When he finally tore his mouth from hers, he left her lips bruised and her breath completely shattered.

He lingered for a fraction of a second, his thumb tracing a rough, burning path across her jaw before he slowly straightened up, towering over her once more. "You belong to me, Aria," he murmured, his voice a lethal velvet. "Stop fighting me. Try to run away, try to pull a stunt like this again, and I won't just keep you in this room. I'll chain you to that bed. Do you understand?"

A complex wave of dread, resentment, and agonizing confusion rose in her throat. She hated him for this—for the gilded cage he was building around her. Yet, unbidden, the terrifying image of his blood-soaked body crushed beneath a vehicle, dying to protect her in her past life, flashed behind her eyes. Her fingernails dug into her palms, the sharp sting a welcome anchor in the storm of her emotions.

She lifted her head, forcing herself to draw in a ragged breath as she met Julian's watchful gaze. His gray eyes were cold, filled with the certainty of a predator who had its prey cornered.

It isn't the first time she had found herself in such a situation.She knew any physical resistance now would only provoke his madness further. She had just been reborn; she was weak, and she desperately needed to placate him to buy time. She had to survive.

"I understand," the voice that came out was her own, yet it sounded foreign, unnervingly calm. "I won't run. I'll stay."

A flicker of surprise crossed Julian's face. He narrowed his eyes, studying her, clearly not expecting such a swift surrender.

Aria lowered her gaze, letting her long lashes veil the inferno of conflicting emotions in her eyes. She made her body slump, a portrait of fear and submission.

He stared at her for a few long, silent seconds.

"Remember your choice, Aria," he warned.

He turned and walked toward the door. As he reached it, he swayed slightly, his hand bracing against the frame. The bloodstain on his shirt had grown larger.

Her gaze fixed on it, a complex knot of feelings tightening in her chest. She didn't regret stabbing him in her blind panic, but the wound was a stark reminder of how dangerous and unpredictable this man was—and of the twisted, suffocating nature of his protection.

He left without another word, the door clicking shut behind him, plunging the room into a heavy silence.

The strength drained from her body. Aria collapsed back against the plush pillows, gasping for air, a cold sweat clinging to her skin.

She was alive. And she was five years in the past.

The reality of it finally settled, sharp and clear.

She closed her eyes, forcing a steadying breath into her lungs, and began to sift through the nightmare of her memories.

In her previous life, Aria had been terrified by the nature of Julian’s feelings for her—morbid, obsessive, and taboo. The mere fact that he was her uncle erected an insurmountable barrier between them. She had tried to ward him off with a series of casual romances, hoping he would give up.

But Julian only intensified his pursuit; her resistance provoked an even more aggressive advance, until fear completely overwhelmed her.

In a desperate move, she took Ethan—whom she had been dating for only three months—into a hotel room, where, that very night, they hatched a plan to run away together.

When Julian found out, he dragged her back to his villa, where he imprisoned and tormented her for a year.

It became the darkest nightmare of her life.

Yet, the memory that haunted her most wasn't his suffocating control—it was the blinding crash, the screech of metal, and Julian throwing himself into the path of a speeding vehicle, sacrificing his own life to save hers.

His death had been the catalyst for her absolute ruin. Aria was cast out by her own grandfather—disowned, discarded. Then came the betrayal: Ethan, the man she'd trusted, and Katelynn, the friend she'd called a sister, had been plotting against her all along. They had her committed, locked away in a psychiatric ward where she endured three years of torment. And in the end, it was Katelynn who delivered the final blow—a slow, quiet poison that put an end to her once and for all.

Only on the brink of death did she learn the truth: Ethan and Katelynn had been in league all along, their sole purpose to tear the Sinclair family apart.

Rage flooded through her, sweeping away the last dregs of reason. This time, she would not rest—Ethan and Katelynn would pay, and pay dearly.

As for Julian... her feelings were a terrifying, suffocating knot. He was her relentless jailer, a man whose obsession had ruined her peace, yet he was also the man who had bled out on the asphalt for her. She couldn't forgive him for locking her away, but she couldn't ignore the debt of his life. This time, her absolute vengeance would be reserved for the treacherous pair who had truly orchestrated her demise.

