On my wedding day, my stepsister drugged me and handed me to kidnappers. My father and fiancé begged me to die to "save the family honor." Only Caden, the billionaire who'd loved me silently for years, knelt on live TV, offering any ransom. But the kidnappers betrayed him. They livestreamed my torture and death. The famously composed Caden snapped. He sold his empire, slaughtered the kidnappers, then flayed my family and ex-fiancé alive. Clutching my ashes, he walked into the sea, whispering, "Next life, let Annette know peace." I woke up—back before my engagement. I canceled it and ran to him. He'd loved me unto death. This time, I'd love him fiercely. So why did I find him in bed with my stepsister on our wedding night? 1 In our bridal suite, my stepsister, Jenna, was wearing the crimson silk robe I had bought for myself. Two shadows, hers and his, were entwined on the bed, a feverish, inseparable dance. “Caden, darling,” she purred, her voice a low thrum of pleasure. “If you keep this up, aren't you worried your precious wife will get angry and leave you?” Caden’s reply was a muffled groan. “Focus. I only married her to see that famous ice-queen facade crack. And now that I have? It’s… bland. She can’t hold a candle to a little firecracker like you.” Jenna’s laughter pealed through the room, sharp and triumphant. A blade of ice twisted in my gut. I tried to back away, to flee the scene, but my trembling hands knocked over a vase by the door. The crash shattered the moment, alerting the two lovers inside. Caden’s head snapped up. His gaze, cold and sharp, pinned me to the spot. “Well, well. Does our goddess Annette have a new hobby? Eavesdropping? Or were you hoping to take some notes from Jenna? God knows you could use it. Lying there with you is like making love to a block of wood.” “Oh, Caden, you’re terrible!” Jenna giggled, stretching languidly. “All this activity… you’ve made me hungry.” Caden’s eyes narrowed on me. “Are you deaf? Jenna’s hungry. Get to the kitchen and make her something to eat.” He didn’t wait for an answer, just strode over and shoved me towards the kitchen. My mind reeled. In my past life, this man had loved me to the point of madness, had followed me into death. Why was he so different now? While Caden was in the bathroom, Jenna sauntered into the kitchen, her smile laced with venom. “Did you really think choosing Caden this time would solve all your problems, big sister?” she whispered, leaning in close. “You were the loser in our last life, and you’ll be the loser in this one. I’m going to take everything from you. Again.” It clicked. Of course. In our past life, she’d been obsessed with my fiancé, Julian. This time, simply because I had chosen Caden, she had set her sights on him instead. Before I could process the chilling revelation, Jenna let out a sudden, sharp cry and knocked a pot of boiling water from the stove. Scalding liquid cascaded over my arm, instantly raising a constellation of angry, white blisters. The pain was searing. “Jenna! Are you okay?” Caden rushed out of the bathroom, his eyes frantic. He scanned her from head to toe, and upon seeing she was unharmed, a wave of relief washed over his face. His gaze flicked to me for a fraction of a second, cold and dismissive. “Caden, I was just trying to help her,” Jenna sobbed, her voice trembling. “I shouldn't be here. I’ll just go.” Caden’s face hardened, his eyes turning to ice as he looked at me. “Jenna is your sister, Annette, not your enemy. How could you be so vicious?” He knew. He knew Jenna and her mother had driven my own mother to her death. He knew about the years of torment they had put me through. He used to be the one who stood behind me, swearing to protect me forever. Now, he was blind to my blistered, agonized arm, his entire world fixated on my stepsister’s crocodile tears. “I didn’t…” “Don’t, Caden,” Jenna interrupted, her performance flawless. “Annette is your wife. Please don’t fight because of me. I should be the one to leave.” Caden’s patience snapped. “The Astor family has no place for a woman with a heart as black as yours,” he snarled at me. He gestured to the security guards standing by the hall. “Take her. Teach her the rules of this house.” Without a word, the guards seized me and dragged me down to the basement, throwing me into the old boiler room. The oppressive, humid heat immediately began to bake my skin, aggravating the burns. “Caden, it wasn’t me! Please, check the security cameras!” I screamed, pounding on the heavy steel door. His voice came back, cold and final. “You’re still lying, Annette. Stay in there and think about what you’ve done. You can come out when you’ve learned your lesson.” The air in the room was scorching, but a profound, soul-deep chill was settling over my heart. 