Chapter 2

The knowledge settled in her bones, cold and heavy. She was back. Back on her wedding day, just hours before the public humiliation, before the imprisonment, before the loss of her child. The universe had rewound the tape, and now she was staring at the man who would destroy her, his face filled with a concern that she now knew was a complete lie.

She remembered the first time this had happened. Olivia Chen' s dramatic suicide attempt. Liam, torn by a guilt he' d carried since their childhood, had rushed to be her hero. He' d told Ava it was just an obligation, a final act to appease a fragile woman before they started their life together. Ava had believed him. She had waited, a fool in a white dress, while he played savior to another woman. The media had a field day, painting Olivia as the tragic victim and Liam as the noble man caught between two women. And Ava? Ava was the villain who drove the poor, heartbroken girl to the brink.

It was a perfect narrative, one Liam and his family carefully cultivated. They cast her as an orphan with no background, a nobody who had gotten lucky by catching the eye of a tech mogul. They whispered that she was a gold-digger, and after the wedding disaster, the whispers became headlines. Liam never defended her. In fact, he used it to control her.

"You see what you' ve done, Ava?" he had said to her in that penthouse prison, his voice laced with disappointment. "You pushed her too hard. You have to understand, Olivia is my responsibility. I owe her. You should be more gracious."

He had framed their entire relationship as his act of charity. He had "saved" her from a life of obscurity. He had given her everything. And her part of the deal was to be endlessly grateful and never question him. Especially not about Olivia. Loving him meant accepting his twisted bond with another woman. It meant accepting a cage.

Not this time.

A new plan began to form in her mind, sharp and clear. In her past life, she had fought it. She had cried, she had pleaded, she had demanded he choose her. That was her mistake. She had played the part of the jealous fiancée, and it had led her straight to her doom. This time, she would play a different role. She would use his guilt, his obsession with Olivia, against him.

She looked up at him, forcing the tears from her memory into her eyes. She let her lip tremble. "Oh, Liam. Is she okay?"

Liam looked relieved that she wasn't angry. "I don' t know. She' s on a rooftop. She says she can' t live without me." He ran a hand through his perfectly styled hair, a gesture of frustration. "I have to go to her, Ava. I' m so sorry. This is a mess."

He was already preparing for a fight, for her tears and accusations. He expected her to make this about her.

"Of course, you have to go," she said, her voice soft and full of understanding. She reached out and took his hand, her touch gentle. "Liam, a person' s life is at stake. The wedding can wait. Nothing is more important than Olivia' s safety."

Liam stared at her, completely stunned. His mouth opened and closed, but no words came out. This was not the reaction he had anticipated. He had a whole speech prepared about duty and responsibility, a speech designed to manage her emotions and placate her. Now, it was useless.

"Ava?" he said, his voice laced with disbelief. "You… you' re okay with this?"

"Okay with it?" She gave a small, sad smile. "I' m not happy that our wedding day is being ruined, of course. But Liam, I love you. And I know how much Olivia means to you. I know the guilt you carry. If something happened to her because you were here with me… you would never forgive yourself. And I would never forgive myself for that."

She was playing the part of the perfect, selfless, understanding partner. The woman he always claimed he wanted.

He looked at her, his expression shifting from surprise to a deep, moving gratitude. He saw this as the ultimate test of her love, of her worthiness. In his twisted mind, her willingness to sacrifice her own happiness for his "duty" to Olivia proved she was the right choice after all. It validated him.

"Ava," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "I… I don' t deserve you."

You' re right, she thought, a cold satisfaction spreading through her. You don' t.

The wedding planner knocked on the door, her face a mask of panic. "Mr. Maxwell? Mrs. Maxwell? The guests are all arriving. We need to start on time."

Ava looked at Liam, her eyes wide with mock concern. "You have to go. Now. Don' t worry about the wedding. Don' t worry about me. Just go and make sure she' s safe. That' s all that matters."

He was completely won over. He leaned in and kissed her forehead, a gesture of profound respect. "I' ll be back as soon as I can. I promise. We' ll fix this."

"Go," she urged, pushing him gently towards the door.

He gave her one last, grateful look and then rushed out of the room, leaving her alone with the untouched breakfast and the pristine white dress.

The moment the door clicked shut, the tears in her eyes vanished. The soft, understanding expression on her face hardened into a mask of cold resolve.

He thought this was a test of her love. He was wrong.

This was the first step of her revenge.