Five Years Earlier
Pain.
That was the first thing Selina felt.
A sharp throbbing ache spread through her head as faint voices echoed somewhere nearby. The scent of antiseptic filled the air while the soft beeping of machines slowly pulled her toward consciousness.
Her eyelashes fluttered weakly.
White ceiling.
Hospital lights.
Selina frowned slightly.
Wasn't she dead?
The last thing she remembered was the rooftop—
the storm—
the terrifying fall—
And then...
warmth.
Strong arms catching her.
A dark jacket wrapped carefully around her trembling body.
Blurry black shoes against rain-soaked ground.
And silver eyes.
Cold, terrifying silver eyes staring down at her as though the entire world had wronged her.
Her heart tightened painfully.
Selina sat up abruptly.
Pain shot violently through her skull.
"Miss, please don't move too quickly," a nurse said, rushing toward her bedside.
Selina stared around the room in confusion, breathing unevenly.
Alive?
How?
The nurse carefully adjusted her IV line. "You suffered a mild head injury after the accident yesterday."
Selina blinked slowly.
"...accident?"
"Yes," the nurse replied gently. "You pushed a child out of the road before the car hit him."
Selina froze.
The words felt painfully familiar.
Then suddenly—
she remembered.
The child.
The screeching tires.
The impact.
It had happened five years ago.
Slowly, her eyes moved toward the calendar hanging on the hospital wall.
The moment she saw the date—
her entire body went cold.
Five years earlier.
Before the betrayals.
Before Adrian.
Before the rooftop.
Before her death.
Her trembling fingers tightened around the bedsheet.
"No..." she whispered weakly.
The nurse looked confused. "Miss?"
Selina could barely hear her.
This was impossible.
She remembered dying.
She remembered the pain of falling from the hotel terrace while the people she loved watched without saving her.
And yet—
she was here.
Alive.
Back in the past.
The hospital room door suddenly opened.
"Selina!"
Livia entered first, relief washing across her elegant face. Damian followed behind her while Rowan carried flowers casually.
And then—
Elara.
The moment Selina saw her, her body stiffened instinctively.
Her sister smiled softly. "You scared us."
The familiar voice sent ice through Selina's veins.
Because now she remembered everything.
The lies.
The jealousy.
The betrayal.
The push.
For a horrifying second, Selina could almost feel the rooftop wind against her skin again.
And somewhere inside those memories—
silver eyes stared at her through the rain.
Her face went pale.
"Selina?" Rowan frowned slightly. "Are you okay?"
She stared at them silently.
The family she had loved endlessly.
The people who abandoned her without hesitation.
Livia moved closer worriedly. "Why are you looking at us like that?"
Selina lowered her eyes quietly.
Nothing was wrong anymore.
Because this time—
she finally understood the truth.
A strange silence filled the room.
Usually, Selina would smile immediately.
Reassure everyone.
Apologize for worrying them.
But now she simply sat there quietly, emotionless.
Elara stepped closer to the bed. "The doctor said you'll be discharged tomorrow."
Selina didn't answer.
Damian frowned faintly at her silence.
"You should be more careful," he said coldly. "Throwing yourself into traffic was reckless."
The words made something inside her ache bitterly.
Even now.
Even after risking her life to save someone.
That was all he had to say.
A nurse entered holding paperwork. "The child's parents called earlier. They wanted to thank Miss Vale personally."
Rowan smiled lightly. "Still saving people, huh?"
Selina looked out the window instead.
Rain tapped softly against the glass.
In her previous life, she would've walked out of this hospital and continued giving pieces of herself away to everyone around her.
Helping Elara.
Supporting the family.
Loving people who never truly loved her back.
But not this time.
This time—
she would stop sacrificing herself for people who watched her die.
Livia gently touched her forehead. "You've been so quiet since waking up."
Selina finally looked at her mother.
And for the first time—
there was no warmth left in her eyes.
"I'm tired," she said softly.
But what she truly meant was:
I won't love you anymore.