ght. One moment, she was in a car, the smell of gasoline thick in the air, the heat of a fire searing her skin, the s

e sat up, her body slick with a cold sweat, her heart hammering against her ribs. She looked down at her hands. They were s

reborn. A strange mix of shock and confusion warred within her, but beneath it all, a tiny, fierce sp

ollapse he didn't cause. His reputation was destroyed, his legacy left in tatters. He had left behind two daughters, Chloe and Bella. Chloe, the older sister, had devoted her life

but as a tedious chore. And then came Leo, a handsome, smooth-talking con artist who saw Bella' s vanity and weakness as an open door to the family's re

festyle with Leo. She remembered how Bella, guided by Leo, had systematically sabotaged her efforts. Bella leaked designs to

his name, for a pittance to fund a lavish vacation for herself and Leo. When Chloe confronted her, it

memory of Bella' s cold, triumphant smile as the flames licked at the car was seared into her soul. Rage

was wearing a brand-new designer dress, one Chloe recognized. In her past life, this was the day it all started to go wrong.

pping with practiced sweetness. "I

past. Chloe felt a cold dread mix with her burning ang

t' s perfect. But the down payment is a little steep. I was thinking... we still have that house our parents left us, the one by

of their parents before the tragedy. In her past life, Chloe had refused, trying to explain its sentimental value, trying to make Bella under

nued, not waiting for an answer. "Leo says they' re worth a lot, and

the foundation of the rebuilt company, the only lever

racking to reveal the petulance beneath, "then maybe we shouldn' t be sisters anymore.

e, Chloe had crumbled. The fear of losing her only remaining family had been too much to bear. She h

lfish, greedy child cloaked in the body of a woman. She saw a pawn, easily manipulated by a con man. She saw the person who had smil

over to her desk, her movements calm a

Bella asked, a flicker o

emotion. She didn't look at Bella. She didn't need to. "I' m ha

at?" Bella as

. "Fine. Let' s make it official. We will legally sever all famil

ted tears, pleading, a reluctant agreement. She did not expect this cold, decisive action. For the firs

tisfaction. This was

ed within hours. It was a formal declaration of disassociation, a legal document that would sever all responsibilities and claims Chloe and Bella had on e

she once had for the idea of a sister, but it w

to sell quickly, not caring about getting the absolute top dollar. The goal was speed and separation. Within a day

ould eventually cave. When she found out the house was sold and the legal papers were waiting for

f a table. They scattered across the floor, precious designs Chloe had

rner of the room silently recording everything. She didn't flinch.

model of a building, smashing a lamp against the wa

lmly, picking up her phone again. "You are a

ialed

f as Chloe calmly reported the di

Bella amidst the wreckage, still shouting incoherently. They cuf

. The person who posted her bail was Leo. Chloe wasn't surprised. The players were the same, but thi