"Sign it."
The pen hit the table with a sharp crack.
I stared at the marriage contract in front of me, my hands shaking—not from fear, but from rage.
I had seen this document before.
Every word.
Every clause.
Because in my last life, I signed it.
And I died because of it.
"Why are you hesitating?" my stepmother snapped, arms crossed, red nails tapping impatiently. "This is your chance to save the Liu family. Don't act like you have a choice."
Across from her, my father didn't look at me. He kept his eyes on the tea cup as if it were more important than his daughter's life.
"You're marrying into the Lu family," he said coldly. "That's an honor."
An honor.
I almost laughed.
Three minutes ago, I had been lying in a hospital bed, choking on blood, my vision fading as machines screamed around me.
Now I was back here.
The Lu family villa.
The forced marriage meeting.
The day my life ended the first time.
I looked down at my hands.
No IV lines.
No scars.
Young. Whole.
I was reborn.
And I was not signing this again.
"I won't," I said.
The room froze.
My stepmother's eyes widened. "What did you say?"
"I said I won't sign it." I pushed the contract back across the table. "Find someone else."
My father finally looked up. His expression hardened. "Liu Yuting, don't be ridiculous."
Ridiculous?
In my previous life, I had signed this contract and married Lu Zhen—the ruthless billionaire heir everyone feared. A cold, distant man who treated marriage like a business merger.
Six months later, I was dead.
Official cause: illness.
Real cause: silenced.
And the people sitting in front of me had collected the compensation money with tears in their eyes.
"I know exactly what this marriage is," I said calmly. "A contract wife. One year. No love. No protection. I disappear afterward."
My stepmother slammed the table. "Watch your mouth!"
"You're selling me," I shot back. "For Lu Zhen's investment."
Silence dropped again.
Then a slow clap echoed from the doorway.
Clap.
Clap.
Clap.
"Interesting."
A deep male voice cut through the tension.
My heart skipped.
I knew that voice.
I turned.
Lu Zhen stood there.
Tall. Black suit. Sharp eyes that looked like they could strip lies bare in seconds. His presence alone changed the air in the room.
In my last life, I had only seen him twice before the wedding.
This time, he was early.
"So this is the woman you're offering me?" Lu Zhen said coolly. "She has teeth."
My stepmother forced a smile. "Mr. Lu, she's just nervous—"
"I'm not nervous," I interrupted.
Lu Zhen's gaze snapped to me.
For the first time, our eyes met.
Something flickered in his expression. Surprise? Interest?
"You're refusing the marriage," he said, more statement than question.
"Yes."
The room erupted.
"Yuting!"
"Apologize!"
"You're embarrassing us!"
Lu Zhen raised a hand.
Instant silence.
He walked toward me, each step deliberate, expensive shoes clicking against marble. He stopped right in front of me, close enough that I could smell clean cologne and danger.
"Do you know what happens when you refuse me?" he asked quietly.
"I know what happens when I accept," I replied. "I die."
The words slipped out before I could stop them.
The room gasped.
My father stood up. "Enough! Mr. Lu, ignore her nonsense. She'll sign."
"No," Lu Zhen said.
He leaned closer, his voice low. "Explain."
I swallowed.
I couldn't tell him the truth. Rebirth sounded insane.
So I changed tactics.
"This contract benefits you," I said. "But it destroys me. If you want a wife who won't cause trouble, I'm the worst choice."
A pause.
Then Lu Zhen smiled.
It wasn't warm.
It was sharp.
"That's exactly why you're the best choice."
My pulse spiked. "What?"
He turned to my family. "Leave us."
My stepmother hesitated. "Mr. Lu—"
"I wasn't asking."
They left.
The door closed.
Only the two of us remained.
Lu Zhen picked up the contract, flipping through it slowly. "You know the terms too well for someone seeing this for the first time."
"I read fast."
He stopped on the last page. "Clause seventeen. Confidentiality. Lifetime."
I stiffened.
In my last life, this clause had been added after I signed.
"You remembered that," he said softly.
My breath caught.
He stepped closer again. "Tell me, Liu Yuting… why are you afraid of becoming my wife?"
Because in my last life, you watched me die without blinking.
Because I was disposable to you.
Because I trusted everyone—and paid for it.
"I'm not afraid of you," I said instead. "I'm afraid of being powerless."
Lu Zhen studied my face for a long moment.
Then he reached into his jacket.
My body tensed.
He pulled out a thin folder and dropped it on the table.
"Then you should see this," he said.
I opened it.
Medical reports.
Photos.
An autopsy summary.
My name was on it.
Date of death: six months from now.
Cause: acute poisoning.
My vision blurred.
"This…" My voice shook. "This is fake."
"Is it?" Lu Zhen said calmly. "Because this file crossed my desk yesterday."
I looked up at him, terror creeping into my chest.
"You were murdered," he continued. "After becoming my wife."
My fingers trembled over the paper.
"I don't understand," I whispered.
Lu Zhen bent down until his lips were near my ear.
"Marry me," he said. "And this time, we'll find out who killed you."
I froze.
Then he added, softly—
"Welcome back, Mrs. Lu."
The world tilted.
He knew.
And before I could ask how—
The lights went out.