On the day of my perfume sampling, the place was packed with socialites.

Aurelio sauntered in, fashionably late, with Maeve on his arm. Her cheeks were flushed, and there was a lipstick smear on Aurelio's collar that definitely wasn't his.

Anyone could tell what they'd just been doing.

If this had been before, I would've fallen apart. I would've marched over, torn off their pretty little masks, and demanded to know why they had to do that to me.

He was the man I loved, and she was my stepsister. Did my dignity mean nothing to them?

Now, I just let my gaze slide over them, cool and steady. Then, I turned back to my guests and kept the conversation going as if nothing had happened.

Aurelio noticed my gaze pause on the two of them, and, on instinct, eased Maeve behind him. He waited a long beat, but the meltdown he expected never came. Annoyance flickered across his face.

He forced a scornful smile. "Wanda, you're not putting on this little 'tolerant' act because you're afraid I'll back out of marrying you, are you? Works for me. After all, I'm the future Don of the Guerra family.

"I can't be tied to just one woman. There will be plenty more around me. You behaved yourself today, so I'll give you a small reward."

As he spoke, he took a beautifully wrapped gift box from one of his men.

He was about to hand it over when Maeve jumped in. "It smells amazing! Isn't this Phantome's new limited release, 'Enthrall'? I heard they used a special synthetic musk."

Aurelio pulled it back. "Mae, you like it? Then it's yours."

Maeve wore a conflicted expression. "I really shouldn't. It's for Wanda. How could I take it from her?"

But her eyes flicked my way. She was openly gloating.

"It's fine. Take it. As for her, I'll pick up something for her later. She'll treat anything from me like a treasure."

That line landed like a slap, drawing a ripple of stifled snickers around us.

Old, dusty memories surged up and knocked me off balance for a second. I really had been that woman once. I had treated everything he gave me like treasure.

Once, I gave him a perfume I'd spent months crafting as a gift. Later, I found it in the club restroom, being used as an air freshener.

He caught me looking at it and spat, "What you make is only good for this."

All my work and all my love were trampled upon, and the room started to spin.

When Don Guerra found out, he was so furious he nearly brought the full weight of family discipline down on Aurelio. "You worthless brat! How dare you trash someone's heart like that?"

Aurelio just shrugged and later told the story to his men like a joke. After that, I became the punchline, a woman who thought too highly of herself.

Just thinking about it made everything taste flat and dull.

I slipped a small perfume vial out of my clutch. "Mr. Guerra, your gift is too generous. I can't accept it. Why don't you try the blend I'm showcasing today, as a warm-up for the sampling?"

I pressed the atomizer. Cool, clean, deeply layered woody notes unfurled and drifted through the room. Even the most ruthless killer would have felt a moment of peace.

The scent from the store-bought perfume in Aurelio's hand disappeared without a trace. His face darkened.

"Stop acting like you're above it all. Do you think this changes anything? Weren't you the one who couldn't live without me? We're going to be stuck together anyway. Who are you putting on a show for?"

"Who said I can't live without you?" I shot back.

The room went dead quiet, then the chatter roared back even louder.

"Then who are you planning on marrying? Everyone knows you're in love with me. Could you really settle for anyone else? Besides me, the only single person in our family is Cesare.

"But his face was scarred in the fire. He wears a mask all day like a freak and doesn't even have the nerve to show his face. You want to spend your life married to a shadow?"

Every pair of eyes in the room turned to me, waiting for my answer.

Just then, a figure stepped out of the shadows on the second-floor landing and came down the stairs.

He wore a silver mask that hid half his face. He was tall, and his shoulders were squared. He had a quiet but commanding presence.

It was the eldest Guerra heir, Cesare Guerra.

The crowd stirred again. A low murmur of curiosity rippled through the room.

I was about to say I'd chosen to marry Cesare when Don Guerra's warning rang in my head.

"I'll back you if that's what you want, but keep it quiet for now. The Guerras run deep. Tip your hand too soon, and you'll only invite trouble."

I hesitated and held my tongue.

Cesare's steps faltered. Behind the mask, a shadow flickered in his eyes.

I understood Don Guerra's concern. Inside the Guerras, factions filled every corner. Everyone kept their eyes on the family fortune that would shape the future.

I stopped trading barbs with Aurelio and let the harsh chatter swallow me. I turned and walked the other way.

…

On the way back, Maeve rode with me.

She pulled out the bottle of "Enthrall" with a flourish. "Don't you like this scent, Wanda? I think it's special. Lio says it's all about passion and a wild streak."

Then she gave it a deliberate spritz in the cramped space, and a cloying, synthetic sweetness filled the air immediately.

"So what if you marry Lio? You'll never have his heart," Maeve said.

In public, she always played the fragile innocent one, but the second we were alone, she dropped the act and showed her malice.

I looked at her, and all I could think about was the fire from my past life. She had stood outside the flames while holding Aurelio's arm, and she'd been wearing a smug smile I'd never seen before.

Aurelio calmly dialed the police and, in a flat voice, reported an "accidental lab fire".

The smoke filled my lungs until I couldn't breathe. The last thing I saw was their backs as they turned away.

