The crystal chandeliers sparkled above, showering the ballroom in golden light.
Waiters moved gracefully between clusters of socialites, their silver trays balancing glasses of champagne that gleamed like liquid gold.
Music swelled from the string quartet in the corner, elegant and refined, while laughter rippled across the sea of gowns and tuxedos.
It was the perfect picture of high society—opulent, polished, and untouchable.
But, Celine Fallon felt cold.
Her bare shoulders were wrapped in a diamond-studded shawl, but no warmth reached her bones.
She stood beside her husband, Liams Chen, the man she had once given everything to. Tall, sharp-suited, with eyes like frozen steel, he looked every bit the star of the night.
The elite whispered his name with reverence and fear—the ruthless CEO who built an empire from nothing.
And her? She was the wife he never looked at twice.
Celine's lips curved into a gentle smile as socialites greeted them, her etiquette flawless.
"Mrs. Chen, you're radiant tonight." "How fortunate you are to stand beside President Chen." Compliments slid past her ears like water, meaningless and hollow. Her hand trembled against her glass as she lifted it to her lips.
Something was wrong tonight.
She could feel it—the way Liams' gaze slid past her as if she were invisible, the way her younger sister, Serina, lingered too close to him, her laughter too soft, too intimate. Even her so-called best friend, Vivian, was there, her hand brushing Liams' arm in what looked like casual gestures but weren't.
Every instinct screamed danger.
Excusing herself with a polite smile, Celine slipped into the hallway behind the banquet hall.
The sound of music and laughter dimmed behind her, replaced by the muted hush of marble corridors and the faint echo of her heels against the polished floor.
Then she froze.
"Don't worry," Vivian's familiar tone rang softly, sly amusement dripping from every syllable.
"She's too naïve to notice. By tomorrow, she'll be out of the picture."
"Finally," Serina chuckled, her voice light with triumph.
"Once she's gone, the Fallon shares will fall to me. And Liams…" Her tone lowered, dripping with desire. "He deserves better anyway."
The world tilted.
Celine's fingers dug into the wall, her heart pounding painfully in her chest.
Her sister. Her best friend. Both conspiring in whispers like knives pressed against her spine. And Liams—Liams had said nothing. He hadn't defended her. He hadn't cared about her.
Her chest tightened as realization struck.
The strange chill in Liams' eyes, the way he had insisted she attend tonight's gala, the unease that had plagued her since she'd stepped into the ballroom—
This is a trap.
Her breaths came sharp and shallow, each one cutting like broken glass.
Years of loyalty, of devotion, of love… and this was her reward.
She stumbled backward, desperate to confront him, to demand why. But before she could step inside, strong hands shoved her from behind.
Her scream never reached the air.
The crash of shattering glass echoed as her body slammed through the railing. In an instant, the glittering lights of the chandeliers fractured above her, spinning, blurring, until they became a kaleidoscope of cruel brilliance.
Gasps filled the ballroom. Faces blurred above her as she fell, their painted expressions frozen in horror.
Cold. So cold.
Her body struck the marble floor, pain exploding like fire before fading into numbness.
Metallic tang filled her mouth as blood bubbled on her lips. She could taste the end.
Somewhere in the chaos, Liams' deep voice cut through, cold and commanding. "Call the doctor. Secure the exits." Orders barked like an executive in a boardroom.
But not once did he call her name.
Tears slipped from the corner of her eyes. Her gaze, growing dim, searched for the man she had once believed in, the man she had loved so desperately. But when she found him, he wasn't reaching for her.
He wasn't even looking.
Liams Chen already turned his back.
Her heart shattered with the last of her strength.
She thought of the years she had wasted—protecting her family's fragile dignity, enduring society's whispers, clinging to the illusion of love from a man who had never truly seen her.
She thought of Serina's laughter, Vivian's betrayal, Liams' cold indifference.
All of it… for nothing.
Her vision darkened, swallowing the chandeliers, the screams, the chaos.
If I could live again, she thought bitterly, I would never be this foolish. I would never love him. I would never trust them. I would take everything back with my own hands.
The last thing she saw was Liams' retreating figure as the lights faded completely.
——
When her eyes flew open, Celine gasped for air.
Her lungs burned as if she had clawed her way out of drowning. She sat upright, clutching her chest.
No blood. No shattered glass. Only the frantic pounding of her heart.
Her gaze darted around the room, wild and desperate. Pale pink curtains framed the windows, swaying gently in the night breeze. The vanity stood against the wall, lined with untouched perfumes in delicate glass bottles. A familiar floral wallpaper surrounded her, faded with age.
Her old bedroom.
Her childhood room in the Fallon family estate.
Her hands trembled as she stumbled toward the desk. A folded newspaper sat neatly on the corner, as though waiting for her. Her eyes locked on the date printed at the top.
Five years earlier.
Her breath caught, her pulse racing. This was the day before her engagement to Liams Chen.
The day her life had begun to spiral into the nightmare that ended in betrayal and blood.
Celine's fingers tightened around the edge of the desk until her knuckles turned white.
A thousand emotions churned inside her—shock, disbelief, fury, grief—but rising above them all was a dark, thrilling clarity.
Rebirth.
She had been given another chance.
Her lips curved slowly into a smile that held nothing of the naïve girl she had once been. It was sharp, cold, and dangerous.
"This time," she whispered into the silence, her voice trembling with promise.
This time, she would not be the pawn.
This time, she would not be his shadow.
This time, she would burn them all.
And for the first time in years, Celine Fallon felt truly alive.