The Lawrence mansion was unusually quiet that morning.
Too quiet.
Cassiopeia Lawrence sat at the long breakfast table, sunlight falling gently over her untouched meal. She looked calm, elegant, perfectly composed.
Inside, she was calculating.
Five days.
Five days until the board meeting.
Five days until her father would be pressured into transferring decision-making shares.
Five days until history tried to repeat itself.
Not this time.
Her step-sister walked into the dining room, phone in hand, her smile perfectly arranged.
"You're up early," she said warmly.
Cassiopeia lifted her gaze and gave a soft smile. "I couldn't sleep."
A flicker of satisfaction passed through her step-sister's eyes before it disappeared behind concern.
"You shouldn't worry about company matters," she said gently. "Father's advisors are handling everything."
Advisors.
Cassiopeia remembered them clearly.
Two were bribed.
One was threatened.
And one simply followed whoever paid more.
She nodded obediently. "You're right. I trust you."
The lie slid off her tongue smoothly.
---
Later that afternoon, Cassiopeia returned to her bedroom and quietly locked the door.
She sat at her desk and opened her laptop.
In her previous life, she never checked the voting structure herself. She relied on trust.
This time, she relied on data.
She reviewed shareholder percentages.
Private funding changes.
Recent investment movements.
And then she saw it.
One of the largest voting members had recently secured new foreign backing.
Foreign.
That wasn't how it happened before.
In her past life, that backing came from the man she loved.
Now the funding source was different.
Bigger.
Stronger.
More discreet.
Cassiopeia leaned back slowly.
The timeline was shifting.
But she hadn't made a move yet.
So who had?
---
Across the ocean, snow fell against the glass walls of a private office in Russia.
Inside, Ivan stood in silence, a tablet resting in his hand.
On the screen was a detailed profile.
Cassiopeia Lawrence.
Family assets.
Board vulnerabilities.
Step-sister alliances.
He had studied everything.
"Withdraw the previous investor," Ivan said calmly.
His assistant hesitated. "Sir, that will destabilize the vote."
Ivan's expression remained cold. "That's the point."
Within minutes, contracts were terminated.
Partnerships dissolved.
Legal pressure applied through international channels.
By evening, a key supporter of Cassiopeia's step-sister received notice of a financial investigation.
The investor quietly stepped back from the board vote.
Ivan placed the tablet down.
She was moving differently this time.
Careful.
Alert.
Watching.
In her previous life, she had trusted too easily.
Now, she was cautious.
He found that… intriguing.
---
Back at the Lawrence mansion, Cassiopeia received a financial alert.
One of the major investors had withdrawn support from the upcoming vote.
Her fingers froze over the keyboard.
That was not supposed to happen.
She had memorized the timeline of betrayal.
This was new.
A knock sounded at her door.
"Cassie?" her step-sister's voice was slightly tense.
Cassiopeia closed her laptop gently. "Come in."
Her step-sister entered, her expression controlled but tight around the edges.
"Did you hear about Mr. Han?" she asked casually.
Cassiopeia widened her eyes in innocent surprise. "No. What happened?"
"He's stepping back from the board vote. Personal reasons."
Personal reasons.
Cassiopeia lowered her gaze. "That's unfortunate."
Inside, her thoughts sharpened.
This wasn't her doing.
She had only been observing.
So who was interfering?
Her step-sister studied her closely, searching for suspicion or awareness.
But Cassiopeia's expression remained soft. Unthreatening.
"If you're worried," her step-sister added slowly, "I'll handle it."
Cassiopeia gave a gentle nod.
"I know you will."
The door closed.
Silence filled the room.
For the first time, her step-sister's plan had cracked.
And Cassiopeia hadn't even lifted a finger.
---
That night, Cassiopeia stood by her window, staring into the dark garden below.
The future was no longer unfolding the way she remembered.
Either her rebirth had changed fate…
Or someone powerful was rewriting it.
She didn't know which possibility unsettled her more.
Thousands of miles away, Ivan sat alone in his office as another report arrived.
"Initial disruption successful," his assistant informed him.
Ivan's gaze remained distant.
He remembered her smile from years ago.
Bright.
Unaware.
Devoted to the wrong man.
He had watched her fall once.
He would not allow it again.
"Continue monitoring the board," he said quietly.
"Yes, sir."
The call ended.
Ivan leaned back, eyes dark.
Every path that once led to Cassiopeia Lawrence's destruction…
Now passed through him first.
Unaware of the invisible hand shifting the world around her, Cassiopeia whispered softly into the night:
"This time… I will win."
Somewhere far away, a cold voice answered in silence:
"I already have."