Chapter 1

The night the stoic, untouchable Silas Thorne was drugged, I didn't offer myself up to him like a fool.

Instead, I turned around and called the police to report a sexual assault.

I even let his scandalous photos be paraded on an auction block for the highest bidder.

While he was rotting in a holding cell, I moved fast and called off our engagement.

I chose to vanish from his world entirely.

In my past life, I had given him everything that night, only for him to accuse me of trapping him.

He hated me for twenty years and never even let our daughter call him Dad.

Even worse, the daughter I spent my life doting on blamed me for everything.

"If it weren't for you, Dad would never have been separated from Aunt Sienna! You ruined our lives!" she had screamed.

After I died, she went as far as to dig up my grave so the two of them could be buried together in happiness.

As for my ashes, she fed them to the dogs without a second thought.

Since I have been given a second chance at life, I will respect their choices this time.

......

A large, feverish hand slid over my skin, fumbling to undo my clothes.

Silas's eyes were dark with lust, his Adam's apple bobbing as he buried his face in the crook of my neck.

"I'll give you a proper title," he rasped.

That icy voice hitting my ears snapped me back to reality instantly.

I had been secretly in love with Silas Thorne for years, but I never dared to say it out loud.

In my previous life, when he said those words, I thought he finally loved me back.

I had joyfully agreed, only to realize I had signed my own death warrant.

This time, I refused to walk down that same path.

Just as he was about to press his body against mine, I shoved his arms away with every ounce of strength I had.

Silas tumbled onto the bed, staring at me in utter disbelief.

"You..."

Before he could finish, a chaotic mess of footsteps echoed from the hallway.

The noise came to a sharp halt right outside our door.

Silas seemed to realize what was happening, and a flicker of panic crossed his eyes.

Beads of sweat soaked his forehead, and his gaze grew more unfocused as the drug took a tighter grip on his senses.

I gave him a cold, lingering look before pulling out my phone right in front of his hopeful eyes.

"911? I'd like to report a crime. There's a man here attempting to assault me..."

Silas snapped his head up, his eyes burning with sudden rage.

"Clarissa Sterling, don't flatter yourself! Why the hell would I ever harass you?"

I spread my hands and smirked at him mockingly.

"If what you just did wasn't harassment, then what was it?"

"You're really unwilling?"

The drug was clearly peaking; his brow furrowed in pain and his voice turned dangerously hoarse.

"Did I ever say I was willing? You're the one dreaming here, not me."

In my last life, my willingness resulted in being branded a villain who drugged him.

I was hated and humiliated for two decades.

No matter how I explained, he refused to listen, burning every piece of evidence I painstakingly gathered as if it were trash.

It wasn't until the moment I died that I realized the truth.

It didn't matter who drugged him; he hated me because my existence kept him from his true love, Sienna Blackwood.

When the pounding on the door started, Silas's tension was visible, and his tone softened slightly.

"Clarissa, I was wrong just now. Please, help me, okay?"

He stumbled toward me, reaching out to grab my hand.

I sidestepped him effortlessly before he could even graze my skin.

He crashed onto the floor, his shirt hanging open to reveal a broad expanse of pale skin.

At that exact moment, the door burst open.

A group of shady-looking men rushed in, cameras flashing as they aimed their lenses directly at him.

Silas, the man who was always so composed and dignified, finally lost his cool.

"Clarissa! Are you really going to stand there and let them take these photos to mock me?"

I looked down at him and let out a soft, airy laugh.

"How do I know you didn't hire them yourself? Besides, your portraits are rare gems."

"The people willing to pay for these photos will probably cherish them. Why would they mock you?"

"Since so many people are eager to help you out, I'll stay out of your business."

As I walked out, the rapid clicking of shutters filled the room.

Silas's face turned a deep, furious red as he tried to stop them, but the drug left him completely powerless.

When I got home, I was ready to crash, but my brother, Caleb, burst in looking ecstatic.

"Clarissa! I heard there's a massive auction tonight with a one-of-a-kind masterpiece as the finale. Let's go check it out!"