Chapter 1 Chapter 1

My mother sat gracefully on the living room sofa, beckoning me over with a wave of her hand. The housekeeper stepped forward and placed a silver tray filled with photographs in front of me. "Pick one, darling. My precious Via deserves only the very best man this world has to offer." Each photo on the tray was of an exceptional young man—carefully selected by my mother. All Ivy League graduates. All boasting seven-figure annual incomes. But one face was conspicuously absent. Robert Black. In my previous life, even after death, my resentment couldn't rest. My spirit lingered next to my corpse, hatred threatening to twist me into something monstrous. No one came to claim my body—no one except Robert. Despite the stench of the river, he pulled me from the water himself. His tears fell onto my cold, lifeless face, scalding my soul. He gave me a real funeral. Then, wielding every resource at his disposal, he destroyed Mark. And when everything was over, he stood at my grave and ended his own life with a bullet. That memory burned in my mind. I pushed the tray aside and rose to my feet. "Mom, I want to marry Robert Black." The teacup in her hand slipped, shattering on the floor. "Via, do you even hear yourself? That man is disfigured, violent, and cruel. You cannot ruin your life over a fit of spite!" I met her gaze, firm and unwavering. "I love him. I want no one else but him." Silence suffocated the room. My mother let out a long, weary sigh. "Very well. This is your choice. But you are my daughter, and I won't let anyone mistreat you." Clutching the prenuptial agreement she had just signed, I stepped out of the Anderson Building, barely able to contain my excitement. Only to run straight into Mark and Sofia in the lobby. Sofia pretended not to see me and walked directly toward me—shoulder squared, head high—until I casually sidestepped. She stumbled forward, falling hard onto the marble floor. "Miss Anderson," she whimpered, "if I've offended you, then insult me all you want. But why… why would you have someone cripple my brother?" Mark rushed to help her up, then glanced at the documents in my hand. Disgust flickered across his face. "I thought you were above all this. Turns out, you're so desperate you ran crying to your mother to arrange a match for you. Let me be clear—if you don't apologize to Sofia right now, I wouldn't marry a vicious woman like you even if you got down on your knees and begged." Sofia clutched Mark's sleeve, looking pitiful. "Mark, don't fight with Miss Anderson over me. It's all my fault..." And then, to everyone's surprise, she dropped to her knees in front of me. "Miss Anderson, I know you're rich and powerful. Snuffing me out would be as easy as crushing an ant. But my brother... he's innocent. Please, I beg you, show mercy." She deliberately slammed her forehead against the marble. A red, swollen bump immediately appeared. Mark helped her up, glaring at me as if I were a monster. "Via, do you think being an Anderson means you can do whatever you want? Apologize. Pay for her brother's medical bills. And when you marry me, you'll accept Sofia as my personal assistant. That's the least you owe her." I watched their performance coldly. Without a word, the bodyguards behind me stepped forward. Smack. Smack. Each landed a slap—one for Mark, one for Sofia. Sofia screamed. Mark staggered, clutching his face in disbelief. "Did your people just hit me?!" The bodyguard glared. "Consider two slaps a mercy for harassing Miss Anderson." I waved a hand dismissively and looked at Mark. How had I ever thought that face was handsome, even charming? "Did you think I'd planned on marrying you?" I sneered. "Did you really think the name on this prenuptial agreement was yours?" Mark lifted his chin, full of misplaced confidence. "Who else would it be? You chased me for three years. You even delayed your IPO just to wait for me. Who else could that agreement be for?" A soft chuckle escaped me. "Keep dreaming." His pupils shrank. He stared at me for a long moment before Sofia tugged at his sleeve, snapping him out of his daze. "Via," he scoffed. "So this is your game of hard-to-get? You really think this'll make me fall for you?" I couldn't be bothered wasting another second. I motioned to security. "Get them out. And put up a sign at the entrance that says: Mark West and animals are not allowed inside.""Yes, Miss Anderson." My assistant, Kate, was visibly holding back tears. "Miss Anderson, you've finally come to your senses..." Hatred boiled in my chest. These two had destroyed me in my past life. This time... it would be their turn to go to hell. The very next day, I went to a private clinic on Long Island—home to the best reconstructive surgeons in the country. I was here to fix the scars on Robert's face. Following the garden path to the hot spring pool, I turned a corner... and froze at the scene before me.

