"Anton's wife? You're so naive, Yukio. Let me tell you the truth: there is no secret location. I brought you here to bury you under a rockslide. As long as you and that brat in your belly disappear, Anton will finally be mine."

A cold dread washed over me.

I clawed my way up the side of the pit, only for another cascade of falling debris to send me sliding back down.

As I struggled, Sloane's wild laughter from above attracted the attention of park rangers on patrol nearby.

A flicker of panic crossed her face. She scrambled away, deeper into the forest, nearly stumbling in her haste.

She clung to a tree trunk for support, glancing back in terror. But no one else saw her disheveled panic. Only me.

By then, I was hopelessly trapped.

Eventually, battered, bruised, and utterly spent, my strength gave out. I collapsed at the bottom of the pit.

Fortunately, a thick carpet of decaying leaves cushioned my fall and saved my life.

In my previous life, the first thing I did after waking up was use my satellite phone to frantically call Anton for rescue. At the same time, a hysterical Sloane had also called him.

Back then, Anton chose me. But afterward, he pinned all the blame for Sloane's death on me.

He accused me of luring her to that cliff. No matter how I explained, he refused to believe me.

So this time, I didn't make the call.

I gritted my teeth against the pain, fashioned a crude splint for my fractured leg, and used my professional knowledge to find a way out.

This time, I wouldn't ask for Anton's help; I wanted nothing more to do with him.

But even with the memories of my past life, escaping was hell.

The fracture was severe, and my hasty splint did little to dull the excruciating pain with every movement.

I could feel my strength seeping away, my consciousness starting to fray at the edges.

The sky was darkening. A thick, disorienting fog began to rise from the damp ground, swallowing the landscape.

Weakness, hypothermia, getting lost—any one of them could be a death sentence for my baby.

I had no choice. I pulled out my satellite phone and called the park administration.

"This is Yukio Prescott. I've fallen down a cliff. I'm seriously injured and lost. I need help."

I never expected the park administration to transfer my call to the Vance Group's head of security, who oversaw this area. And, of course, Anton was right there with him. After my desperate plea echoed from the phone, I heard his cold, mocking laugh.

"Yukio, drop the act. You're a top-tier landscape architect; you don't get lost. I know you're fine, so find a place to rest. As for Sloane—the woman you deliberately led to a cliff's edge—I'm sending the helicopter for her first. Then, I'll send someone to deal with you."

With that, he hung up.

I froze, my mind going utterly blank.

In my previous life, Anton had chosen me without a second thought. He'd never spoken to me with such cruelty.

But this time, he was choosing to save Sloane.

There was only one possible explanation: Anton had been reborn, too.

In this life, his choice was Sloane.

The distant roar of a predator snapped me back to reality.

I couldn't wait for a rescue that would never arrive. I had to save myself.

I forced myself forward, dragging my broken leg. Every movement sent waves of agony up my spine, and I knew the bloody trail I left behind was an open invitation to the predators lurking in the wilderness.

Their howls and growls echoed around me, a chorus promising a violent end.

Finally, my exhausted body gave out, and I collapsed.

Despair washed over me. My child and I were going to die here.

"Ma'am! What are you doing out here?!" a familiar voice shouted.

I looked up. Through the dense fog, several men in uniform were striding toward me. A surge of relief, sharp and overwhelming, shot through me.

They were Anton's security team!

"Oh, thank God! I'm so glad to see you. I'm badly injured, please, take me back to the city!"

The men exchanged an uneasy look.

"Ma'am, Mr. Vance ordered us to get Miss Sloane. She's waiting in a cabin up ahead."

I stared at them, my voice trembling. "So, you're not going to save me?"

They hesitated, looking uncomfortable.

Just then, a walkie-talkie on one man's belt crackled to life. It was Anton.