Before my parents died, they arranged for me to marry Alan Palmer, the powerful but impotent overlord of Northingdale.

The day I received the engagement letter, strange floating messages appeared before my eyes.

[Don't marry him. He can't have kids, and he's violent!]

[If you go through with this, that freak will torture you to death. Run!]

[Your childhood sweetheart is your true love. Run away with him!]

My childhood sweetheart, Leon Wade, grabbed my hand and looked into my eyes with what seemed like deep affection.

"Tiffany, let's run away together. Have your maid take your place and marry Alan. She knows you well. No one will notice."

Fooled by the so-called love in his eyes and those floating messages, I chose to go with him in my past life.

I could only watch as the maid stole my identity as the heiress of the Glissons, gave Alan a son, and walked away with hundreds of millions of dollars in fortune.

In the end, Leon held her in his arms. He tied a huge stone to me, kicked me into the ocean, and said smugly, "From now on, she's Tiffany. As for you, rot at the bottom of the sea forever!"

I watched as sharks slowly tore into my body, pain ripping through every inch of me, until only my bones sank into the dark water.

After being reborn, I finally understood that those floating messages were fake. They were carefully planted traps designed by Leon.

Now, facing him and his pleas for me to run away, I let out a cold laugh and ignored the floating messages.

"I'm not some helpless maiden. I'm marrying Alan."

On the day of my wedding, I put on the veil Alan Palmer sent me, decorated with five hundred diamonds, and waited quietly for him to come and get me.

But the first person to arrive wasn't Alan.

It was Leon Wade, my childhood sweetheart.

Leon grabbed my hand and yanked off my veil.

"Tiffany, let's run away! This is your last chance. I don't want to see you jump into hell. Alan can't even get it up, and he's a freak. I'm the only one who truly cares about you."

I snatched the veil back and said coldly, "Leave. I'm marrying Alan, no matter what you say."

At that moment, the floating messages exploded across my vision.

[Run! If you marry him, he'll destroy you!]

[Don't be stupid! A guy like Leon is rare. You'll regret it forever if you lose him!]

Staring at the messages that were still desperately defending Leon, I felt nothing but mockery.

Leon's voice trembled, thick with fake emotion that could fool anyone.

"Tiffany, wake up! Haven't you heard all those rumors out there? That guy is messed up! If you marry him, you'll be miserable. Let the maid marry him instead. I'm doing this for you!"

I almost laughed. Leon was indeed very good at slandering others.

In my last life, Leon used the same trick over and over, poisoning my view of Alan until I believed every word. Like a complete fool, I ran away with him before the wedding.

When I didn't respond, more messages flooded in nonstop.

[Leon just wants what's best for Tiffany. Why won't she listen? This is so frustrating!]

[Sigh, childhood sweethearts are always the most loyal. Too bad she doesn't know what she's throwing away.]

Those words clung to my vision like barnacles at the bottom of the sea, sharp and suffocating.

"I don't need you deciding what's good for me," I said flatly, "and you don't get to judge my fiancé."

A peal of church bells rang out in the distance as I issued my final warning.

"The ceremony is about to start. Leave now, or I'll call security."

Through the veil, I saw Leon's fists clench tight. Finally, he turned away in defeat.

"I never thought you'd be this heartless after everything I've done for you."

He slammed the door and left. Through the crack, I saw the maid, Harmony Banks, hiding in the shadows, the pearl necklace I lost still hanging around her neck.

Outside, the sound of car engines announced Alan's arrival.

A cold smile curled at my lips.

The wedding was going to happen, no matter what. I couldn't wait to see how much trouble those two could stir up after this.

Downstairs, one hundred luxury sedans lined up neatly. Alan stepped out from the driver's seat, tall and imposing, clad in a custom black suit that fitted him like a glove.

The rear door opened, and a sweet-looking young woman stepped out after him. She stayed close to his side, appearing far too intimate for comfort.

I froze in place.

In my last life, Alan had been devoted and loyal; a man who treated his wife with nothing but care.

So who was the woman beside him now?

Once again, the floating messages exploded noisily.

[Alan's unbelievable! He even brought his side chick to pick up his bride! Is this some kind of power play?]

[I heard he's got more than a dozen women like this at home. What a freak!]

[Tiffany, run before he gets upstairs and call Leon! This is your last chance!]

Watching the messages jump around, all convinced this girl was some kept woman, I calmed down instead.

I looked more closely through the window and noticed that although the girl walked beside Alan, she always kept a polite half foot of distance between them.