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

A pale, frail-looking stranger was lying in my private hot spring. Sofia, dressed in nothing but a bikini, was curled up in Mark's arms as he sketched her. Every page of his sketchbook captured her sultry, flirtatious poses. When he grew tired of drawing, Sofia lifted a champagne glass to Mark's lips. "Baby, try this... Is it chilled enough?" Mark drank lazily from her hand, then sprawled comfortably on my private lounge chair, pulling Sofia onto his lap. "Mark... you brought my brother here for hydrotherapy without permission. Won't Via be mad if she finds out?" Sofia asked, feigning concern. Mark scoffed. "Once she marries me, I'll be the Anderson family's son-in-law. Everything she owns becomes marital property. What's a hot spring? Does she even dare complain?" Sofia giggled sweetly, tightening her arms around his neck. The two were seconds away from getting intimate right there on my lounge chair. Kate's furious voice rang out. "You've gone too far!" Mark jolted upright when he saw me. He shoved Sofia aside, his face twisting with disgust. "Who said you could come here?""This is my private wellness resort. Since when do I need anyone's permission to show up?" My gaze swept over the million-dollar hot spring I'd built with painstaking care, now desecrated by them. Rage burned in my chest. "Security! Throw that stranger out of here!" But none of the security guards moved. They stood there awkwardly, watching Mark for cues instead of me. One veteran guard muttered under his breath, "It's always the same. Miss Anderson raises a fuss, but ends up apologizing to Mr. West anyway. No point sticking our necks out.""Exactly. What rich guy doesn't have a few mistresses these days? Miss Anderson needs to grow up and stop being so petty." Their words stabbed deeper than any knife. In my previous life, it was true—I'd been like someone cursed, utterly enslaved by Mark. Every time we fought, I was the one who ended up crawling back to apologize, pathetic as a beggar. Now, even the staff dared look down on me. Hearing their whispers, Mark pulled Sofia into his arms with a smug grin. "Quit acting like some spoiled little princess. Everyone in New York knows you chased me for the past three years. You're like gum stuck to my shoe. I just can't seem to shake you off." He then swaggered over, attempting to cup my face as if bestowing charity, and leaned in to kiss me. Disgusted, I shoved him away. "Quit pretending to be pure," he sneered. "Isn't this exactly how you want me to treat you?" Trembling with rage, I yanked out my phone and called the police. Then I turned to Kate. "Fire those two guards who disobeyed me. Now. Immediately." The moment they realized I wasn't bluffing, other guards panicked. They scrambled forward, dragging Sofia's brother out of the hot spring. The man flailed, trying to cover himself. "Touch me, and you'll regret it! I'm going to be Mark's brother-in-law!" Sofia rushed to block them. "Don't touch him! Let go of my brother!" Standing by the hot spring, I watched coldly. Then, Sofia suddenly dropped to her knees before me. "Miss Anderson, please... have mercy. Spare my brother." Right after that, she threw herself backward on purpose, falling into the water. Her forehead struck the marble edge with a sickening crack—blood instantly trickled down her face. "Via! Are you insane?!" Mark shouted, storming toward me. He shoved me hard when I wasn't looking. I lost my balance, falling straight into the hot spring. Water rushed into my mouth. I coughed, choking, but my legs cramped, and my body sank deeper. Panic and suffocation seized me. I thrashed, fighting desperately to stay afloat. Kate screamed and jumped in after me, dragging me back to the edge. Meanwhile, Mark carefully scooped Sofia into his arms. As he passed me, he spat, "Via, if you keep being this jealous and cruel to Sofia, I swear—even if you wait till you're forty, I will never marry you!" He ripped off the watch I once gave him and smashed it onto the ground. Then, carrying Sofia, he stormed out without looking back. I sat on the floor, gasping for air. Kate knelt beside me, her voice shaking. "Miss, you're the heir to the Anderson family. How can you let anyone humiliate you like this?" I didn't answer. My eyes were glued to the shattered watch on the floor. Ignoring the sharp shards, I picked it up, blood oozing from my palm. "This... This was my father's keepsake." Kate gasped and frantically searched for the first aid kit. But before she could reach it, a strong hand suddenly grasped my wrist. A man knelt before me, dressed in a dark suit, his face covered by a mask. His deep voice was steady and low. "I'm sorry... I came too late." Robert. With extraordinary care, he cleaned the wounds on my palm and applied medicine. His movements were gentle and precise. "I know... you only said you wanted to marry me to provoke Mark. Tomorrow, I'll speak to your mother and cancel this ridiculous engagement. I won't let you suffer for it." As he pulled his hand away, I caught it tightly. "No. There's no one else. From the beginning, the only person I've ever wanted to marry... is you." Robert stared at me for a long, long moment. Slowly... the tips of his ears turned red.

