When the car accident happened, my CEO brother and my actor fiancé instinctively shielded Alessia Bellucci, the delicate, beautiful flower they nurtured.

I was sent flying hundreds of meters. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day before my debut press conference.

In my past life, the moment I took a step closer to Nicholas Dumont, he immediately distanced himself, making a show of avoiding suspicion while publicly mocking me. I had never intended to use his fame to my advantage.

Even my own brother looked down on me, dismissing me as someone who relied solely on family wealth, unworthy of competing with Alessia Bellucci, who had risen without any backing.

And yet, now, they stood beside Alessia. One stood firm on the left and the other on the right, supporting her.

With the CEO’s influence and the actor’s endorsement, she soared to instant stardom.

I gave up completely. I booked a plane ticket and left, determined to start a new life abroad.

Three years later, Alessia swept the Best Actress Awards. At the ceremony, by coincidence, I was seated next to Nicholas.

He sneered at me.

"Even if you lost me, you shouldn’t have let yourself go. No man will ever take you seriously like this."

My brother regarded me with disappointment and shook his head.

"You had the nerve to leave back then. Why come crawling back now?"

But when I stepped onto the stage as the organizer’s future wife, the two of them froze.

——

"Alessia is only 21 and has already won three major awards. She’s the brightest star in the industry. Her future is limitless."

"I heard that she is engaged to the Best Actor, Nicholas Dumont. A handsome man and a beautiful woman. They are clearly a match made in heaven!"

"Not so fast! Matteo Vasquez from the Vasquez Group has booked every helicopter in the city to pull off the grandest confession for Alessia. We still don’t know who she’ll choose!"

The awards ceremony venue buzzed with excitement.

Just as I found my seat, I turned and caught sight of the cold and imposing Nicholas.

When he saw me sitting down, a flicker of surprise crossed his face. But the moment he realized what I was doing, his expression twisted into pure disdain.

"Don't sit here."

I frowned in confusion.

"Why?"

Nicholas lifted his head arrogantly, his tone laced with irritation.

"I'm confessing to the woman I love today. If you sit next to me, she might get the wrong idea."

"Why come back now?"

I glanced down at the invitation in my hand, about to answer, but before I could speak, a reporter beside me cut in.

"Mr. Dumont, there are rumors that you're proposing to Miss Bellucci today! Is it true? Can you confirm?"

A swarm of reporters surrounded us, their cameras flashing relentlessly. Nicholas’s voice carried a teasing edge.

"That’s a secret."

His ambiguous response instantly sent the press into a frenzy.

Amidst the commotion, a few sharp-eyed reporters turned their focus to me.

A young woman in a red hat blurted out, "Isn't this the Vasquez Family’s daughter who used to chase after Nicholas Dumont? I heard she insisted on debuting alongside him in pursuit of love and even spent a fortune to be his co-star. Then she vanished without a trace. Why is she suddenly back now?"

"Could it be that she heard Mr. Dumont is confessing today and refuses to give up? Is she here to chase after him again?"

The moment she finished speaking, every camera lens and pair of eyes zeroed in on me.

Under the harsh glare of the cameras, I simply smiled and waved.

"You’re mistaken. I have nothing to do with any of that. I was merely invited to attend the event."

Beside me, Nicholas let out a cold scoff.

"Drop the act. You deliberately arranged to sit next to me. Who knows what you're up to?"

He turned to face me fully, his voice laced with warning.

"I'm telling you now. If you dare do anything to hurt her, I won’t show you any mercy."

Gasps rippled through the crowd as Nicholas’s words were captured in full by the rolling cameras.

The red-hatted reporter’s excited voice rang out,

"Our Best Actor fiercely defending his woman. This is sensational! A guaranteed headline!"

Before I could respond, a rough grip yanked my wrist.

"Isla Vasquez, who gave you permission to be here?"

That familiar voice. It was my half-brother, Matteo.

His grip was painfully tight, his expression dark with fury.

"This isn’t a place for you to stir up trouble. Come with me!"

A sharp pain shot through my wrist as I instinctively struggled.

"I'm here for business. Let go of me!"

My resistance only fueled his anger.

"Do you think I don’t know what you're up to? I've warned you before that love isn’t something you can buy! Are you really going to repeat the same mistake? Stop disgracing the Vasquez Family!"

He did not care that my strapless gown had been torn, leaving me on the verge of exposure. He did not care that countless cameras were fixated on me, recording every humiliating second.

"If you had caused a scene in the past, I might have let it slide. But not today."

"This moment… this award is something Alessia fought hard to achieve. I won’t let anyone ruin it. Isla, for once, be reasonable. Stop making trouble."

Looking into his bloodshot eyes, a dull ache spread through my chest.

He was my brother. And yet, in this moment, he cast aside all dignity, leaving me humiliated in front of the world.

All for Alessia Bellucci.

On the other side, Nicholas stood with his hands in his pockets, watching me like I was nothing more than an amusing spectacle.

"Why do this to yourself? No matter how pitiful you are, I’ll never fall for you."

"If you can't have my love, that doesn’t mean you should throw yourself away. Causing a scene in public, heh, do you really think any man will take you seriously after this?"

The fabric of my dress had been yanked so high it was nearly at my chest, yet my brother still refused to let go.

