Chapter 1

For four years, I tried to win the hearts of the crown prince of New York's elite and the brooding, spiritual heir of the Sterling empire.

They made a bet.

The stake was my innocence. The loser would have to stop pursuing their precious childhood sweetheart.

Gideon Sterling, the cold saint, kissed me with tears in his eyes. He whispered that he only wanted to be my loyal dog.

Sebastian Vanderbilt, the golden boy, gave me a protection charm he had prayed for on his knees. He promised to keep me safe forever.

"Sadie, I will marry you," he said.

I believed him. I let him unzip my dress.

At the final moment, Sebastian burst into laughter. Reporters hidden behind the door aimed their cameras at my bare skin.

Gideon was with them. His face was like ice, stripped of all warmth.

"Sebastian, the game is over," Gideon said. "From now on, only I get to pursue Seraphina."

Gideon turned and walked away without a backward glance. He left me to face Sebastian's rage.

Sebastian was furious that I had made him lose the bet. He poured gasoline around the room and locked me inside the hotel.

As the fire roared to life, the world suddenly glitched. My life reset.

1.

When I opened my eyes again, the drug Gideon had given me was already taking effect.

Just like in my past life, he held me tight. He showered my neck with soft, frantic kisses.

"Sadie, seeing you suffer hurts more than cutting out my own heart," he whispered.

His hands slowly pulled at my gown. He looked at me with fake expectation.

"Are you willing? I'll marry you."

In my past life, those words made me overflow with joy. I had clung to him, ready to give him everything.

But I knew better now. In the next second, he would push me away and drop the mask of tenderness.

I dug my nails into my palms. I forced myself to stop resisting.

I just wanted this to end. I wanted to run as far away as possible.

Predictably, Sebastian's grin widened. "The game is over."

The door was kicked open. A swarm of reporters rushed in.

Sebastian Vanderbilt walked in last. He was the man who had spent a year pretending to worship me.

He used to take me to the highest point in the city. He once filled the sky with fireworks that spelled out my name.

"Sadie, I'll wipe away your tears for the rest of our lives," he had once promised.

Now, as I shook with sobs, his face remained expressionless.

Gideon smirked. "Sebastian, it's over. From now on, Seraphina belongs to me."

Seraphina was the adopted daughter of the Sterling family. She was the girl they had both grown up with.

She had a heart condition and lived abroad for years. I knew they loved her, which was why I had hesitated when they first approached me.

"Sadie, in my eyes, no one compares to you," Sebastian had said.

It was all a joke. A cruel, calculated lie.

Gideon left in a hurry to find his true love. He stepped on the expensive gown he had bought me, tearing it into rags.

I tried to cover myself with the shredded fabric. I knew my photos would be all over the city tomorrow.

Sebastian stepped on my hand. "Sadie, how can you be so cheap? A dress and some drugs were all it took for you to open up for him?"

He used his words to cut me deep. He made sure the cameras caught every inch of my shame.

This wasn't the man who had cried and begged me never to leave him.

In my last life, I had screamed and cursed them. I had mentioned Seraphina's name in my rage.

That was when Sebastian lost it. He choked me and screamed, "You don't get to say her name!"

Then he burned me alive.

This time, I remained numb. "It's my fault, Mr. Vanderbilt. Please, just let me go."