After my sister fell into the lake, she became a completely different person. She kept babbling every single day about how she was "the Chosen Female Lead" of some destined romance novel. She believed her sole purpose in life was to save a tragic, broken male lead. And she was willing to sacrifice our family’s entire fortune, and even our lives, just to end up with him. In my past life, as we stood before the cold corpses of our parents, I shook her shoulders and screamed, asking why she had ruined us. She answered by driving a knife straight into my chest. Cowering behind her tragic lover, she smiled at me with fake pity. "I’m sorry, Serena. Our family owed Logan. He is the fated male lead, and I am the selfless female lead who has to sacrifice everything for true love." When I opened my eyes again, I was back in our childhood. We were at the foster home, and our parents were letting us choose a boy to bring home as a companion. Just like in my previous life, Chloe pointed at Logan Vance, who was standing a few feet away with a predatory look in his eyes. She cried and threw a tantrum, begging our parents to adopt him. The next second, I stepped forward and kicked Logan right in the ribs, sending him face-first onto the dusty floor. I let out a cold laugh and looked at Chloe. "If we’re choosing someone to protect us, we should pick someone who isn’t a total weakling. I don't want this scrawny loser." With that, I pointed my finger toward a dark, brooding boy sitting quietly in the far corner. "We’re taking him."
When I opened my eyes again, I stared at my tiny hands and feet in absolute disbelief. I had actually reincarnated! The sharp, phantom pain of a knife piercing my heart still lingered in my chest. Still half-dazed, Mom took my hand and helped me out of the car. Our car was parked in front of the private youth care home. Word had gotten out that Robert Miller, the billionaire tycoon, was coming to pick a child to sponsor. The director, Mrs. Gable, had been waiting at the entrance with her staff since early morning. Anxiously, I squeezed Mom's hand. She looked down at me and gave me a warm, gentle smile, which instantly put my racing heart at ease. It seemed even God couldn't stand the injustice. He had actually given me a second chance to start over. Thinking of the monster who had destroyed my family in my past life, my expression hardened. I turned around to look at my younger sister, Chloe. Chloe was a year younger than me, but right now, she looked strangely mature. Standing with her hands clasped behind her back, she looked down her nose at the facility director, treating everyone like they were beneath her. In my past life, I hadn't paid much attention to this. I had simply thought Chloe was mature for her age. Now, a cold sweat broke out across my back. She had been acting weird even back then. Dad was still trying to reason with her, looking highly conflicted. "Chloe, sweetie... you already have Serena. Why are you so obsessed with getting a brother?" Chloe’s small eyes darted over to me, and she let out a loud, mocking snort. "I don't want a useless, childish sister like Serena! I want a brother! I want a brother right now!" Watching Chloe throw a temper tantrum, Mom and Dad exchanged a helpless, weary look, then glanced down at me. Oh, so that’s how we’re playing this? In my past life, I had always listened to my parents and put my sister first. Naturally, I hadn't said a word, letting Chloe bring Logan back to our house. But in this life, since you want to act mature and throw tantrums, I’m going to play the fragile, innocent victim. As Mom and Dad looked at me, my eyes welled with tears. I squeezed them back, pretending to be brave. "It's okay, Mom, Dad. I've always been a bit slow and clumsy. It’s okay if Chloe doesn’t like me. Maybe... maybe I'm just not good enough to be her sister..." My voice was soft and trembling, the perfect picture of an innocent, hurt child. Compared to Chloe's bratty behavior, my parents instantly felt a wave of deep pity and affection for me. Mom knelt down and gently kissed my cheek. "Don't cry, Serena. Chloe didn't mean it. Tell you what—since she wants a brother so badly, how about you be the one to choose him?" "No way!" Chloe shrieked immediately. "He's going to be my brother! I should be the one to choose!" Before she could finish her tantrum, Dad gave her backside a firm, warning pat. "Who taught you to be so selfish? Apologize to Serena right now!" Chloe puckered her lips, her eyes instantly filling with tears. Unlike me, who possessed the soul of an adult, she might have awakened some memories, but she was still ultimately a child. To get what she wanted, she had to play along. She walked over with a fake pout and grabbed my hand. "I'm sorry, Serena." I gave her a tight, joyless smile and squeezed her hand back with every ounce of strength I had in my little fingers. Seeing us "reconcile," my parents' expressions softened, and they followed the director inside. As we walked, Chloe leaned in close, whispering in my ear, "Serena, you love me the most, right? When we go in, whichever boy I point to, you have to tell Mom and Dad to pick him, okay?" I ignored her completely, letting her stew in her own anger. Instead, I skipped ahead happily and held my parents' hands. Dad looked down, smiling as he pinched my nose. "Why are you so clingy today, Serena?" My eyes stung. I looked at my wonderful parents. In my past life, they were brutally killed by the hands of their own spoiled younger daughter. How much pain they must have felt. But it didn't matter now. In this life, I would protect this family. I would make sure that ungrateful wretch Chloe and that bastard Logan rotted in the mud together. Forever.