In this life, I was going to let them have each other. I wanted to see how far they'd get without the Santoros' intel network holding them up.

With that, I rolled the window down.

"Your perfume says who you are. You can't fake taste. Do yourself a favor, learn a thing or two, and quit waving around bargain-bin junk and embarrassing yourself. I wish you both a lifetime together."

Maeve's smug look faltered. She shot me a taunting little smile. "I know you're saying this because you're crazy jealous, but it doesn't matter. Lio loves me. That's all that counts."

…

Not long after, the Guerras held their annual launch event. Dad sent me to represent the Santoros again.

I'd barely walked in when I spotted Maeve. We hadn't seen each other in a few days. She wore haute couture from a luxury label, and she was draped in a full sapphire set. She practically glowed.

When she saw me, a triumphant smile tugged at her lips.

"Wanda, what do you think of my jewelry and perfume? Lio had both custom-made for me. I told him not to go overboard, but he said I'm the only one who deserves something one of a kind."

I frowned, running out of patience, and tried to step around her.

But she slid in front of me again. "Wanda, I just wanted to share my happiness with you. Why do you always keep people at arm's length? I know you're jealous of me and Lio, but you can't make someone love you."

As she spoke, her eyes welled up and her breathing quickened.

I instinctively took a step back.

She suddenly clutched her chest and collapsed. Her breathing turned ragged as if she were in pain. "Wanda, how could you use pollen to trigger me... You know I... I can't be around that..."

That was when Aurelio showed up.

He stormed over, scooped Maeve up, and leveled me with a hard glare. "Wanda! What the hell are you doing? You can't even tolerate your own sister? How cruel can you get?"

I looked at him, then at Maeve hamming it up on the floor, and let out a harsh laugh. "Maeve, I never thought you'd still be pulling cheap tricks."

"Shut up!"

Aurelio grabbed my wrist, squeezing so hard I thought he might crush the bones.

A sharp pain shot through my wrist. I yanked back, trying to break free.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a sea of flashing cameras below. It hit me. Aurelio had staged this to ruin me today, in front of the media and every one of our peers in the Mafia.

I swallowed the rage and leveled a cold stare at him and Maeve. She smirked.

Aurelio seemed to realize he'd overreacted, but he still wouldn't let go. He hauled me to the center of the stage.

Reporters erupted and snapped pictures of me.

"Isn't that the Santoros' oldest daughter? She's actually bullying her stepsister at a launch event. What a disgrace to the Santoros."

Aurelio looked disgusted. "Wanda, apologize to Mae right now! How did I end up tied to someone like you? Unbelievable."

One of his men immediately handed Maeve an inhaler.

"Ms. Wanda, this won't fly. You can't even tolerate your own sister? Mr. Guerra will have plenty more partners going forward. Are you going to go after them one by one?"

"Maybe Ms. Wanda can throw the Santoro name around and chase off every woman around Mr. Guerra!"

Back then, to win Aurelio over, I turned down invitations to major international perfume competitions. I even said publicly that he was my only source of inspiration.

Looking back, I realized I couldn't have been more stupid.

As the whispers swelled, Aurelio leaned in close to my ear. His voice was icy. "Tonight, the elders will decide where the family fortune goes, based on who you choose as your husband. If you still want to marry me, remember what I told you.

"The star of this launch is your perfume, Reverie. I'm going to make it my masterpiece. And you? Behave, or I won't hesitate to make you disappear."

I stared at Aurelio in disbelief, wondering how anyone could be this shameless.

When I kept quiet, he took it as fear and got even cockier. "Be good. Do as you're told, and I'll make you my wife."

He was sure I'd give up everything just to marry him. All eyes were on me, waiting for me to crash and burn.

Just then, the main screen at the launch venue went dark. An audio clip started playing.

It was Maeve's voice. "That idiot. Just give her a little nudge, and she bites. In a minute, I'll fake an asthma attack. Aurelio will fuss over me, and the media will catch Wanda 'bullying' me."

Cesare stood behind the speakers. He wore a perfectly tailored black suit.

He stepped onstage without hurrying, passed Aurelio and Maeve, who both looked stunned, and came straight to me. Then he shrugged off his jacket and draped it over my shoulders.

"Did they push you around?" he asked quietly.

Seeing him pulled me back to my last life. After I died, he quietly bought out every media outlet that smeared me and uncovered the truth about the fire. Then, he handed the evidence to Mom and Dad.

He never said he loved me, but he protected me in his own way.

Seeing that I was dazed, Cesare asked again, "Does it hurt?"

I looked up, meeting his fathomless eyes behind his mask. My nose prickled, and I shook my head. "No, it doesn't."

Aurelio's face darkened. "Cesare, what's that supposed to mean? She's my future wife."

Cesare's right-hand man had somehow gotten on the stage, too. He shot Aurelio a flat, unreadable look and said, "Let's begin. Don Guerra and the elders are here."

I took a deep breath, scanned the roaring crowd, and let my gaze settle on Aurelio.

With everyone watching, I spoke slowly. "I made up my mind back at the perfume sampling. The man I'd give up my past for and stake my future on was never you."