On my twenty-first birthday, my grandfather, seeking to solidify our family's business empire in New York City, presented me with the files of the two Sterling heirs. As the sole legal heir to the Ashworth family, it was my duty to choose one for a strategic marriage.

Without a moment's hesitation, I chose Rhys Sterling.

Everyone present was stunned. The clinking of crystal champagne flutes abruptly ceased. A dead silence fell over the ballroom.

After all, everyone in New York's high society knew that Paige, the heiress of the Ashworth family, had been deeply in love with Jasper, the acclaimed eldest son of the Sterling family, for years.

At a recent family dinner, I had even made a fool of myself, publicly declaring to our elders that I would marry no one but Jasper.

In my previous life, I got my wish and married Jasper.

But on the second day of our marriage, he eagerly moved my perpetually-in-distress stepsister, Sabrina Ashworth, into our marital home.

Using "postpartum depression" and "mental instability" as excuses, he bribed my psychiatrist, controlled me with medication, and confined me to a suburban villa while he seized control of the Ashworth family.

Ultimately, I died in a car crash that was meticulously staged to look like an accident.

In this new life, gazing at my unharmed reflection in the mirror, I vowed to stay far away from him. He and Sabrina could have each other for all I cared.

But to my surprise, the moment the engagement was announced, Jasper, the very person I was trying to avoid, lost his composure and publicly opposed the marriage.

...

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1

I hadn't expected to run into Jasper as I was leaving the chairman's office at the Sterling Group headquarters.

He had just finished a major board meeting and was flanked by a group of executives in sharp suits.

The moment they saw me, the group exchanged smirks that quickly turned to taunts. "Chasing Jasper all the way to corporate headquarters now, Paige?" one of them sneered. "If Mr. Ashworth knew his daughter was stooping this low, his blood pressure would probably go through the roof."

Jasper shot me a look of utter annoyance, his tone icy. "What are you doing at the company? What new stunt are you trying to pull to force me into this marriage? Paige, I'm warning you, cut the crap."

I was all too familiar with that look of disgust.

Swallowing the bitter taste in my mouth, I spoke calmly. "Mr. William Sterling invited me to discuss the joint ventures that will follow our families' union. This has nothing to do with you."

As soon as I finished, a wave of murmurs rippled through the crowd. "Joint ventures?"

I knew why they were so shocked.

It was because the founder of the Sterling Group had left an unwritten rule: the marriage partner chosen by the Ashworth daughter would lead the core collaborative projects between the two families.

My statement was a clear signal that the balance of power within the Sterling Group was about to shift.

After the initial shock, they assumed I was either bluffing or that Jasper's victory was a foregone conclusion. One by one, they began to congratulate him.

"It seems we'll be addressing you as CEO before long, Mr. Sterling."

A smug smile spread across Jasper's face, but when he looked at me, his eyes were still filled with scorn.

He used his height to back me into a corner. "Paige, you've chased me for so many years. Now you're finally getting what you want. You must be ecstatic."

He leaned in, his hot breath brushing against my ear as he lowered his voice. "I won't make the same mistake twice, so there's something you must agree to before I agree to marry you."

"After we're married, I'll make Sabrina my special assistant, and she will join the board of directors at the same level as you," he paused, his voice growing deeper. "She has suffered too much at home because of her status. As her sister, you owe her that much."

My heart sank. I stared at him in disbelief.

So, he was reborn too? And even with a second chance, he still wanted to bleed me dry for her sake.

Before I could respond, a delicate voice called out from behind me, "Paige."

It was my stepsister, Sabrina. She approached, her steps fragile and unsteady.

Her face was pale, and Jasper immediately rushed to support her, his voice thick with concern. "Sabrina, why did you come to the office? Didn't the doctor say you need to rest?"

Sabrina theatrically pressed a hand to her forehead, sinking into his embrace as her voice trembled on the verge of tears. "Today's the day Paige is finalizing her engagement. As her sister, how could I not be here to give her my blessing? It's just... my migraine flared up. I hope Paige won't be upset with me."

Hearing this, Jasper shot me a harsh glare. "How can you be so cold-hearted? Must you put so much pressure on Sabrina at a time like this?"

With that, he swept Sabrina into his arms. "Sabrina, let's go to my office. I'll call my private doctor to take a look at you."

