I fell in love with a man I should never have touched—my brother-in-law, Lucas Zahn.

The first time he came to our home with my sister, Quincy, they looked like the perfect couple. He smiled at me, held out a peace talisman bracelet, and said it would keep me safe. I wore it like it was the most precious thing in the world.

When the old injury in my ankle flared up, he would scoop me into his arms and rush me to the hospital without a second thought.

When thugs tried to harass me, he made them scatter with a single look, then spoke to me in a voice so gentle it made my heart tremble.

I told myself I understood—that everything he did was only because I was Quincy’s younger sister.

Even so, I clung to those rare moments when I could be near him.

Until the night Lucas was drugged by an enemy, his life teetering on the edge. If no one acted, he would die.

So, I acted.

On that reckless, desperate night, my sister walked in. The sight struck her like a lightning bolt, and she collapsed, her weak heart seizing on the spot.

What came next was madness. In a frenzy of rage and panic, Lucas tied me to an operating table. His hands—those hands I once longed to hold—cut open my chest and tore my heart out for her.

“When the avalanche hit, Quincy nearly died saving me. I swore I’d treat her well for the rest of my life. That means loving her family, too. I never thought you’d be so shameless.

“This is what you owe her!”

He never knew that I was the one who saved him in that avalanche.

So, I died in agony, my love carved out of me—literally.

When my eyes opened again, I found myself back on the night he was drunk.

I fell in love with a man I should never have touched—my brother-in-law, Lucas Zahn.

The first time he came to our home with my sister, Quincy Stone, they looked like the perfect couple. He smiled at me, held out a peace talisman bracelet, and said it would keep me safe.

I wore it like it was the most precious thing in the world.

When the old injury in my ankle flared up, he would scoop me into his arms and rush me to the hospital without a second thought.

When thugs tried to harass me, he made them scatter with a single look, then spoke to me in a voice so gentle it made my heart tremble.

I told myself I understood—that everything he did was only because I was Quincy’s younger sister.

Even so, I clung to those rare moments when I could be near him.

Until the night Lucas was drugged by an enemy, his life teetering on the edge. If no one acted, he would die.

So, I acted.

On that reckless, desperate night, my sister walked in. The sight struck her like a lightning bolt, and she collapsed, her weak heart seizing on the spot.

What came next was madness.

In a frenzy of rage and panic, Lucas tied me to an operating table. His hands—those hands I once longed to hold—cut open my chest and tore my heart out for her.

I sobbed and begged him to let me live. He shoved my hands away like they were filth.

“When the avalanche hit, Quincy nearly died saving me. I swore I’d treat her well for the rest of my life. That means loving her family, too. I never thought you’d be so shameless.

“If you hadn’t drugged me and forced yourself on me, she wouldn’t have relapsed!

“This is what you owe her!”

So that was what I was to him—cheap and vile.

He never knew that in that avalanche, the one who saved him… was me.

So I died in agony, my love carved out of me—literally.

When my eyes opened again, I found myself back on the night he was drunk.

…

The heat of his breath wrapped around me.

His lips brushed my collarbone, his hand sliding forward to yank down my strap.

I stared at the face I had once loved beyond reason, unable to tell if this was past or present.

Then he murmured in a daze, “Quincy…”

Ice shot through my veins. I shoved him away with every shred of strength I had.

I threw on my clothes with shaking hands, bolted for the door—and ran straight into Quincy.

She froze at the sight of me, then gripped my shoulders so hard I thought she might bruise me.

“Layla, why were you in Lucas’s room? H-how could you seduce my man?”

Her eyes brimmed with tears, her voice trembling with hurt.

I knew that act well. Born with a weak heart, Quincy had perfected the art of cloaking poison in fragility.

At five, she smashed our father’s favorite vase and pinned it on me, leaving me without dinner.

At ten, she promised to buy me a gift, then shoved me into a ditch. I almost drowned.

At twenty, she stole the credit for saving him, then twisted our parents’ love into a weapon—convincing them to threaten their own lives if Lucas refused to marry her.

In the end, the man I loved most cut my heart from my chest, and I died never having been saved.

This time, I wouldn’t make the same mistakes.