Instead of backing down, Nicholas’s words only seemed to fuel his aggression.

"If you don’t want to embarrass yourself any further, then get out."

Clutching my torn neckline, I rasped out in defiance.

"As a family member of the event’s organizer, I was personally invited to attend this dinner. None of you have the right to throw me out!"

After saying this, a stunned silence fell over the crowd.

"Family of the organizer? But the organizer of this ceremony is the legendary Rosendale tycoon, Victor Lexington. His cross-border trade empire spans the globe and his wealth is immeasurable. He’s a true powerhouse."

"But isn’t Mr. Lexington an orphan with no known relatives? Wait… could she be his wife?"

The red-hatted reporter’s eyes widened in excitement while my brother, who had been gripping my arm, suddenly froze.

Before he could react, Nicholas, who had been watching the spectacle unfold, abruptly stood up. He strode toward me, towering over me with a sharp, scrutinizing gaze.

His brows furrowed, his voice laced with an unexplainable anger.

"Isla, what exactly do you mean by that?"

"In the years you’ve been away from me, have you been fooling around with other men?"

His tone dripped with jealousy, coated in biting sarcasm.

In my past life, I had stepped into the entertainment industry without hesitation just for him. I struggled relentlessly just to keep up with his footsteps.

When he suffered a major financial loss on an investment, I sold the shares my parents had left me, doing everything in my power to help him.

In return, he finally accepted my affection and agreed to an engagement.

I had naively believed my sincerity had moved him. I never expected he had only used me, tricking me out of my fortune to finance a film for Alessia.

A million-dollar production tailored entirely for her. When I finally uncovered the truth, he looked me in the eye and said, without a shred of guilt.

"She has potential, she just needs an opportunity. Someone as privileged as you wouldn’t understand the struggles of a rising actress. I had to help her."

My brother and I sat together, pouring out our grievances and venting our frustrations. But in my sorrow, I failed to notice how his expression grew darker by the second.

It turned out that Alessia was a student he had personally sponsored. Struck by her remarkable beauty, my brother had taken it upon himself to send her to film school.

Upon hearing my complaints, his only thought was the possibility of losing the woman he cherished.

With a sigh, he tried to reason with me. "No matter what happens between you and Nicholas, don’t drag Alessia into it."

Fury burned inside me. I confronted Alessia, demanding that she stay away from my fiancé.

Unexpectedly, she wept and slapped herself as she kept saying that she was sorry and that she wanted to make amends for her sins. Then, without warning, she bolted toward the street.

Panicked, my brother and Nicholas chased after her. I followed close behind.

Just as she reached the road, the accident happened. My brother and Nicholas instinctively shielded her with their bodies.

When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the night before my debut.

That same night, my brother ordered the staff to change my debut press conference to Alessia’s.

Nicholas even went out of his way to attend just to support her.

They both believed they had failed Alessia in the past life. And if they were given a second chance, they would do everything in their power to make it up to her.

Disillusioned and heartbroken, I made a decision. I would leave.

The night I packed my bags, my brother dismissed my departure as nothing more than a childish tantrum.

"The world outside isn’t as gentle as you imagine. You were raised too sheltered, too naive. Maybe it’s time for you to experience hardship."

"Only then will you understand how difficult life was for Alessia. Only then will you stop seeing her as your enemy."

It had been three years since that night.

And now, today, I had returned only to find myself face-to-face with them once more.

I never imagined our reunion would unfold in such a humiliating way.

"Nicholas, Matteo, you’re both here! Having you both by my side makes me feel so much safer."

"It’s overwhelming to be at such a grand event… I just hope I don’t make any mistakes. Will you lend me some strength?"

Alessia’s voice rang out, light and sweet. She stood before them in a black floor-length gown, still carrying traces of her youthful innocence, her tone playful and coy.

She lifted her delicate hand, making a small, encouraging gesture toward them.

The moment she did, both men’s eyes lit up.

Nicholas, who had been interrogating me just moments ago, suddenly put distance between us. His voice softened.

"You’re already a movie queen, yet you’re still this nervous? Don’t worry, no matter what happens, I’ll be here for you."

As he spoke, he reached out and placed his hand lightly over the back of Alessia’s.

"Matteo, why are you just standing there? Come on!"

The moment her touch landed, my brother’s face flushed an unnatural shade of red. He fumbled with his words. "Co–coming…"

The way he looked at Alessia was filled with pure admiration.

I recalled a moment from my past life when I once saw the name he had saved her under in his phone. Beautiful Flower.

I had asked him in confusion why he would use such a simple and unremarkable nickname.

He had merely chuckled and said nothing.

But now, I finally understood.

Alessia Bellucci was a flower he had nurtured with unwavering care.

He had watched over her as she grew. He had witnessed her bloom into brilliance and watched her become a dazzling star.

His gaze was so radiant, so full of devotion, that I had to look away.

Alessia, seemingly oblivious to my presence, continued speaking as if the world revolved around her.

"I accidentally sprained my foot backstage just now. Luckily, someone caught me in time."

She deliberately exposed her delicate side face to the reporter's camera.

"And when I turned to thank him, I found out that he was none other than Victor Lexington, the mysterious investor from Rosendale! He even said that I was the star of his dinner party tonight."