Chapter 1

The sleek black SUV pulled up the long, winding driveway of our Hamptons estate.

I was on the veranda, trying to enjoy the late summer breeze, but a strange feeling had been nagging me all morning.

Then, I saw them.

Ethan Vance, the son of our estate manager, stepped out. He wasn' t supposed to be here, not without an invitation.

And then a woman I didn' t recognize emerged from the passenger side, clinging to his arm.

Suddenly, words flashed in my vision, bright and intrusive, like social media comments overlaid on reality.

"OMG, Ethan & Chloe, the power couple, are finally reunited! Ash better not get in their way this time!"

I blinked, shaking my head. What was that?

Another one appeared. "Ash is so gonna be the jealous villainess again, lol."

My breath caught. Villainess?

Ethan spotted me. He smirked, a look of pure arrogance I' d never seen on him before. It was chilling.

He strode towards me, the woman, Chloe, trailing him like a shadow.

"Ashley," he said, his voice dripping with a condescension that was entirely new. "Good. You're here."

More text scrolled across my sight. "Can't wait for Ethan to use her money and dump her for Chloe, classic!"

My mind reeled. Use my money? Dump me?

"This is Chloe," Ethan announced, gesturing dismissively at the woman. "She'll be staying with us."

Chloe gave a saccharine smile that didn' t reach her eyes.

"I need you to arrange for her to have the Azure Suite," Ethan continued, naming my favorite guest room, the one with the best ocean view.

"And," he added, his eyes glinting, "start pulling some strings. Chloe needs an audition. A big one. Think Hollywood."

I stared at him, speechless. This wasn't the Ethan I knew, the quiet, somewhat awkward boy who grew up on the estate.

"Look, Ash," he said, lowering his voice conspiratorially, though his tone was anything but kind. "I'll keep you around, for appearances. But my heart," he glanced at Chloe with a look of mock devotion, "belongs to her."

Another comment flashed. "He's already laying down the law! Ash is just a stepping stone."

"Help me with this," Ethan went on, his gaze hardening, "and I might, just might, let your family off easy when things change."

Let my family off easy? What was he talking about?

The "comments" in my vision were becoming clearer, more insistent. They spoke of a "previous life," a "web-drama" where Ethan used me, married me, then destroyed everything I held dear to be with this Chloe.

They died. And now, apparently, they were reborn.

And I, Ashley Miller, was cast as the "jealous, overbearing heiress" destined for ruin.

Not if I could help it.