2 My consciousness began to fray at the edges. I don't know how long I was in there, but I awoke to the shock of icy water splashing across my face. Jenna was kneeling over me, her nails digging into my unburned hand as she wept pitifully. “Sister, I know you’re angry that Caden is nice to me, but you can’t use such disgusting methods to ruin my life!” Ruin her life? It turned out someone had leaked scandalous photos of her online. As much as I despised Jenna, I would never stoop to such a vile tactic. “Annette, Jenna is your own sister!” Caden’s voice was a low growl of fury. “How is she supposed to show her face in public after this? I punished you in the boiler room for a few hours, and this is how you retaliate? With such a low, despicable trick?” He had locked me in a furnace, left me to pass out from burns and heatstroke, and now he was accusing me of orchestrating a complex revenge plot? Any rational person would know I couldn't have done it. But he wasn’t rational. He believed Jenna, completely and without question. “It’s alright, Jenna, don’t cry,” he soothed, pulling her into a protective embrace. “I’ll handle this. I won’t let you suffer for nothing.” That evening, in a shocking turn, Caden came home. He even cooked dinner himself, a full spread of my favorite dishes. “Lara,” he said, his voice uncharacteristically soft. “I’m sorry you had to go through that.” For a fleeting moment, his gentle expression merged with the face of the man from my past life, the one who had followed me into death. A wave of grief and confusion washed over me. That night, he was a storm, pulling me into a chaotic tide of passion that left me breathless and adrift. We drowned in each other until dawn. When I woke, he was gone. The butler stood respectfully by the bed. “Ma’am, Mr. Astor has requested that you meet him at the auction house. He is waiting for you.” A flicker of warmth spread through my chest. Maybe he did still care. Maybe there was a reason for his cruelty, a burden I couldn't see. Despite the ache in my body, a secret, hopeful joy carried me to the designated auction house. The grand hall was buzzing with the city’s elite, a sea of glittering jewels and hushed whispers. But my eyes found him instantly. He was in the center of it all, with Jenna nestled in his lap. As I watched, he leaned down and took a grape she offered him, straight from her fingers to his lips, their eyes locked in a smoldering, intimate gaze. My heart plummeted from the heavens, crashing into a cold, dark abyss. The man who had held me with such desperate tenderness last night was now lavishing his attention on another woman for the world to see. I followed the butler’s instructions and took the seat reserved for me just below his, forced to watch as he and Jenna flirted outrageously. His hand disappeared beneath the hem of her skirt, and she let out a delighted squeal, her eyes darting towards me, glittering with triumph. Caden, while whispering in her ear, was simultaneously dominating the auction. Anything Jenna so much as glanced at, he bought without hesitation, the auctioneer’s gavel falling again and again in his favor. “My god, Astor is bleeding money tonight. He’s dropped over a hundred million already, all for her.” “I thought he married Annette Croft. What’s he doing with her stepsister?” “Maybe the stepsister was the prize all along. A classic bait and switch.” Jenna, sensing my despair, shot me a condescending smile. “Oh, Annette, Caden bought me so much, I couldn’t possibly use it all. See anything you like? I’ll let you have it.” Before I could form a reply, a collective gasp rippled through the crowd. The next item was brought onto the stage. It was a swatch of silk, pristine white, marred by a single, dark red stain. My breath hitched. I stared at Caden in disbelief. It was the silk from our bed last night. The one he had carefully folded and taken away. I had thought… I had naively thought he was keeping it as a memento of our first night together. I never imagined it would end up here. “And now, ladies and gentlemen,” the auctioneer boomed, a lecherous grin spreading across his face, “a truly unique item. The virgin’s bloom