My boyfriend’s obsession was to have a kid, but he was infertile—so he tricked his identical twin into getting me pregnant.

I gave myself completely to Rocco that night, fully aware he wasn’t Renzo.

The next morning, I complimented my real boyfriend.

“Babe, you were amazing last night. I’ve never felt that satisfied before!”

His face went completely drained of color like I’d slapped him.

Behind that frozen expression, I saw it—that flicker of something. Guilt? Fear? Jealousy?

“Who do you like better? Your boyfriend in bed last night, or the one making you breakfast right now?”

I wrapped my arms around his and smiled like a lovestruck newlywed.

“I love how gentle you are in the daylight. But... last night?” I giggled. “I really liked that wild version of you!”

——

At the breakfast table, Renzo looked oddly brightened up as he turned to the man sitting beside him.

“Bro, Susie made this coffee herself. You should really try it.”

As he spoke, he pushed a steaming cup of coffee toward his older brother, who had just returned from Norway.

Across the table, I looked up at Rocco.

He was dressed in a black business suit, hair still slightly damp from a morning shower. The crystal chandelier above the dining room cast a soft glow over him, making his features more defined. Handsome didn’t even begin to cover it.

He didn’t say a word. His lips were pressed into a line, his blue eyes unreadable.

And just like that, everything came rushing back—I had been reborn.

In my previous life, Renzo had drugged his brother and tricked him into sleeping with me. He was desperate for me to get pregnant. All because he couldn’t have kids himself.

He needed the baby to win his grandfather’s favor and secure his share of the inheritance.

And it worked. After I got pregnant, he used the child to get sixty percent of the PWL Corp. shares.

But once he had what he wanted, he locked me up in a basement and tormented me day after day like I was useless.

I never understood why—until the day his mistress threw acid in my face and spat out the truth.

The baby wasn’t his.

It was his brother’s.

To him, I was ruined. A walking stain on his perfect image. Just like me, our child was a disgrace. Renzo couldn’t stand the sight of us.

In the end, I set that basement on fire, trapping him and his mistress in the flames.

Renzo, his mistress, and I—none of us made it out alive.

Back at the table, Renzo’s voice broke through my thoughts.

“Come on, bro. Take a sip. Don’t let Susie’s effort go to waste.”

I looked at his overly eager face and suddenly felt sick to my stomach.

That coffee… I obviously made it for him. But here he was, acting like it was some kind of offering for another guy.

In my past life, I thought the brothers were just close.

Now, I could see it for what it really was. A setup. One piece in a bigger plan.

“Really? If she made it herself,” Rocco said after a beat, his eyes locked on mine, “how could I say no?”

He picked up the cup and took a sip.

That was when another memory came flooding back.

I was back in the fire. The smoke, the heat, the pain—and him, tearing through the flames to get to me.

He’d held me tightly, his voice trembling as he whispered, “Susie! Susie! Hang on. I’m here. I’ll get you out!”

But the fire was too strong. None of us made it.

At the very end, when the smoke and heat had nearly taken everything, he was still holding me—his arms wrapped around me as he leaned in close and murmured against my cheek.

“Susie… I love you.”

Back in the present, I didn’t cling to Renzo like I had in my last life.

Instead, I turned to Rocco with a warm smile and said softly, “If you like it, I can make one more cup for you.”

As soon as I offered that, both guys turned their heads to look at me.

Rocco didn’t react much, but Renzo’s expression twitched for a second, like something about my words caught him off guard. Still, he didn’t say anything. Just pressed his lips together and kept quiet.

That night, as I passed by the study after my shower, I noticed a soft, soft light leaking through the cracked door.

Inside, Ciara Illitch—Renzo’s childhood sweetheart—was perched on his desk, tugging playfully at his tie.

“Renzo,” she said with a teasing smirk, “are you seriously gonna let your brother sleep with Susie?”

She let go of the tie and tilted her head. “I mean, I remember how hard you chased after her back then. It hasn’t been that long. You really don’t mind just handing her over?”

Renzo grabbed her waist and leaned in to kiss her. His lips landed right on her bright red mouth.

“You gotta give something up to catch the big prize,” he said with against her mouth.

“I’ve always been second to my brother. If I don’t beat him to it—get a kid first and let Grandpa hold a great-grandchild—then I’ll never matter in his eyes.”

