What did Lenora mean by "keeping tragic history from repeating itself"? Could she have been reborn, too?

I was still mulling over her words when a few soft coughs sounded behind me. "Andre."

When I turned around, I noticed it was Jerome Hatfield. He was dressed in a thin sweater, and his complexion was so pale that he looked fragile and worn.

Lenora rushed to his side and looked him up and down with concern. "Are you sick? Why didn't you stay home and rest?"

"I came with Andre," Jerome explained. "Dad said he's getting married to you, and there's so much to handle. He was worried Andre might not be able to handle everything himself."

Lenora took his hand tightly and shot me a sharp glare. "You've gone too far, Andre. He's not feeling well, yet you still dragged him along. I'll never marry you if you can't learn to be considerate."

I laughed in pure disbelief. She was making it seem like I wanted to marry her in the first place.

…

On the day of the birthday party, Lenora and Jerome arrived late.

Jerome's face was flushed, and Lenora's neck was covered in unmistakable kiss marks. The guests cast sympathetic glances my way.

In the past, I would have exploded, stormed over, and demanded answers. After all, one was the woman I had loved for years, and the other was my brother. Yet, neither of them had cared how I felt.

Now, I only glanced at them briefly, then calmly went on chatting with people around me as if nothing had happened.

When I looked their way, Lenora protectively pulled Jerome behind her and guarded him.

She must have expected anger, questions, and even violence from me, but I remained still and did nothing.

She forced an awkward smile and scoffed. "Andre, are you just pretending to be magnanimous because you're afraid I won't marry you?

"Well, I guess that's for the best. After all, there's no way I'd settle for just one man after I become the city's wealthiest person.

"Since you're being so understanding, I'll give you a gift."

She reached into her bag and produced a box. But just as she was about to hand it to me, Jerome snatched it away.

"Isn't this the prized Patek Philippe watch? I heard it's impossible to buy even with money. I'm so jealous—Andre is really lucky."

Lenora immediately took it back. "Jerome, do you like it? Then it's yours."

Jerome waved it off, though his eyes never left the watch. "That wouldn't be right. Today is Andre's birthday, and you're his fiancee. No matter how you look at it, giving it to me seems inappropriate."

The envy in his gaze was impossible to miss.

Lenora's heart softened further, and she insistently shoved the watch into his arms. "Just keep it. As for Andre, I could give him anything at all, and he'd treat it like a treasure."

That line drew quiet laughter from the crowd.

Old, buried memories stirred awake, and a wave of humiliation washed over me.

In the past, I treasured anything Lenora gave me like a priceless heirloom.

Once, she became obsessed with fishing and would tag along with others on their trips. When she ran into me on her way back, she casually handed me the fish she had caught.

I couldn't bear to eat it, so I built a pond in the backyard and raised it there. I checked on it several times a day, terrified it might die if I wasn't careful enough.

The old gardener peered at the fish through his reading glasses and studied it for a long time. "This isn't even a rare species. Why does Andre like it so much?"

The housekeeper quietly chuckled. "It was a gift from Ms. Bray, so of course, he treasures it."

When Lenora found out about the fish, she called me a freak.

"I gave it to you so you could eat it, not keep it. What's the point of keeping that cheap grass carp alive? Are you sick or something? Honestly, you're so uncultured."

Emma smacked her on the back. "He wasn't keeping a fish. He was cherishing you! You're the one with poor taste and a muddled head!"

Lenora stuck out her tongue and scurried away, only to exaggerate the story and spread it around behind our backs.

Just like that, I became a joke to many people.

Now that I thought about it, the whole thing felt pathetic. I turned to leave, but Lenora stepped in my way.

"I was just joking. Why are you so upset? I knew it—you were just faking it."

I took two steps back and said, "Have some self-respect, Ms. Bray. I'm leaving."

She gawked at me in disbelief. "Self-respect? You're a simp, so don't start acting noble now.

"You were the one dreaming of marrying me, and now you're talking about self-respect. Who started without it anyway?"

"Since when have I ever wanted to marry you?" I snapped back.

The moment the words left my mouth, the room erupted in laughter.

"If you're not marrying me, why did you spend years groveling?" she retorted. "Besides, everyone knows our grandmas had an agreement to unite our families, and my grandma honors her promises above all else.

"In the Bray family, only our seventh cousin, Raven, is unmarried aside from me. But she's been sickly since she was a kid, so there's no telling when she'll die.

"I've even heard that she can't have children. Are you sure you want to be the man who ends the Hatfield family bloodline?"

All eyes turned to me as everyone in the room waited for my reply.

That was when Raven appeared. She did look unwell and undeniably frail with pale lips and sunken eyes.