Before leaving, he shot one last cold warning over his shoulder. "Paige, you'd better take a good look at yourself. If you keep acting like this, we'll have to reconsider this marriage."

Then, holding Sabrina, he strode away without a backward glance.

Watching his retreating back, a cold smile touched my lips.

Reconsider? Oh, we'll be reconsidering, alright. Except this time, Jasper, you're the one getting thrown out.

At my lavish birthday party, Jasper deliberately arrived late with Sabrina on his arm.

Most of the guests had already departed, leaving only a clique of rich kids who lived for drama, all waiting to see me make a fool of myself.

When they appeared, Sabrina's hair was messy, her eyes dazed, her cheeks flushed. A faint hickey bloomed on her neck.

Jasper, on the other hand, looked smug, a fresh hickey on his own neck displayed for all to see.

Anyone with eyes could tell what the two of them had just been doing. All eyes swiveled to me, waiting for me to explode.

The old me would have knocked over the champagne tower, crying and screaming, demanding to know why.

But now, I simply raised my glass and took a delicate sip.

Jasper had already stepped in front of Sabrina, poised to lecture me the moment I caused a scene. But he was clearly thrown by my nonchalance as I set my glass down, acting as if I hadn't even seen them.

His brow furrowed, a flicker of surprise and annoyance in his eyes. The loss of control made him uneasy.

But then, as if a thought struck him, he laughed. "Paige, are you playing the bigger person because you're afraid I'll call off the engagement? Good. That's the attitude you should have if you want to be Mrs. Sterling. Speaking of which, it's your birthday today."

With that, he pulled a cheap, generic-brand necklace from his pocket. Just as he was about to hand it to me, Sabrina snatched it away.

"Jasper, this pendant is so sparkly," Sabrina cooed.

Jasper immediately beamed. "You like it, Sabrina? Then it's yours."

Sabrina shot me a look of false modesty, though the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curve upward. "Oh, I couldn't. This is your gift for Paige. If I take it, what will she do?"

Jasper glanced at me with disdain. "Her? That's easy."

He casually took a glass of red wine from a passing waiter's tray and poured it directly over my newly award-winning architectural blueprints on the table, his tone contemptuous. "This is for you," he sneered, then turned back to Sabrina with a smile. "Besides, she'd treasure any piece of garbage I give her."

The red wine instantly soaked through the paper, ruining three months of my hard work.

The gossiping crowd around us covered their mouths, snickering and whispering about how pathetic the Ashworth heiress was—a total joke.

Looking at the ruined designs, I didn't break down as he had expected. This kind of humiliation no longer had the power to hurt me.

In the past, I used to constantly beg him for gifts.

He once bought me a cheap plastic bracelet from a street vendor, and I was so happy I wore it every day.

The entire New York high society mocked me, saying I'd treasure anything Jasper gave me, even if it was garbage.

Unwilling to let these two ruin my birthday, I took a deep breath, handed my glass to my assistant, and instructed her quietly, "Claire, have these blueprints sent to a professional restorer. See if they can be salvaged. And get someone to clean up this mess."

My assistant, Claire, understood immediately and called for staff to clean up.

Seeing my indifference, Jasper's face darkened with displeasure.

He pulled Sabrina onto the sofa next to me, and the two of them began to flirt shamelessly, as if no one else was there.

While he was being affectionate with Sabrina, he kept stealing glances at me, monitoring my reaction.

I found the whole display utterly tedious and stood up to leave.

Seeing this, Jasper grabbed my wrist, his grip surprisingly strong. He asked smugly, "What's wrong? Jealous already? Paige, you'd better get used to it. A man like me can't possibly have only you in the future. A woman in your position can't afford to be jealous."

I quickly shook his hand off, wiping the spot he had touched, and said coldly, "Have some self-respect, Mr. Sterling."

He was taken aback, then suddenly burst out laughing. "What kind of game are you playing now? We're about to get engaged. In your heart, you've been mine for ages. Am I not even allowed to touch you anymore?"

I was so angry I could have laughed. If my grandfather hadn't warned me to keep my choice a secret for now, I would have slapped him across the face.

For now, I could only retort, "Jasper, what makes you so sure I chose you?"

