Chapter 3

3

Seraphina suggested a family trip to the Maldives.

"Gwen, don't be a buzzkill this time," she said, her eyes wide with fake hope.

Lucas immediately backed her up. "Exactly. No one misses this trip." He shot me a warning look.

I looked at Andy's innocent face. My heart ached.

In my last life, this trip was our death sentence.

This time, I was going. But I wasn't the prey.

Before leaving, I hired a top-tier lawyer and two former special ops bodyguards. I had them fly out early and wait on the island as tourists.

Once we arrived, Lucas, Seraphina, and the rest of the family planned a five-day yacht party.

I used the excuse that Andy was feeling ill and stayed behind.

Lucas looked at me with disgust. "Stop faking for attention. Just take care of the kid and don't cause trouble."

They boarded the yacht and vanished into the blue.

I moved Andy into a private water villa. My security team was right next door.

On the first day, my lawyer caught several suspicious local men tailing us on the beach.

On the second day, I intentionally led Andy toward a secluded rocky cove.

The men followed. They surrounded us, speaking a dialect I didn't know, their eyes lecherous and cruel.

A burly man reached out to grab me.

Suddenly, my two bodyguards appeared like ghosts. They neutralized the thugs in seconds.

The lawyer questioned them, his face turning grim. "Mrs. Sterling, they were hired."

"By who?" I asked, keeping my voice steady.

"A woman named Seraphina."

I knew it. The rage burned in my veins. "What was the plan?"

The lawyer hesitated. "They were supposed to make it look like you and the child fell off the cliff. If that failed… they were told to rob you, assault you, and then throw you both into the ocean."

It was exactly what happened in my last life.

I took the recordings and videos back to the villa. I thought I had the upper hand.

But that night, when I tried to pay the final installment for my team, my cards were declined.

I went cold.

I logged into my encrypted offshore accounts―my life savings.

The balance was zero.

Then, my phone rang. An international number.

Seraphina's manic laughter echoed through the speaker.

"Gwen, surprised? Shocked?"

I couldn't breathe.

"Did you really think being reborn would make you win? Did you forget the financial power of attorney Lucas made you sign? I had it notarized and activated while you were sleeping. Your money is mine now."

I felt like I was falling through ice. She knew.

"Gwen, did you think you were the only one who got a second chance?" she cooed.

"I won in the last life. And I'm winning in this one, too."

She hung up.

A double rebirth. She came back, too. That's why she was always one step ahead.

I frantically called Lucas.

The background noise on his end was loud―music, cheering, glasses clinking.

"What now?" he snapped.

"Lucas… my money is gone! Everything is gone!" I sobbed.

There was a silence. Then he laughed coldly. "Gwen, how long are you going to keep up this act? You're trying to scam me now? Not a cent. When you learn to be obedient, then we can talk."

The line went dead.

I looked at Andy, who was smiling at me from the bed. Outside, the hotel staff was knocking, demanding payment for the room.

The same despair from my previous life began to swallow me whole.