And as for the Shark who currently held her captive? She would find a way to untangle his toxic obsession and break free from his grasp—without repeating the tragic, bloody end.

She rose from the bed and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, staring out at the manicured lawns enclosed by high walls and an electric fence. She had already walked through hell once. She wasn't afraid to do it again.

A soft knock at the door broke the silence. A maid's voice, quiet and respectful, came from the other side.

"Miss Sinclair, a Miss Sanchez is here to see you."

Katelynn Sanchez.

Aria's pupils contracted. The name felt like a snake coiling around her heart, squeezing tight.

Perfect timing.

She took a deep, steadying breath, forcing down the rage that threatened to erupt. She composed her features into a mask of fragility and fear.

"Let... let her in," Aria said, her voice a carefully constructed tremble. She needed to see her. Needed to see the face of her "best friend" on the very first day of her long, orchestrated demise.

A moment later, the door opened. Katelynn swept in, a vision in a white sundress, her face a perfect portrait of concern.

"Aria! Oh, my God, are you okay?" Katelynn rushed to her side, grabbing her hands. Her eyes were already welling up with practiced tears. "I heard Mr. Sinclair took you, and I've been trying everything to get in here to see you."

Aria looked at the flawless performance and laughed silently, a bitter, cold sound in her mind. This was the face that had fooled her so completely.

"Katelynn..." Aria let herself fall against her, her body "trembling." "I'm so scared. Julian... he's like a madman."

"I knew it!" Katelynn's voice was filled with righteous indignation. "He's a control freak! Aria, you can't stay here. You have to get out!"

Katelynn helped her to a nearby sofa, then leaned in close, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Listen to me, I've already talked to Ethan. We're working on a plan to get you out. You just have to pretend to obey him, keep him calm for now."

The exact same words as last time. Aria wanted to applaud the perfect recitation of the script that had led her to ruin.

"Really?" Aria looked up, her eyes wide and shimmering with tears, a carefully crafted hope dawning on her face. "You'll really help me?"

"Of course! We're best friends, I would never abandon you!" Katelynn vowed, her eyes darting around the room, subtly taking in the opulent decor.

A flicker of raw envy and greed crossed her face.

Aria saw it. And the last bit of warmth in her heart turned to ice.

Just as Katelynn was about to launch into the details of her "rescue plan," the grand doors to the sitting room swung open without a sound.

Julian Sinclair IV stood there. He'd changed into a dark gray cashmere sweater and trousers. The loss of blood had left his face pale, which only served to amplify the dark, predatory intensity in his eyes.

He didn't look at Aria. His gaze, sharp as shards of glass, was fixed solely on Katelynn.

Katelynn's expression froze. The righteous anger vanished, replaced by a flash of panic and unease. She scrambled to her feet, twisting her hands together nervously.

"Mr... Mr. Sinclair. I was just worried about Aria..."

Julian's eyes remained on her for two long seconds. It wasn't a look of anger or annoyance. It was the look one gives an inanimate object, something of no consequence.

Katelynn felt a prickle of fear crawl up her spine. The rest of her words died in her throat. She had only ever seen this man in magazines, a titan of finance, remote and untouchable. Up close, his presence was suffocating. He was taller, more imposing, a dangerous combination of ruthless power and cold, ascetic beauty that made her heart skip a beat and her own reflection feel cheap.

Suddenly, she understood her jealousy. It wasn't just for Aria's money. It was for the fact that a man this powerful would focus his entire, obsessive world on her.

"My girl," Julian finally spoke, his voice quiet but carrying the weight of an unbreakable command, "doesn't need outsiders to worry about her."

He walked to Aria's side, his hand coming to rest on her shoulder in a clear, possessive gesture.

Aria felt the slight pressure of his fingers. She fought the urge to flinch, instead leaning into his touch, a silent act of compliance.

"Miss Sanchez," Julian's gaze shifted back to Katelynn. "Visiting hours are over."

The dismissal was brutal, unequivocal. Color flooded Katelynn's face, a humiliating patchwork of red and white. She didn't dare argue.

She snatched her purse, forcing a smile that was more of a grimace. "Well... Aria, I'll... I'll come see you again soon."

She practically fled the room.