Chapter 2 She Had Returned To Three Years Ago

"Coralie, since your heart is so set on Ryland, I'll go speak with his family today. As for this Cara... I have my ways of dealing with her."

As consciousness rushed back, a painfully familiar voice echoed in Coralie's ears.

Her eyes snapped open. Her breath came in ragged gasps, her skin still burning as if engulfed in flames.

But all around her was the familiar luxury of the Lawson family's living room. There was no fire. And there was no Ryland.

What was going on? Hadn't she burned to death?

"Coralie? Why are you just staring like that?"

Her father, Richard Lawson, frowned at her. The soft overhead lighting highlighted the deep concern etched into his features.

She stared at her long-deceased father, who was now standing alive and well right in front of her.

Coralie's breath hitched, her eyes instantly welling with tears.

"Dad..."

The word caught in her throat. Tears spilled over as she threw herself forward, wrapping her arms tightly around Richard. She sobbed until her entire body shook, weeping out all the bitter regrets and agony of her past life.

"Coralie?" Startled by her intense reaction, Richard patted her back uncertainly. "What's wrong, sweetheart? Are you feeling ill? How about we put this matter off for another day..."

Coralie shook her head.

She wiped her tears and pulled back. Spread out on the table in front of her was a document—a marriage agreement drafted three years ago. The terms were simple: the moment she married, she would officially inherit control of the company. And only after three years of marriage would her husband be entitled to joint control.

Then it dawned on her. She had returned to three years ago, the exact day she was supposed to choose her fiancé.

In her previous life, she had flipped through a stack of profiles of young men from prominent families and chosen Ryland without a second thought.

Her reasoning had been simple: when she had nearly frozen to death in the snow as a child, Ryland had been the one to save her.

Her father had warned her. He'd told her that the Morgan family's influence was waning, that Ryland was a cold and ruthless man, and that his heart already belonged to someone else.

But she hadn't listened to a single word, stubbornly declaring that she would marry no one but him.

Unable to deny his precious daughter, her father had gone to the Morgan family that very day. Given the Lawson family's immense power and wealth at the time, the Morgans had agreed to the alliance without hesitation, even going so far as to send Cara abroad.

Ryland had initially refused the arrangement. But later, when her father died abruptly in a car accident, Ryland had uncharacteristically stepped up. He had comforted her with unexpected gentleness and even fended off her greedy uncles who tried to seize the company's assets.

She had foolishly believed Ryland genuinely cared for her, and joyfully married the man she had loved since childhood, only to end up paying for that mistake with her life.

As the memories of her past life flooded her mind, a dark, venomous hatred surged in Coralie's eyes.

"Dad."

Coralie clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms.

"I'm not choosing Ryland."

For a moment, Richard just stared, wondering if he had misheard.

His daughter had been chasing after Ryland since she was twelve years old. Just a few days ago, she had gotten into a screaming match with him over the man, claiming she would rather die than marry anyone else.

Why the sudden change of heart?

"What did you say?"

"I said, I'm not choosing him anymore." Coralie reached past the top profiles and pulled out a photo buried at the very bottom of the stack. Her tone was absolute. "I choose Connor Mitchell."

If Richard had been confused a moment ago, he was now in a state of absolute shock.

"That cripple, Connor?" Richard paused, swallowing the harsh words he was about to add. "Coralie, didn't you use to hate him more than anyone?"

In truth, Coralie had never actually hated Connor in her past life. She had only disliked him because Ryland despised him.

But in the end, when she was left to die, Connor had been the only one who rushed into the roaring flames to save her.

She opened her mouth to explain, but a sudden commotion erupted outside the living room doors.

"Get out of my way! I'm going to make things crystal clear to her face today!"

At the sound of that voice, Coralie's jaw tightened, a cold fury washing over her.

It was Ryland.

In her previous life, the moment Ryland found out she had asked her father to propose a marriage alliance, he had brought Cara straight to the Lawson Estate to make a scene. Right in front of a room full of servants, he had thoroughly and ruthlessly humiliated her.

Richard's face instantly darkened. "Coralie, go upstairs. I will handle this."

"No need, Dad." Coralie let out a cold, hollow laugh. "I'll handle him myself."

She pulled the doors open and found Ryland standing in the foyer, dressed in a sharp suit. Tall and undeniably handsome, he had one arm wrapped tightly around his sweetheart, shielding her with an air of absolute protectiveness.

As Coralie stared at the very man who had left her to burn in her past life, a murderous hatred flared in her eyes.

The moment he saw Coralie, Ryland tipped his chin up and sneered.

"Coralie, I'm making this clear in front of everyone today. The only woman I love is Cara."

Coralie suppressed the urge to tear him apart. Instead, she simply raised an eyebrow, looking at him as if he were nothing more than a pathetic clown.

Ryland, however, mistook her silence for fear. He scoffed. "I have absolutely zero interest in you. If you have any dignity left, you'll drop this ridiculous marriage idea and—"

"Who said I was going to marry you?" Coralie cut him off, her voice slicing through the air like ice.

Under Ryland's astonished gaze, she slowly walked forward, tilting her head with a mocking smile.

"Did you really think you were my only choice?"