“And anyway,” Renzo said with a smug grin, “I’ve already had a taste of Susie. Honestly? Nothing special. Just average.”

“You, though—” His finger slid down Ciara’s collarbone. “You’re spicy. You give me the thrill.”

Laughter erupted between them, low and dirty. The two practically melted into each other, tangled up in kisses.

I stood frozen just outside the room, my fists clenched tight at my sides.

But I held it down. Going off on him now would be like throwing myself at a brick wall—it would only hurt me.

The Powells were one of the most powerful in Manchester. And me… I was just a broke college student in my third year. Just a nobody.

If Renzo wanted to get rid of me, he could do it as easily as stepping on a bug.

I knew that because he’d already done it once.

In my last life, I tried everything—ran away, begged for help, even called the cops. But nothing worked. I was always dragged right back to him.

So this time, I kept my head down, pressed my back to the wall, and crept down the hallway, back to the bedroom. My feet barely made a sound against the floor.

When I slipped into the room, I could still hear the faint sound of their moaning behind me. My chest tightened.

Renzo had known I was in the shower. And still, he brought Ciara into the study and did that with her.

That alone showed he didn’t see me as his girlfriend. Not even close.

Lying on the bed, I could almost feel the heat of that fire from my past life crawling up my skin again. The agony, the helplessness, the hatred—it came rushing back.

I swallowed hard, shoved the memories down, and grabbed the blow dryer.

After drying my hair, I climbed into bed and turned on my side. My fingers curled into the blanket, my eyes wide open in the dark.

My jaw tightened. I wasn’t going to let this life go the same way. I’d find a way out—whatever it took.

Minutes passed. Then I heard footsteps stumbling in the hallway, slow and heavy.

“Hey, hey. Hey—wrong room, bro. It’s this one,” Renzo’s voice said with a laugh.

Soon, the door creaked open. I kept my back to the door, pretending to sleep, even as I heard Renzo guide a clearly drunk Rocco into the room.

The door creaked open. Footsteps stopped just inside.

There was a pause—long enough to make my skin crawl—then the sound of Renzo’s low, satisfied exhale.

I didn’t need to see his face to know he was pleased. Maybe it was the empty glass on the nightstand, or the sight of me curled tightly under the blanket, playing my part.

Then came his voice, smug and casual. “This is your room, bro. Now, get some sleep.”

I felt the mattress shift as Rocco dropped down beside me. A clean, bitter-orange scent filled the air—his cologne, faint and unfamiliar.

The door clicked shut behind Renzo as he left, careful not to make a sound.

But the next second, something was off.

The man beside me suddenly sat upright. His back was straight, his eyes fixed on the ceiling like he was wide awake.

My eyes narrowed. ‘Didn’t he drink the whole cup of coffee? Shouldn’t he be knocked out by now?’

That thought startled me, so I sat up like he’d woken me.

“Renzo?” I mumbled sleepily, rubbing my eyes. “Why’d you come in so late?”

Rocco turned his head slowly to look at me. Moonlight filtered through the window, lighting up his face.

His eyes were cold, sharp—and something else I couldn’t quite place.

I scooted closer and wrapped my arms around him. “You weren’t here, and I got scared… I had this horrible nightmare,” I said softly, pressing my cheek to his shoulder.

He stiffened in my embrace but didn’t move away.

I watched his face carefully. ‘He doesn’t look dazed or drugged at all. So he’s faking it? He knows what’s going on. Then why go along with it?’

I contemplated, ‘Does he… Does he actually like me? Besides, back in my last life, he died with me. Voluntarily.’

I couldn’t be sure what he felt now, but I knew one thing—I had to hold onto whatever this was. It might be the only shot I had at surviving.

Leaning in, I brushed my lips against the corner of his mouth.

“Renzo… I want you,” I whispered.

I caught his eyes flickering.

Then he grabbed my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze. His voice dropped, low and dangerous. “What did you just call me?”

I blinked my round almond-shaped eyes, pretending not to understand. “What? I called you… Renzo?”

His brows drew together.

“Call me babe,” he said.

I froze. “What?”

I could feel my face flush instantly.

He leaned in closer, his teeth grazing my lower lip. “Be good,” he murmured, “Call me babe, and I’ll give you what you want.”

I bit my lip, then lowered my head. Like a good girl, I whispered, “B-Babe.”