The embroidered evening gown she wore was custom-made, with pearls sewn onto the hem by hand. It was the couture that sold for an insane price at an auction last year.

A woman dressed like that wasn't someone's secret pet.

I understood immediately and calmly walked back to the bed.

The sound of steady footsteps echoed up the wooden stairs and stopped outside my room. Alan tried the doorknob, but the door wouldn't budge.

His voice cut through the door, cool and distant.

"Ms. Glisson, if you don't want to get married because of the rumors, you could've just said so. Why are you doing this instead?"

I rushed to the door. The moment my fingers touched the cold lock, I felt something jammed inside the keyhole.

Leon's smug smile from earlier flashed through my mind. He had done this on purpose.

Now, Alan must think I was slamming the door in his face.

Cold sweat broke out across my back. In my last life, I learned that while Alan was gentle with his family, he was ruthless with anyone who lied to him.

Sure enough, Alan's voice dropped low and dangerous, like thunder before a storm.

"You're the first person who's ever shut me out."

The messages flooded in again.

[She's done for now. She offended a freak, and she's going to suffer!]

[She could still run if she wanted to, but she won't listen.]

I stared at the gloating messages and took a deep breath.

A stupid door wasn't going to stop me. I had already died once.

I grabbed my dress, stepped back three paces, then rushed forward and kicked hard. With a loud bang, the door flew open and crashed to the floor. Everyone was shocked.

The force sent me stumbling straight into Alan.

His warm hand caught me firmly around the waist. When our eyes met, something sharp and bright flashed through his dark gaze like starlight.

My ears burned hot as I hurriedly adjusted my veil. "Mr. Palmer, you're overthinking it. The door was just broken. Marrying you is the only thing I've ever wanted."

A low chuckle sounded beside my ear, rich and teasing.

"Well, Ms. Glisson, you're not quite what the rumors made you out to be."

I silently muttered that he wasn't exactly what the rumors said, either.

The girl beside Alan suddenly burst into applause, cutting through the tension. She looped her arm through mine warmly.

"That's so impressive, making an entrance like that on our first meeting! I like you already! I'm Karen, Alan's sister."

So she was his sister.

I finally let out a quiet breath of relief.

Before I could speak, Alan had already taken a few long strides toward us. He knocked on Karen's head lightly.

"Mind your manners."

When he turned to me, his expression grew serious. He took out a small velvet box from inside his jacket.

"Grandpa said we have to exchange heirloom bracelets before the wedding."

Without thinking, I reached for my wrist and touched nothing but cold air.

My heart skipped. I had clearly been wearing it this morning. When had it disappeared?

When I looked up in panic, I ran straight into Alan's suddenly icy stare.

He stepped closer, lifted my chin with his fingers, and said in a low, dangerous voice, "According to the rumors, you've always been quiet and timid. But now… You're sharp in every way. I'm curious. Did your personality change, or are you a different person altogether?"

I backed away step by step, my throat tightening. I had no idea how to explain.

After you had died once, you wouldn't stay the same. If I didn't become strong, how would I ever take back the life that should've been mine?

Still, something like being reborn sounded insane. No normal person would believe it.

Just as I hit a dead end, the floating messages appeared again.

[She should just confess she's fake. Maybe she'll survive.]

[If she doesn't run now, she's going to be tortured by that freak!]

I clenched my dress and shook my head, taking a deep breath. "What are you talking about? I'm Tiffany. I can prove it!"

"Oh? And how exactly would you do that?"

My mind raced. Alan and I had never met before, so of course he wouldn't recognize me.

But his grandfather had met me. My parents once said he even held me on the day I was born.

"Your grandpa saw that I had a red birthmark on my chest when I was born, shaped as a blooming rose, and he really liked it."

I paused and swallowed my nerves.

"You'll know I'm Tiffany the moment you see it."

I let out a tense breath, suddenly realizing how ridiculous it felt to have to prove that I was myself.

Alan narrowed his eyes, the corner of his lips curving upward.

"Yeah, I've heard Grandpa mention that before."

He released my chin and casually straightened his cuff links.

"But offering to take your clothes off in front of everyone? That kind of openness is really something else."

My face went hot in an instant. "That's not what I meant!"

Before I could explain again, Leon's voice suddenly came from behind me.

"Mr. Palmer, there's no need to see the birthmark. This is the real Ms. Glisson! The bracelet proves it."

Leon placed his hand on Harmony's shoulder and pushed her forward gently. On her wrist was the matching heirloom bracelet.