I woke up in darkness, with a splitting headache. I tried to move, but found myself tied to a chair. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I began to make out my surroundings.

This was the top floor of the Haiston Gallery—the place where I had died in my previous life.


Fear ran through my veins like ice water. Did Victoria know that I had been reborn? Was she planning to recreate that fatal night?

"Awake, my dear?" Victoria's voice came from the darkness.

The lights suddenly turned on, stinging my eyes. As my vision recovered, I saw Victoria standing a few steps away, still holding the gun in her hand. On the other side of the room, my parents and Oliver were also tied to chairs, looking groggy but awake.


"Victoria," my voice was hoarse. "This won't end well. The police must be looking for us."

She laughed. "Oh, I'm sure they are. But before they find this place, we'll have plenty of time to finish our... little gathering."


"What do you want?" my father asked, anger in his voice.

"Justice," Victoria answered simply. "Or rather, my version of justice."

She walked toward a small table with a laptop on it. She opened it, and the screen displayed a video call interface.

"We have one more special guest joining us," she said, pressing a button.

Alexander's face appeared on the screen, looking tense and angry.

"Ella!" he shouted, seeing me tied up. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," I answered, trying to stay calm.

Victoria walked to the screen. "Alexander Blake. Such touching concern."

"Victoria," Alexander's voice was ice cold. "If you harm any one of them, I swear I'll—"

"You'll do what?" Victoria interrupted him. "You don't even know where we are."

"I know you're at the Heyston Gallery," Alexander said calmly. "The police are already on their way."

Victoria's smile faltered slightly, but quickly recovered. "Then we'd better hurry, shouldn't we?"

She turned to me, a sick light gleaming in her eyes. "Do you know what day it is today, Ella?"

I felt a chill. "What day?"

"It's the day you died in your past life," Victoria said softly. "Down to the hour."

The room was completely silent. My parents and Oliver looked confused, but Alexander's face turned pale.

"How do you know?" I finally asked, my voice almost a whisper.

Victoria laughed, a disturbing sound. "Because, dear Ella, I remember too."

My world seemed to stop spinning. Victoria was also reborn?

"Impossible," Alexander said on the screen, his voice filled with shock.

"Oh, but it's true," Victoria insisted. "I remember everything. I remember watching Ella fall down the stairs of this gallery. I remember how her death finally allowed me to obtain all of Richard's property. I remember it was the best day of my life."

She walked toward me, her eyes gleaming with triumph. "Then, I suddenly returned to five years ago. At first, I thought it was a nightmare. But then I realized it was a gift. A chance to do things over. A chance to ensure my victory."

"So you knew all along," I said, feeling a deep sense of dread. "You knew what I would do, what I would say."

"Not exactly," Victoria admitted. "Your actions this time are different from your previous life. You're more... proactive. Smarter. It makes things more interesting."

She walked to the window, looking at the city lights outside. "But in the end, fate seems to have a way of making history repeat itself. Here we are again, in the same place, on the same day. Only this time, I'll make sure there are no accidents."

"You won't succeed," Alexander said on the screen, his voice filled with determination. "I won't let you hurt her."

Victoria turned to the screen, her eyes flickering with challenge. "How will you stop me? You're not even here."

"But I am," a voice came from the doorway.

We all turned to see Alexander standing there, a gun in his hand.

A flash of surprise crossed Victoria's face, but she quickly regained her composure. "What a surprise. You arrived sooner than I expected."

"Put down the gun, Victoria," Alexander ordered, slowly walking into the room. "It's over."

Victoria laughed. "No, Alexander. This is just the beginning."

She suddenly pointed the gun at me. "Put down your gun, or I'll shoot her."

Alexander hesitated, then slowly placed his gun on the floor. "Alright, I've put it down. Now let them go."

"Not so fast," Victoria said. "We still have some unfinished business to discuss."

She walked toward me, the gun still pointed at my head. "You know, Ella, I've always been curious. In your past life, how did you die? Was it an accident? Or... did someone help things along?"

I felt a chill. "What do you mean?"

Victoria's smile grew more sinister. "Did you really think you just accidentally fell down the stairs? So naive."

"It was you," Alexander suddenly said, his voice filled with angry understanding. "You pushed her down."

Victoria pretended to be surprised. "Me? No, not me." She paused, then pointed at the screen. "It was Katherine. Under your instructions."

Alexander's face turned pale. "What?"

"Oh, you don't remember that part?" Victoria asked with feigned sympathy. "You told Katherine that Ella had become too unstable, too dangerous. You said if there was an opportunity, to make sure she wouldn't cause any more trouble."

"That's a lie!" Alexander shouted angrily.

"Is it?" Victoria retorted. "Then why did Katherine move into your apartment immediately after Ella's death? Why did you so quickly forget your 'beloved' wife?"

I looked at Alexander, my heart filled with doubt. Was this true? Did he really order my death?

Alexander's eyes were filled with pain. "Ella, don't believe her. Yes, Katherine came to find me after your death. Yes, I let her get close to me in my grief and guilt. But I never, never ordered to harm you."