In that instant, it was like a match had been struck.

He crushed his mouth against mine, kissing me hard, almost like he was angry. His hand slipped around my waist and yanked me down onto the mattress.

His lips moved fast and rough, trailing heat down my neck as his fingers fumbled with the buttons of my pajamas, popping them open one by one.

His hand slid up along my side, warm and demanding.

He’d just gotten back from Norway, barely around during the day.

We’d only seen each other maybe three times.

I still had no idea why he’d fallen for me in our past life.

But the fact that he took the coffee without any reaction this time?

That alone told me—things were already playing out differently.

‘Unless… he’s been reborn too?’

The thought popped into my head out of nowhere, and before I could fully process it, Rocco had already hit his limit.

His jaw was clenched so tight that I could imagine the veins on his forehead bulging. His eyes were bloodshot, blazing red with desire. But even then, there was still a trace of clarity in his gaze. He was fighting it.

He ground his teeth and looked at me. “Susie, actually… I’m—”

And right then, I knew. He really had been reborn.

‘Perfect. That’ll make my revenge so much easier.’

So I didn’t let him finish. Instead, I slipped my arms around his neck and kissed him first.

Whatever self-control he had left vanished instantly.

He kissed me back, hard—wild, fevered, and utterly dominant.

Again and again and again…

The last round ended in the bathroom, with my back against the wall.

He had one hand under my thighs, holding me up, and I had both arms wrapped tightly around his waist.

But the bastard was teasing me—on purpose—not going in.

I let out a frustrated breath, leaned in, and gave his Adam’s apple a playful but urgent bite.

“Come on already…”

He let out a quiet chuckle, his voice husky as he slid a hand up the back of my head. “Say it again.”

“R-Renzo…”

“Wrong name!”

Just like that, he thrust into me—hard. Like punishment.

“Ah…”

My whole body curled into his as a tremble shot through me.

“Call me babe,” he growled low in my ear, his voice rough and magnetic, like it was pulling me under.

I bit down on the back of my hand and whimpered, “Babe. Babe… Babe…”

The third time I said it, something in him snapped.

He lost control completely.

He moved like a man possessed. My body went soft in his arms, like a fish out of water—lips parted, gasping, barely able to breathe.

By the time I woke up, it was still dark out.

But Rocco… He was already gone.

I slipped on my pajama robe and padded out of the bedroom quietly.

Sure enough, there was light coming from the study.

I leaned against the wall and peeked through the crack of the door.

Rocco was lounging lazily on the couch in the sitting area while Renzo stood across from him, fuming.

“Bro, how the hell could you go into the wrong room?”

He was livid—face flushed, voice shaking.

“Do you have any idea? Susie is the woman I love most in this world!”

Rocco just crossed his legs, lit a cigarette, and gave him a slow sideways glance.

“Really? I had no idea.” He blew out a lazy puff of smoke before adding, “Didn’t you just sneak out of the guest bedroom downstairs? Out of Ciara’s bed?”

Renzo flared up instantly. “That was… That was her! Ciara tempted me!”

Rocco gave a cold laugh. “Too late for excuses. So what do you want now?”

Renzo’s tone shifted immediately. He stole a glance at his brother’s face and changed tactics.

“I mean, it’s just a woman, right? No big deal. If you like her, I don’t mind stepping back for a bit. You can play around with her.”

“But,” he added casually, like he hadn’t just called me a toy, “you know that Project Shoreline—Grandpa gave it to you the moment you came back. I’ve been managing it all this time. I’d really like to keep it.”

Rocco smirked, like he’d been waiting for him to say that.

“Sure,” he said easily. “I’ll talk to Grandpa tomorrow. Tell him you’ll stay in charge of that project.”

He paused, his tone light but sharp. “Just remember—you take full responsibility. Profit or loss, it’s all on you.”

Renzo agreed immediately. He looked like he’d just won the lottery.

As soon as Rocco stood up, I turned around and dashed back to the bedroom. I dove under the covers, shut my eyes, and pretended to be fast asleep.

The next time I woke up, it was already noon.

Still in my camisole, I made my way downstairs.

The moment I reached the corner, I spotted Renzo sitting at the dining table.

My footsteps froze.

I stared hard at the back of his head, unable to look away.

Almost like he could feel it, he turned and looked straight at me.