I forced a smile, dug my nails into my palm until it hurt, and said evenly, “You’ve misunderstood, Quincy. He needs you right now. You should go in.”

She blinked, startled, but didn’t question me.

Moments later, faint, broken moans drifted out from the bedroom.

I sank against the wall, the memory of that snow-buried mountain and his final betrayal crashing into me like an avalanche.

I bit down hard on my lip, tasting blood, to keep from making a sound.

When the noises faded, I stood and walked away.

Fine, Lucas. In this life, I’d saved you once on that mountain. Only once.

We had nothing to do with each other any more.

I steadied my steps, though my heart ached with every beat, and returned to my room.

Pulling out my phone, I called the head of the nature reserve.

“I’m willing to take a position at the Snow Mountain Wildlife Protection Zone. I’ll spend the rest of my life safeguarding its endangered species.”

“That’s wonderful. We’ve been looking for someone with your knowledge of the terrain. How soon can you start?”

“In three days.”

Lucas and Quincy slept straight through to noon.

My parents exchanged knowing glances toward the tightly shut bedroom door.

“Ah, young people have energy to spare,” my father chuckled. “But they really ought to pace themselves.”

The serving dish in my hands trembled. The porcelain slipped through my fingers and shattered across the floor.

Mother’s brows drew together in irritation. Then, as if remembering something, she sighed. “Layla, I know you blame us. But Quincy… she’s not like you. Without this strange twist of fate, how many men would truly be willing to care for her for a lifetime? You still have so many years ahead of you…”

I didn’t answer. I crouched and gathered the jagged shards, sweeping them into my palm.

The bedroom door opened. Lucas stepped out, his collar loose, faint kiss marks trailing along his skin. I froze. A shard bit into my finger, and blood welled bright red.

A flicker of disgust crossed his eyes.

Once, I used every little injury as an excuse to draw his attention. At first, he would fuss over me, tending to every scrape. That changed the day I tested the waters and confessed.

From then on, all that remained in his gaze was contempt.

I pressed a tissue to my finger, brushed past him, and dug out a bandage from the medicine kit.

Lucas called out, “Wait.”

I turned. His gaze was locked on my wrist.

The bracelet that had never left my side now lay somewhere in the flower bed outside, where I’d thrown it last night.

I gave him a polite smile. “Lucas, is there something you need?”

His eyes flickered. I had never spoken to him in such a cold tone before.

In my most reckless days, I brushed my ankle against his leg under the dinner table. Later, he cornered me by the sink, spitting that I was shameless.

I’d laughed and asked how he could be so angry if he truly felt nothing. I laughed until I cried.

Back then, I still hoped he’d see me for who I was. He never did. Not once did he doubt Quincy. His love for her was absolute.

He stayed silent, and I had no patience to linger. I turned and walked away.

He didn’t even ask if my finger hurt.

I told my advisor, a man pushing fifty, that I was taking a leave of absence. He frowned, puzzled.

“I’d been planning to keep you on for research, but Mr. Zahn went so far as to invite the renowned geologist Mr. Shaw to be your doctoral supervisor. All you had to do was wait six months. Why the sudden change of heart?”

I blinked. “You mean Lucas?”

“Of course. I know he’ll be your brother-in-law. He really treats you well. Your sister is a lucky woman.”

Yes. Very lucky. Lucky enough that he could extend affection even to someone he despised—just to please her.

A bitter taste spread in my mouth.

“My sister is lucky indeed. But I’ve decided to join the Snow Mountain Wildlife Protection Project. I want the reality of fieldwork over theory. My mind’s made up, Professor. Please approve it. I’ll speak to my family myself.”

He studied me for a long moment, then sighed. “All right. If that’s your decision, I won’t stop you. You’ll always be welcome back.”

After the paperwork, I ran into my junior, Landon. He chatted about his research breakthroughs and the bonus the professor had given him.

Before we parted, he said, “We’ll see each other again someday.”

I didn’t answer.

In the evening, a car pulled up beside me. Inside were Lucas and Quincy.

Once I got in, Quincy smiled knowingly. “Layla, so that’s where you’ve been hiding all afternoon. Busy with a date, huh?”

