The biggest laughingstock of Meridian City, Aria Vale, was dead.
She died on her birthday.
Just before her death, her own sister, Liana Vale, tricked her into signing an organ donation form, then dragged her onto an operating table. No anaesthesia. They carved out every usable organ while she was still conscious—torturing her to death in the most brutal way.
As for Victor Loann, the man she thought she loved? After swindling her out of the inheritance her mother left her, he turned around and gave it to Liana—as an engagement gift.
And there those two were, kissing right in front of her lifeless body, wrapped around each other and mocking her without a shred of remorse.
It was only in her final moments that she finally saw that trash couple for what they were.
She realized then that the only person who ever truly cared for her was Damian Cross.
He never cared that everyone called her "slow"; he married her just to keep her safe and give her a happy life. And what did she do? She killed him—with her own hands—by poisoning his drink.
In that last second, everything became painfully clear to Aria. She had been so, so wrong.
"Damian Cross... If there's a next life, I swear I'll protect you."
"Damian!"
Aria jolted awake from the nightmare, tears streaming unchecked down her face. The searing pain, as if her heart had been torn out, still twisted deep inside, making her whole body tremble.
She looked around, stunned. No cold metal table, no blood-spattered walls—she was back in the Vale Estate. In that tacky, over-the-top bedroom they called "fancy."
But... wasn't she dead?
"Mom, there's no way I'm marrying Damian Cross! They say he's hideous, cruel, and hates women! Who knows how I'd end up if I married him!"
"I'm the medical prodigy of Meridian City! I'm destined for greatness—why would I waste myself on some powerless, ugly nobody? If I marry anyone, it'll be the future heir of the Cross Consortium!"
A shrill voice pierced through the air from downstairs.
Liana.
The woman Aria wanted to tear apart with her bare hands.
Was she saying she didn't want to marry Damian?
Wait...
Aria scrambled over to the calendar.
The date stared back at her—exactly one year earlier.
It hit her then.
She had come back.
Back to the night before they drugged her, knocked her out, and forced her to marry Damian in Liana's place.
Damian Cross… Damian…
Memories flooded her—each one sharper and more painful than the last. Just hearing his name felt like a knife twisting in her chest.
Her lashes trembled; fresh tears welled in her eyes.
Damian, this time, I'll marry you. And I'll protect you, no matter what.
She caught her reflection in the vanity mirror—and nearly laughed out loud at the absurdity. Dressed in clashing red and green, face slathered in clownish makeup.
She used to believe Liana's "styling" made her look like a fairy. Now? All she saw was a joke. Wait... her mind felt clear. Sharp.
The six-year-old mentality she'd been trapped with in her past life was gone. She was fully herself again.
Good. Now she could make them pay—for what they did to her, and to Damian.
Seated before the mirror, Aria began wiping off the makeup, her eyes glinting with cold intent.
She wasn't the foolish Aria Vale anymore—she was a ghost returned from hell, and she had a score to settle.
Liana Vale, Victor Loann, and every last Vale who drove her mother to her death...
None of them would escape.
She would ruin them. All of them.
Voices rose from downstairs again but quieted quickly.
Then—knock, knock, knock.
The door swung open after the most half-hearted knock imaginable. Celeste Monroe and Liana strolled in like they owned the room.
They froze when they saw Aria removing her makeup.
Since when did she ever want it off?
Celeste recovered quickly, sliding into her sweet-and-loving-mother act. She stepped forward, oozing fake warmth.
"Sweetheart, you know your sister is supposed to marry Damian Cross, don't you? But she's still so young... not ready to settle down. She thought maybe you could take her place?"
"The Cross family is one of the most powerful in Meridian City. If you marry into that family, you'll want for nothing—all the food, clothes, and servants you could dream of. How does that sound?"
Aria almost laughed in their faces.
In her last life, she'd heard some ridiculous rumours about Damian and threw a fit to get out of the marriage.
She cried, screamed, refused—and what did it get her? Drugged and shipped off to Damian's private island that very night.
Not this time.
Now, with her mind clear and her purpose firm, she knew exactly how to play these vicious snakes.
So she'd keep playing the fool. Let the games begin.
A flash of icy rage passed through her wide, doll-like eyes—but she masked it instantly.
She turned to them with a vacant, silly smile.
"Mom, sis, don't look super cute like this?"
Liana's eyes swept over Aria's freshly cleansed face—delicate and pure—and a flicker of jealousy tightened her expression.
She clenched her fist subtly, then joined Celeste in pouring on the fake sugar.
"So pretty! Absolutely beautiful!"
They'd all forgotten that before Aria "lost her mind," she was both smarter and more beautiful than Liana could ever hope to be.
But now? The world only knew Aria Vale as Meridian City's dumb, ugly, shameless joke.
And Liana? She was the "number one beauty," the "medical genius."
"Since Aria's so pretty, she's definitely the right one to marry Damian Cross!" Liana chirped, sweet as poisoned honey.
Aria beamed, playing the airhead thrilled by the "praise."
Her instant agreement caught Liana completely off guard.
"But sis, what about Victor?" Liana prodded, watching her closely. "I thought you were crazy about him."
Aria pouted, feigning annoyance.
"But you said I'm pretty! Someone as pretty as me should marry Damian! Obviously! I'm gonna be a queen with, like, a million maids!"
She hammed up the vanity and ignorance, earning hidden sneers from both women. Did this idiot really think she'd live some fairy tale at the Crosses?
She'd be lucky to survive the week.
Originally, they planned to drug her and force her onto the wedding transport if she refused.
But this? This was even better.
She said yes herself—no extra steps needed.
Night fell.
The world went still.
Lying in bed, Aria sorted through her memories.
She recalled the night before she was married off to Damian, her father, Celeste, Liana, and even Victor had all come sniffing around for her mother's hidden fortune.
Truth was, she didn't know where her mother had hidden the money.
But if they wanted it so badly... she'd make sure they enjoyed it in hell.
Suddenly—
Her eyes snapped open, sharp and alert. Someone was here.
The footsteps were almost silent, but they didn't escape her newly clear senses.
She slipped quietly out of bed, the silver needles her mother gave her already in hand—ready to strike.
Evelyn Hert, Aria's mother, had been the most renowned doctor in Meridian City. She taught Aria everything she knew as a child.
After losing her mind, Aria couldn't carry on her legacy. But now that she was back—fully aware and deadly precise—there was no reason to hold back.
Just as she was about to strike, a dark figure vaulted through the window, pinning her firmly to the bed.
Aria struggled on instinct—until she felt the solid chest against hers and heard his ragged breathing near her ear. That familiar presence made her freeze, eyes welling up instantly.
She'd know him anywhere.
His lips brushed her ear, breath warm and unsteady. His voice was low, rough, yet undeniably compelling—and heartbreakingly familiar.
"Help me," he whispered.