"What a touching denial," Victoria mocked. "But does it matter? What matters is that history is about to repeat itself."

She suddenly grabbed my arm, dragged me up from the chair, and pushed me toward the staircase.

"No!" Alexander shouted, rushing forward.

Victoria immediately pointed the gun at my head. "One step closer, and I'll shoot."

Alexander stopped, his eyes filled with fear and desperation.

"Now, we're going to reenact that night," Victoria said, with a kind of morbid excitement in her voice. "Only this time, there won't be any accidents."

She pushed me to the edge of the stairs, and I could feel the emptiness behind me. A wave of dizziness came over me as I recalled the fall from my previous life, that helpless terror.

"Victoria, please don't," my father begged, struggling to break free from the ropes.

"It's too late, Richard," Victoria said coldly. "You chose them over me. Now you'll pay the price."

She turned to me, her eyes gleaming with triumph. "Goodbye, Ella. Hope your third life will be better."

Just as she was about to push me, a gunshot echoed through the room.

Victoria froze, a flash of surprise in her eyes. She looked down at her chest, where a red flower was blooming on her shirt.

"What...?" she asked in confusion, then collapsed.

I turned to look, and Oliver was standing there, holding the gun Alexander had put down earlier. He had somehow freed himself from the ropes.

"Oliver!" I exclaimed in surprise.

"I couldn't let her hurt you," Oliver said calmly, the gun in his hand still pointing at where Victoria had fallen. "I couldn't lose you again."

Alexander quickly rushed to my side, pulling me away from the edge of the stairs and holding me tightly. "Ella, are you alright?"

I nodded, although my entire body was trembling. "I'm fine."

The sound of police sirens came from the distance, getting closer and closer.

Alexander turned to Oliver. "Thank you. You saved her life."

Oliver lowered his gun, his face pale. "I only did what had to be done."

My father and mother were also rescued, and they immediately rushed to me, pulling me into a tight embrace.

"Ella, my child," my father choked. "I thought we were going to lose you."

"I'm fine, Dad," I promised, though tears slid down my cheeks. "We're all fine."

The police rushed into the room, quickly taking control of the situation. Medical personnel examined Victoria, confirming she was still alive but seriously injured. She was urgently sent to the hospital.

As we were escorted out of the gallery, I saw Katherine being led away by the police. Her face bore a strange calmness.

"Ella," she said softly as we passed each other. "I'm sorry. Truly."

I stopped and looked at the woman who was once my enemy. "Why, Katherine? Why be involved in all of this?"

A flicker of regret passed through her eyes. "Because I thought it was my only choice. I was trapped in Victoria's and my father's schemes. But that's no excuse. I made terrible mistakes, and I'll pay for them."

She paused, then added: "But I never meant to kill you. In the past life, it really was an accident. I only wanted to scare you, but you lost your balance... I tried to grab you, but it was too late."

I didn't know whether I should believe her. But in her eyes, I saw genuine remorse.

"I hope you find peace, Katherine," I finally said.

She nodded slightly, and then was taken away.

Outside, the media had already gathered, with camera flashes and questions coming like raindrops. But Alexander protectively wrapped his arm around me, guiding me through the crowd into the waiting car.

"Where are we going?" I asked, as the car began to move.

"Home," Alexander answered simply, holding my hand. "If that's where you want to go."

I looked into his eyes, which were once cold but now filled with love and concern.

"What Victoria said... about you ordering my death..."

Alexander's expression became pained. "Ella, I swear, that was a lie. I never thought about hurting you. Yes, I made mistakes. Yes, I let Katherine and Victoria manipulate me. But I never, ever wanted you dead."

I looked into his eyes, searching for any sign of deception. But I only saw sincerity and love.

"I believe you," I finally said, feeling a deep sense of relief.

A glimmer of hope flashed in Alexander's eyes. "Really?"

I nodded. "Yes. And... I think I'm ready to forgive you too. The you from my past life, and the you now."

Tears welled up in Alexander's eyes, a sight I had never seen before. He gripped my hand tightly, as if afraid I would disappear.

"I love you, Ella," he whispered. "I swear, I'll spend the rest of my life proving that to you."

I leaned into him, resting my head on his shoulder. "I love you too, Alexander."

The car continued driving, taking us away from this night full of fear and danger. But this time, we faced the shadows of the past together, and together we conquered them.

This time, history did not repeat itself. This time, we created a new ending.

When we returned to the apartment, Alexander took out that small box containing that special ring.

"Ella Haston," he knelt on one knee, his voice filled with emotion. "Would you be my wife again? Not for convenience, not for protection, but because of love?"

I looked at this man, the one who once hurt me but now was willing to give everything for me. I saw the love in his eyes, genuine and profound.

"Yes," I said softly, feeling tears slide down my cheeks. "I will."

Alexander slipped the ring onto my finger, then stood up and pulled me into a deep kiss. This kiss was full of promises, hope, and anticipation for the future.

Our second life was just beginning. And this time, we would write our story together.