He froze for a second, then roared with laughter.

The people around us, as if they could no longer hold it in, joined in.

Jasper laughed so hard that tears came to his eyes. He pointed at me and said, "Paige, stop fooling yourself. Never mind that everyone in New York knows you'd marry no one but me. Just look at the other candidates for the marriage alliance. That playboy is drowning in scandals, that artist is never home—do you want to live like a widow? As for Rhys..."

An expression of extreme contempt crossed his face. "That basket case with severe social anxiety? I heard he trembles just from making eye contact and hides in dark corners all day. You want to marry some freak who can't even leave his own house? So, Paige, you tell me. Who else could you possibly marry besides me?"

Everyone was waiting for the show, curious to see how I would humbly try to salvage the situation.

My grandfather's words flashed through my mind, and I instantly lost the will to argue with him.

It wouldn't be long before everyone knew who I was going to marry anyway.

On the way home, Sabrina and I shared a car.

With no outsiders around, she finally dropped her facade. Glancing at my ruined blueprints, she burst out laughing.

"So what if you become Mrs. Sterling? You'll never have Jasper's heart. You're just a pawn in a business deal."

Seeing her triumphant expression, I thought back to my past life.

To protect the family's reputation, my mother had forced her to marry a run-of-the-mill businessman. Though his family background was average, he doted on her.

She had lived a much more comfortable life than I, the caged bird.

But she wasn't content and even colluded with Jasper to seize the family fortune. People like her only ever love themselves.

In this life, I would never let my mother interfere with her marriage.

I couldn't wait to see what kind of end she and Jasper would meet.

With that thought, I ignored her taunts and said flatly, "Well then, I wish you and Jasper a happily ever after."

She was stunned, her arrogant demeanor vanishing in an instant.

I ignored her and got out of the car.

A few days later, at the Sterling family's charity gala, I accompanied my mother as she socialized.

To escape the throng of young heirs, I found a quiet corner on the terrace to rest.

I never expected to run into Sabrina here.

I'd heard that Jasper had been showering her with all sorts of luxury goods to make up for her getting sick at my party.

Now, she was dripping with jewels, dressed even more ostentatiously than me, the legitimate heiress of the Ashworth family.

Seeing me, she sauntered over, swaying her hips, and cooed in a syrupy voice, "Paige, don't you think my dress is beautiful? Jasper had a designer custom-make it for me. It's a one-of-a-kind, limited edition."

I didn't even bother to look at her, but she was relentless, determined to show off. "Jasper also said that my wedding dress has to be the most extravagant! He promised that mine will be more dazzling and eye-catching than yours!"

Just as I was about to tell her to shut up, my eyes were drawn to a gleam on her wrist, and my heart clenched.

That watch... it was identical to the one-of-a-kind antique Cartier watch my grandmother had left me before she passed away.

My grandmother had cherished that watch; it was engraved with her initials.

It was the only memento she left me, and I kept it locked away in a safe, never even daring to wear it myself.

As I leaned in for a closer look, Sabrina flinched back dramatically, covering her face and letting out a sharp scream. "Paige! What are you doing? I know you're jealous that Jasper pampers me, but you can't just push me!"

The next second, my wrist was seized in a death grip.

A voice that made my skin crawl came from behind me. "Paige, what do you think you're doing?"

Jasper glared at me. "Are you out of your mind again?"

I shook his hand off and stared straight at Sabrina. "Where did you get the watch on your wrist?"

A flash of panic crossed Sabrina's face, and she instinctively tried to hide her hand behind her back. But seeing Jasper by her side, ready to defend her, she immediately drew herself up. "Jasper gave it to me."

"You're lying! That watch was a final gift from my grandmother. It's the only one of its kind in the world, and I could recite the engraving on the back by heart!" I snapped. "Claire, go and get it from her!"

My assistant, Claire, hearing my command, was about to step forward and take the watch from Sabrina's wrist.

To my shock, Jasper, with no regard for his status, shoved her to the ground.

"Who said you could touch Sabrina!"

He was like an enraged bull, pointing a finger at my nose and roaring, "Paige, I can't believe you! You'd stoop so low as to invent such a pathetic lie just to break us up and slander her! Let me make it clear today, I gave this watch to Sabrina with my own two hands!"