of our very own ice queen, Annette Astor! Who will start the bidding?” Every head in the room swiveled towards me. Their eyes were a sickening blend of feverish excitement, contempt, and sheer disdain. My body shaking with rage and humiliation, I raised my paddle and made a bid. But a chorus of jeering bids from a group of sleazy-looking men immediately drove the price up. When I tried to raise my paddle again, I found my account had been frozen. I turned to Caden, my eyes burning with a silent, furious question. He just shrugged, his expression one of utter nonchalance. “I need the rest of that for a necklace for Jenna. It’s just a piece of fabric, Annette. Don’t make a scene.” I was forced to watch as the disgusting men fought over it, the winner holding it to his nose with a grotesque sniff, his eyes never leaving mine. Humiliating tears welled, blurring my vision. My nails dug into my palms, drawing blood. Suddenly, a new wave of murmurs and gasps swept the room. All eyes were on the large screens that now flanked the stage. They were displaying photos of me. From last night. Intimate, raw, vulnerable photos. “Who knew the ice queen was such a freak in the sheets!” “Damn, she’s got a better body than most of the girls you pay for. I’m almost jealous of Astor.” The world tilted on its axis. The tenderness last night… it was all a lie. A performance. It was him. Caden had done this to get back at me for Jenna’s leaked photos. It was all a deliberate, calculated act of revenge. But why? In our last life, he was the one who couldn’t have me, the one who chose death over a life without me. This time, I chose him. So why was he so determined to grind me into the dust? My accounts were frozen. Trapped under the weight of a thousand judgmental stares, I finally broke. “Caden,” I choked out, my voice trembling. “You loved me. You’re the one who loves me. Why are you doing this to me?” His brow furrowed, his eyes darkening to pools of ink. “It’s just a few pictures,” he said, his voice flat and cold. “It’s not like it’s going to kill you. Stop being so dramatic.” 3 A love that had transcended death in one life—how could it turn to ash in the next? As soon as the auction ended, the photos of me went viral. A torrential downpour began as we left, the sky weeping for my humiliation. Jenna, like a triumphant peacock, preened as she slid into the passenger seat of Caden’s car. “Caden, darling, I’m in the mood for high tea. Would you take me?” Lightning split the sky, illuminating my pale, shell-shocked face, but Caden acted as if I were invisible. “Wait here, Annette,” he said, his tone clipped and dismissive. “I’ll drop Jenna off and come back for you.” I had rushed out without my phone or wallet. I had no idea where I was. I had no choice but to wait. I stood there, soaked to the bone, as the hours crawled by. Night fell, and the streetlights cast long, lonely shadows. Caden never came back. Finally, numb with cold and despair, I started walking, with no destination in mind. Halfway down a deserted street, a homeless man’s eyes locked onto me, a predatory grin spreading across his face. I tried to run, but he was faster, dragging me into the thick bushes lining the sidewalk. His filthy hands pawed at my body, his sour stench turning my stomach. “You’re that bitch from the internet,” he rasped, his breath hot and foul. “Playing hard to get now? Don’t act so pure.” Just as despair threatened to consume me whole, a figure burst from the darkness, pulling the man off me and saving me. It wasn't until my panic subsided that I recognized my rescuer. It was Julian Vance—my fiancé from my previous life. Too stunned to think, I let him drive me home. When we pulled up to the Astor mansion, Caden was standing on the porch, a thunderous expression on his face. He looked like he’d been waiting for a long time. “Annette! Where have you been?” Jenna cried, rushing out the door. “Caden was so worried about you, he’s been waiting for hours!” Her eyes fell on Julian, and her expression curdled with faux outrage. “You’re a married woman now! How could you be so shameless, sneaking around with other men?” Caden’s face was a mask of cold fury. Before he could speak, his mother, Mrs. Astor, stormed out and threw a phone directly at my face. “You tramp!” she shrieked. “Look what you’ve done!” The screen showed a tabloid article, complete with pictures of me getting out of Julian’s car. "ASTOR BRIDE’S SHAMELESS RENDEZVOUS." “Not even two days