Another wave of ambiguous snickers rippled through the room.

I was about to announce that I would marry Raven, but Emma's words rang in my mind.

"You can choose Raven if you want, but don't announce it just yet. People will understand once everything's settled."

After a brief hesitation, I decided to swallow my words.

Raven said nothing. All she did was glance at me briefly with a hint of disappointment in her eyes.

I wanted to follow her and explain, but she quickly disappeared around the corner before I could catch up. So, I turned and left.

…

On the way back, Jerome rode in the same car as me. He flaunted his watch nonstop, and the reflecting light was so glaring it nearly blinded me.

"Even if you marry Lenora, so what? You'll never win her heart since you aren't fit for each other."

To others, Jerome was the epitome of a gentle, refined gentleman. He would only reveal his true, sly nature in private.

As I looked at him, I remembered catching him and Lenora in bed in my past life.

Back then, he had hidden behind her and shouted, "I may be an adopted son, but I have the right to pursue my happiness, too! Just because Andre and I fell for the same woman, it doesn't mean that I have to step back for him!"

Lenora had shielded him and remained completely indifferent to my pain, while I had been so worked up that I vomited blood on the spot.

Later, Mom and Dad sent him abroad, where he married a naive, wealthy heiress. He ended up living a life far more comfortable than mine.

This time around, I planned to let him have Lenora and wanted to see how their story would end.

The thought brought a smile to my lips.

"You're right," I said. "There's no point marrying her if I can't even win her heart.

"Try harder, Jerome. I do hope the two of you end up together, and I'll wish you both happiness."

My words caught Jerome briefly off guard, but he quickly recovered.

"Don't think I'll believe you just because you say that. I know you're just trying to pretend not to care, but don't forget that Lenora truly loves me."

…

Some time later, Emma hosted her birthday party. Mom and Dad were away, so they had me attend the party in their place.

Once I stepped through the Bray residence gates, I ran into Jerome, whom I hadn't seen all day. It turned out that he had arrived early at Lenora's invitation.

He was dressed in a luxury, hand-stitched suit with a brand-new, priceless watch fastened to his wrist. He looked like the prized, true son of the Hatfields more than I did.

When he saw me, he smirked provocatively. "How do I look, Andre? Lenora gave me everything, including the suit and the watch.

"I told her I'm just an adopted son and that I shouldn't accept the gifts, but she insisted. She told me that even if I'm an adopted son, she loves me for who I am, not my identity."

I frowned impatiently and tried to walk past him, but he grabbed my arm.

"Are you jealous, Andre? There's nothing I can do if Lenora wants to pamper me, is there?"

When I tried to pull free, he suddenly collapsed to the ground. "Why did you push me, Andre? Don't you know that I've been sick lately?"

I scoffed. I couldn't believe that a grown man like him was pulling a soap opera move and faking an injury just to stir up some drama.

Since explaining myself would be pointless anyway, I simply kicked him.

Right on cue, Lenora arrived. "Andre! What are you doing? Are you even human for bullying your brother?"

I looked at her, then at Jerome, and chuckled. "The Hatfields are in the real estate business, not the theater. Where's all this performative innocence coming from?"

A loud smack rang out as Lenora slapped me hard across the face. "I won't let you talk about Jerome like that!"

As a sharp sting spread across my cheek, Lenora seemed to realize she had overreacted and stepped toward me, as if to apologize. But on the ground, Jerome suddenly broke into a fit of violent coughing.

"Lenora, I-I can't breathe…"

Right in public, she leaned in close and pressed her face against his.

The murmurs around us grew louder. "Aren't they the Hatfield brothers? They're embarrassingly fighting over a woman in public.

"That's especially the case for Andre. Lenora clearly has her eyes on another man, so why does he keep forcing the issue?"

Lenora glared at me with disgust. "You're shameless, Andre. Apologize to Jerome right now!"

"Me? Shameless and apologize? You two are openly flirting in public, so you're the ones without shame."

She sneered. "That was CPR. Honestly, how did I ever get entangled with such a petty, malicious man like you? That's so troublesome."

Her friends covered their mouths and snickered.

"This won't do, Mr. Hatfield. Lenora isn't some delicate flower. She's meant for bigger things, so some little acting is inevitable."

"If you can't even tolerate your brother today, how will you survive marriage?"

"It's fine. Mr. Hatfield knows how to keep a fish. His devotion could move the heavens."

Amid the mockery, Lenora stepped closer to me and whispered in a voice dripping with disdain, "Grandma will announce our engagement today. If you still want me to marry you, don't forget what I told you.

"After we're married, we'll live our own lives. Don't think about interfering in mine, much less controlling me."