Lucas caught my gaze in the rearview mirror. “Most campus romances don’t last,” he said sharply. “They spend all day mooning over each other, then break up after graduation. It’s a waste of time and energy. Layla, even if you’re upset, don’t get involved with some shady guy just to make a point.”

In his mind, I was still sulking because he’d marry my sister.

The words stuck in my throat. I turned to the window and stayed silent.

Quincy’s eyes lit with an idea. “Oh, silly me, I nearly forgot. I’ve already gotten engaged, so it’s time for Layla to start looking. I’m going to a gathering tonight, and it’s going to be full of heirs and young business elites. Why don’t you come? If you don’t meet someone you like, at least you’ll make some friends.”

So that was why they stayed out so late. They were attending one social gathering after another.

Lucas’s expression was dark as a storm cloud, but he said nothing.

I didn’t want to ruin the last two days before I left by turning things into a fight, so I simply nodded.

At dinner, Quincy tapped my shoulder, her smile bright and calculating, and made sure every man present knew I was single.

One by one, they raised their glasses to me, joking that I’d have to “look after” them in the days ahead.

Glass after glass went down. My stomach churned until I thought I might be sick. Covering my mouth, I slipped toward the restroom.

One of the men who’d been most eager with his toasts followed. An arm snaked around my waist, his breath hot against my ear before his teeth grazed my skin.

“Layla, why didn’t you drink a few more with me?”

Weakly, I tried to push him away, but he continued to press against me and murmured, “That’s naughty of you. Now, how should I punish you?”

The hallway swam before my eyes. My limbs refused to cooperate, no matter how I struggled.

Through the haze came a muffled grunt—and then I was pulled into a familiar embrace.

I tilted my head up to find Lucas’s face, his eyes burning with fury.

His hand clamped around my arm, and in the next instant, he shoved me hard against the wall.

Pain exploded across my back as he stepped in close, his shadow swallowing mine.

“Layla, can you not survive without a man?”

It was the first time Lucas had ever come this close to me willingly.

Alcohol dulled my fear, leaving only a bitter kind of amusement. I laughed.

“Lucas, I’ve done exactly what you wanted. I’ve kept my distance. So why are you still so angry?”

Lucas’s jaw tightened, his fingers digging into my cheek.

“What I wanted was for you to focus on your own life, not throw yourself away like this.”

We were close—so close I could see the faint tremble of his lashes and the reflection of myself in his eyes.

Pain flared where his grip pressed into my skin until my eyes watered.

He froze at the sight of my tears and abruptly let go.

The space between us widened again.

I rubbed my shoulder, listening as his voice turned cold and precise.

“I don’t know how things ended up like this between us, but I need to make one thing clear.

“From the moment your sister saved my life, I decided I would love only her for the rest of my days.”

He drew in a slow breath, each word deliberate.

“I expect you not to cause a scene at tomorrow’s wedding.”

…

At the wedding venue, giant LED screens blazed with the proposal video on an endless loop.

A red carpet ran between rows of roses in full bloom. Guests drifted past, clinking glasses with Lucas.

He smiled, warm-eyed, his fingers laced tightly with Quincy’s.

When the emcee asked him to share their love story, Lucas’s voice carried warmly across the hall.

“Our first meeting was on the day of the avalanche.”

Quincy’s expression twitched ever so slightly, but he didn’t notice.

“I thought I would die on that mountain, but Quincy carried me to safety. Because of me, she can never again take part in the extreme sports she loved.”

His voice thickened. “From that moment, I swore to spend my life repaying that debt.”

It was the sort of speech meant to move people to tears, yet my parents’ faces—and Quincy’s—were stiff and unmoved.

“And now,” the emcee beamed, “I invite you to exchange rings.”

Keeping my gaze low to avoid Quincy’s venomous stare, I stepped forward with the ring box.

The moment I flipped it open, I froze—the rings were gone.

My mind went blank.

Quincy’s voice broke the silence first.

“Where are the rings?”

Her tone was gentle, but the steel beneath it was unmistakable.

“Did you hide them?”

Then she sighed in mock helplessness. “I know you have feelings for Lucas and never wanted to accept our relationship. But you’re not a child anymore. You can’t throw a tantrum on a day like this.”