The director led us into a private office. Inside stood a few young boys whom Mrs. Gable had personally selected. They were all handsome, polite, and looked eager to please. My eyes instantly locked onto Logan Vance, who was standing right in the middle. Ha. Even at this young age, he already knew how to play the game. He had dressed himself perfectly to look fragile and pitiable, yet his eyes held a strange, calculated intensity. If I hadn't died once because of him, I probably would have been fooled by his innocent act too. Unsurprisingly, the moment we stepped into the room, Chloe gripped my hand tightly. "Serena! Serena! Him! Tell them we want him!" Chloe’s eyes practically lit up the moment she saw Logan. She was absolutely certain that this was the "Chosen Male Lead" of her dreams. She pulled my arm hard. But my gaze bypassed Logan entirely, landing straight on a boy sitting quietly in the far corner. Ah. Found him. Tristan Thorne. The future "villain" in Chloe and Logan’s eyes once they reached adulthood. Tristan was a genius. In my past life, his business empire rose so fast that it completely crushed the Miller family's declining assets. I shook off Chloe's hand and pointed directly at young Tristan. "Mom! Dad! I want him!" Predictably, Chloe lost her mind. "No! I don't want him! I want Logan!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, completely failing to notice how our parents' expressions instantly darkened. This was the very first time we were meeting these boys. How on earth did Chloe know Logan's name? Of course, Mom and Dad wouldn't suspect their own young daughter of anything sinister. Instead, their sharp, suspicious gazes fell directly on Logan, who suddenly looked very uncomfortable. To them, it looked like this boy had somehow manipulated their little girl beforehand, making her throw tantrums just to get him adopted. I almost laughed out loud. Even Chloe didn't notice that in her moment of sheer stupidity, Logan shot her a murderous glare. If looks could kill, she would have been dead right there. As Chloe kept screaming and crying, Mom and Dad flatly refused to accept Logan—a boy who clearly seemed too manipulative and untrustworthy. Eventually, fed up with the noise, I walked right up to Logan and kicked him as hard as I could. Caught completely off guard, Logan—who was two years older than me—tumbled onto the floor with a pathetic thud. The office fell into a dead, bizarre silence. Only Tristan, sitting in the corner, let out a soft, amused scoff. I turned back to my parents with a completely innocent face. "Mom, Dad, I think if we're getting a brother, he needs to be strong enough to protect us. This guy is a total weakling. I don't want him." I pointed at Tristan, who was currently watching the drama play out with a smirk. "I want him! He looks tough!" The smirk on Tristan's face vanished instantly. Perhaps he didn't understand why a girl like me would choose a troublemaker like him at first glance. He looked rough around the edges, and my parents looked highly skeptical. But I was the only one who noticed Tristan's fist, resting at his side, slowly clenching. He was nervous. And he was hoping to be chosen. In the end, Tristan was brought home as the companion I had personally selected. What was interesting was that the moment we stepped out of the facility, Tristan completely shed his rough, rebellious attitude. He became incredibly quiet and well-behaved, keeping his eyes glued to my hand, which was holding his. His long eyelashes fluttered slightly as he stared down at our joined hands. He looked remarkably handsome. "Why did you choose me?" Chloe was throwing a massive fit back in the director's office because things hadn't gone according to her plan. While our parents were busy calming her down, I had slipped out with Tristan. As we got into the back of the car, Tristan asked me that very question. I just stared at him.
I had so many things I wanted to say. Like, "I know you're going to help me in the future." Or, "Because I want to use you." But in the end, I decided to play the part of an innocent little girl. I flashed him a bright, sweet smile. "Because I like you, Tristan." Tristan stiffened, his ears turning a bright, crimson red beneath his dark hair. He had probably expected me to say I only chose him to spite my annoying sister. He never expected an answer like that. Those dark, dead eyes of his suddenly rippled with a wave of raw emotion—shock, confusion, and deep gratitude. He tried to pull his cold, trembling hand away, but I gripped it even tighter. "Since you're coming with me, you are my protector now. You can only care about me, okay?" Tristan didn't seem to care about how strange my words sounded for a child. He nodded immediately. "You got me out of that hellhole. I’ll protect you for the rest of my life." Wow. Hearing a future billionaire boss make a promise like that instantly made me feel like a massive weight had been lifted off my shoulders. After what felt like forever, Mom and Dad finally walked out of the building. Chloe followed behind them, a smug grin plastered across her face. Because she was holding Logan’s hand! They walked up to the car, and Chloe immediately gloated, "See? You didn't want him, but I do!" Tristan's grip on my hand tightened instantly. My heart sank. What did this mean? Did Mom and Dad actually give in to her?
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