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

Because of the injury to my hand, I stayed home for a few days to recover. During that time, Robert sent over the best scar treatment available, along with a professional care team—terrified that even the faintest mark might be left on my palm. I often found myself absentmindedly staring at the jar of ointment in my hand, replaying the memory of him tending to my wounds. For the first time in my life, a strange but comforting sense of fulfillment welled up inside me. Noticing the small smile that occasionally tugged at my lips, Kate sighed helplessly. She had just opened her mouth to say something when Jack—Mark's assistant—swaggered into my study without knocking, acting as if he owned the place. Standing there like a boss, he gave a casual nod. "Miss Anderson, Mr. West asked me to inform you that Miss Sofia is pregnant. He needs you to arrange two professional caregivers to look after her." My expression turned ice-cold in an instant. Kate didn't even hesitate—she called for security. "We have a trespasser. Call the police." As the guards stormed in to seize him, Jack glared at me, wide-eyed in disbelief. "You dare touch me? I work for Mr. West! Aren't you afraid of making him angry?" I leveled a cold stare at him. Kate added sharply, "And charge him with verbal harassment while you're at it." Dragged out by security, Jack's voice echoed down the hallway—nothing but curses. Kate was shaking with fury. "Miss, they've gone too far this time!" Calmly, I sipped my coffee. "Don't worry... their arrogance won't last much longer." Before the police even arrived, Mark stormed in, dragging Sofia behind him, both of them brimming with fury. "Via, you are insane! First, you hurt Sofia. Now that she's carrying my child, not only do you refuse to apologize, but you dare lay hands on my assistant?" Without waiting for a response, he grabbed me by the arm, yanked me up from the sofa, and carefully helped Sofia sit down as though she were made of glass. I stumbled and hit the floor. From above, Sofia looked down at me, her voice sweetly venomous. "Miss Anderson, the child I'm carrying is Mark's firstborn. Even if you're jealous, you should show some grace. That's the least a future Mrs. West should know how to do." She stroked her still-flat belly with pride. I stood, raised my hand, and slapped her across the face. Sofia shrieked, collapsing onto the sofa, clutching her cheek in disbelief. "You... you actually hit me?!""Honestly, I feel dirty from touching you." I shot Kate a look. "Get rid of this sofa. It disgusts me." Moments later, a group of workers came in and hauled it away. Sofia's eyes flashed with malice. She clutched her stomach and dove into Mark's arms, wailing, "Mark... she hates me so much... maybe it's better if I just die!" She lunged toward the wall as if to bash her head against it, but Mark caught her mid-sprint. Then he stormed over to me, raised his hand, and slapped me viciously across the face. "You shameless woman! You keep targeting Sofia... did you really think I wouldn't hit you?" I staggered back several steps. My cheek burned, a sharp sting radiating down to my jaw. Blood pooled at the corner of my mouth. "Mark..." I wiped the blood away, staring him dead in the eye. "That slap ends everything between us." Mark frowned, a flicker of unease breaking through his arrogance. "Drop the games. You think this will make me fall in love with you? Spare me the drama." Without another word, I swept the entire tray of coffee cups off the table, sending porcelain shattering across the floor. At that moment, my private security team stormed in, surrounding the study. "Mark West, you are under arrest for assault. Comply immediately." Mark scoffed, remaining still until the guards grabbed his arms and shoved him down. Only then did the reality hit him. "Via! You dare have me arrested?! If you harm me, I swear—you'll never get married in this lifetime!" Sofia stood frozen, her face pale as chalk. The guards ignored his screaming and pinned him to the floor without hesitation. Just as the baton was about to fall, a furious roar echoed from the entrance. "Stop! I dare anyone to lay a hand on my son!"