The Night Love Froze Over

In my previous life, I took the blame for the false son of the Stafford family and was sentenced to five years in prison.

On the day I left jail, my family threw a grand birthday party for Charles. My only birthday present was the removal of my clothes and being frozen to death in the snow.

When I opened my eyes, I was once again five years old. My parents stood before me, ready to take me home from the orphanage.

My older sister, Juliet Stafford, rushed out from nowhere and blocked the door. She pointed at me—a boy dressed in rags—and shouted, "Dad, Mom! Leave him here, or he'll ruin everything!"

Her emotional reaction was different from the one I saw in my previous life. That was when I realized she had been reborn too.

After our parents left in disappointment, Juliet walked up to me and forced a piece of candy into my palm.

Then she threatened, "Remember this. Chuck is the only son of the Stafford family. A curse like you is not welcome in our home."

The Perkins Family

I clenched the candy in my hand, my nails digging into my palm.

In the past, my only use to her was to shield the Stafford family from disaster and take the blame for Charles whenever he got into trouble.

Now that we had both been reborn, if she believed I would only stain the family's reputation, then as the unwanted one, I would stay far away from them, just as she wished.

I forced a smile, but tears betrayed my body and fell down my cheeks.

I wiped my tears and told myself, 'You're no longer Miles Stafford. You're your own person.'

After that, I settled myself in a corner.

Before long, a black sedan pulled up at the gate.

The head, Alex Brabson, escorted an elegant elderly woman inside.

The sight of her stirred the other children. They swarmed her in excitement, trying to win her favor by showing off.

"Good day to you, Madam!"

"Madam, do you want to hear me sing?"

"Madam, look at my drawing!"

Meanwhile, I stayed in the corner quietly, unbothered by the commotion.

The elderly lady noticed me.

Clutching her cane, she walked past the crowd and came straight toward me.

"Little one, why are you sitting alone in the corner? Did your peers cast you out?" she asked with concern.

I shook my head and looked up at her, handing her the candy warmed by my palm. "Madam, here's a candy for you."

I calmly offered her the candy, trying to move her with maturity beyond a five-year-old.

My gesture took her off guard.

She took the candy, unwrapped it, and tasted it. A gentle smile appeared on her lips as she hummed. "It's sweet."

She cast me a thoughtful look before asking, "What's your name?"

"Mr. Brabson calls me Miles."

"Miles…" She repeated the name, then nodded. "Would you like to go home with me? I'd love a grandson like you."

Her words instantly plunged our surroundings into silence.

The other children's envious gaze fell on me.

"Yes!" I nodded eagerly, never once hesitating.

Her chuckle boomed above my head. "That's great to hear. From today on, your name will be Sage Perkins."

Her warm and dry hand found mine. "I wish you wisdom and good judgment. May you become a just and righteous man."

She had high regard for me.

She was none other than Astrea Perkins, a titan of the legal world and the former Chief Justice of the High Court.

I reached out and tightened my grip around her hand.

And just like that, she took me in as the grandson of the Perkins family.

Astrea treasured me as her beloved. She explained the legal theory and logic to me and took me to the trials. It broadened my horizon.

My uncles and aunts were elites from the legal sector. Despite their busy schedule, they always visited with law books and casebooks. They genuinely cared for me.

Still, my older sister, Sylvia, who was ten years apart, had to be the person who spoiled me the most.

At our first meeting, she removed her glasses. A gentle smile appeared on her innocent face.

"Nobody should ever lay a finger on my little brother." That became her motto.

I grew up surrounded by love. I seldom thought about the events of my previous life anymore.

I studied hard, always coming out on top in exams, and brought home the prizes from various moot court competitions.

Twenty years later, I became the youngest and most renowned prosecutor in the country.