married, and your slutty photos are all over the internet! And now you have the gall to come home with another man? Everyone is saying the Astors married a whore! You’re dragging our family name through the gutter!” She turned to the house staff. “Someone, teach this creature the rules of the Astor family!” Caden took a step forward, his mouth opening as if to protest. “Mother, you—” “You, shut up!” she snapped, whirling on him. “Look at her! Fresh from another man’s bed, and you still want to protect her? Say one more word, and I’ll throw you out of this house along with her!” Jenna quickly moved to his side, linking her arm through his. “Caden, she was always like this, even at home. Staying out all night… she needs to learn her lesson.” A storm of emotions played across Caden’s face before settling into a cold, detached calm. I was forced to my knees on the cold marble floor. To my horror, I saw that the Astors had even invited a media team. They were live-streaming. “For disgracing the Astor name,” Mrs. Astor declared, her voice ringing with self-righteous fury, “you will be punished publicly!” The first lash of a barbed whip tore across my back. I cried out, curling into a ball on the floor. An image flashed in my mind: my past life, locked in a dark room by my father, and Caden, my Caden, sneaking me food every day, saving me from starvation. The whip fell again. The taste of blood filled my mouth. Another memory: the kidnappers, the torture, my life hanging by a thread. And Caden, the proud, untouchable Caden Astor, willingly crippling himself, breaking his own legs just to see me one last time. Eighty-one lashes. When the final one fell, my body was a canvas of raw, bleeding wounds. I finally succumbed to the darkness. In the hazy fog of unconsciousness, I thought I heard Caden’s voice, calling my name, desperate and pleading. I don’t know how long I was out. I awoke to a symphony of pain. Caden was sitting by my bed, his eyes shot with blood. When he saw my eyes flutter open, he let out a barely audible sigh of relief. “Lara,” he whispered, his voice hoarse. “You’ve been sick. You’ve been asleep for three whole days.” A memory from my past life surfaced. After being locked up by my father, I had collapsed. It was Caden who had begged him to let me out, Caden who had waited outside the hospital until I woke up. The past and present blurred, his concerned gaze seeming so genuine. If he didn't love me, why did he look at me like that? His phone rang, and he immediately stood and walked out of the room. From the silent hallway, I heard the hushed whispers of two maids. “See? I told you the boss prefers Miss Jenna. She just scraped her knee, and he practically booked out the entire hospital for her.” “And look at the one in here. We were practically told to prepare for a funeral, and he didn’t even bother to take her to a doctor.” A bitter smile touched my lips. I swallowed the acrid medicine, the bitterness a perfect match for the taste in my soul. A short while later, a news alert popped up on my phone. A massive brawl had broken out at a local homeless encampment. Several people were dead. Then, my father called. He hadn't called me voluntarily since my mother died. “It’s my sixtieth birthday the day after tomorrow,” he said, his voice void of warmth. “You and Caden will come.” But on the day of the party, Caden was nowhere to be found. I had to go alone. The moment I stepped into the banquet hall, my father’s hand cracked across my face, sending me sprawling to the floor. “Annette! Do you have any humanity left at all?” I looked up, dazed, and saw Caden across the room. He was holding a weeping Jenna, his eyes fixed on me, colder than a winter grave. “Annette,” he said, his voice slicing through the stunned silence. “I married you. I’m allowed to look after your sister. How could you be so jealous that you’d have her mother kidnapped?” “No… it wasn’t me…” I stammered, my head still ringing from the slap. “If it wasn’t you, who was it?” Caden shot back. “Are you suggesting Jenna kidnapped her own mother?” He tossed a phone at my feet. On the screen was a video. It was me, or someone who looked exactly like me, meeting with shady figures. “Caden, that video is fake! I’ve been at the house this whole time…” But he wouldn’t listen. He strode forward, grabbing my chin, his grip like iron. His voice was a low, menacing whisper. “You brought this on yourself, Annette.”
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