to salvage goods alone. “Dad!” I screamed, a raw, tearing sound, and rushed in, heedless of the danger. The thick smoke choked me, blurring my vision, and the heat seared my skin. I stumbled forward, my hands outstretched, finally finding my father behind a collapsed shelf. “Olivia, what are you…” He was covered in blood, his voice a mere whisper. “Get out… quickly…” “I’ll get you out! We’ll go together!” I gritted my teeth, helping him to his feet. But the next second, what I saw made my eyes widen in horror. At the warehouse’s only emergency exit, Dex Vance was slowly closing the fire door. He stood there in his impeccable suit, a chillingly elegant smile on his lips, as if admiring a meticulously staged artistic performance. “Dex!” I shrieked, a desperate, gut-wrenching sound. “Open the door!” He tilted his head, his long fingers pressing a silent ‘shush’ to his lips. “Shhh…” The fire door closed inch by agonizing inch, sealing us off completely from any hope of escape. “No!!” I dragged my father, frantic, towards the door, but at the last possible second, a collapsing shelf blocked our path with a deafening crash. Thick smoke flooded my lungs, and my consciousness began to waver. In a haze, I saw Dex through the glass door, his lips forming a silent message. “This is your fault.” In the final moments before darkness consumed me, I stared at that blurry figure, pouring all my remaining strength into a curse. “Dex Vance, even as a ghost… I won’t let you go…” At that moment, Dex’s assistant, standing beside him, spoke up, a hint of fear in his voice. “Mr. Vance, are we really just going to let them burn to death in there? What if the police investigate…?” But Dex merely chuckled, shaking the signed confession in his hand. “What’s there to be afraid of? They’ll be dead, completely gone, turned to ash. What could the police possibly find?” He flashed an utterly brutal smile, one that sent shivers down the spine of the person next to him. The next day, Dex Vance strode into Dawson Industries, radiating confidence. On the large screen outside the building, news of the Dawson Industries fire was playing. Dex paused for a moment, seeming to admire his triumphant handiwork. In his mind, the Dawson family father and daughter were dead, and the signed confession was in his grasp. Everything had gone so smoothly. “Olivia, what good was a second chance at life? This time, I still won!” He carried the documents into the CEO’s office, a look of smug satisfaction on his face. “Mr. Dawson, the Dawson father and daughter have perished in the fire. Regarding our partnership…” He respectfully placed the documents on the desk. “Excellent. You’ve gone to great lengths.” Mr. Dawson flipped through the documents, then suddenly looked up and subtly gestured to his secretary. The secretary immediately understood, turned, left the room, and locked the door behind her. As Dex watched, bewildered, Mr. Dawson suddenly stood up and bowed deeply to a figure behind a large screen. “Mr. Blackwood, sir, the person you requested has arrived.” “The evidence of his arson and corporate espionage has also been submitted to the police.” “Before the police arrive, is there anything you wish to say to him?”
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