"Now, it's sunny."

As those three simple words left Evelyn's lips, the storm in Arthur's eyes instantly calmed, replaced by a complex mixture of wild joy and bone-deep grief. He stepped forward abruptly, hands reaching for her before halting mid-air and falling back to his sides.


"You…" his voice remained hoarse, trembling slightly, "you've come back too."

Not a question—a statement of wonder.

Evelyn nodded, tears finally streaming freely down her cheeks. In this second chance at life where every step felt precarious, she suddenly found solid ground. The man before her was her fellow traveler—someone who had crossed the boundary between worlds just as she had.


"After I died," she asked urgently, "what happened?"

Arthur's eyes darkened as painful memories surfaced. "They reported that your cancer had worsened, causing a mental breakdown that led to your 'suicide.' The police investigation was perfunctory at best. Mark and Chloe—playing the grieving widower and devastated best friend—handled your affairs and quickly divided your assets between them."


His fists clenched involuntarily, veins standing out against his skin. "I never believed for a second that you took your own life. I launched my own investigation, calling in every favor I had. But they'd covered their tracks meticulously—no direct evidence. After six months, I finally got a lead from one of their distant relatives who'd been cut out of their newfound wealth. I was on my way to meet a private investigator with what I'd found when…" He paused. "My car was forced off the road. The last thing I remember was the guardrail giving way."

He looked at her, his gaze burning with intensity. "I never imagined fate would offer us this second chance."

Evelyn's heart constricted painfully. In their previous life, he had died seeking justice for her murder. This man—this virtual stranger—had sacrificed everything attempting to avenge her.

"Thank you, Arthur," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

"Save your thanks," Arthur's expression hardened with determination. "We're allies now. Tell me your plan. Whatever path you choose, I'll be right beside you."

His words infused her with newfound strength. She wiped away her tears, her expression hardening into cold resolve. "I want them to pay blood for blood. I want them to lose everything they value and suffer as I suffered."

A meticulous revenge plan took shape in that corner office high above Manhattan. With Arthur's resources and influence combined with Evelyn's foreknowledge, they became the most dangerous predators on the board.

Their first move: deliver a poisoned gift wrapped in honey to Mark Thorne.

Days later, at Sterling-Goldman's investment committee meeting, Evelyn presented her analysis on a potential acquisition target: Alpha Energy.

"Alpha Energy is an emerging clean energy company with multiple exclusive patents and extraordinary market potential," Evelyn explained with practiced confidence. "My models project a minimum three-hundred percent return within twelve months of acquisition."

Her report was flawless—every chart, projection, and analysis pointing to one irresistible conclusion: this was a career-making opportunity, a golden ticket to the executive suite.

Excited whispers rippled through the conference room as naked ambition gleamed in every eye—especially Mark's. This opportunity seemed custom-designed for someone looking to fast-track their career.

Only Evelyn and Arthur knew the truth: Alpha Energy's financials were elaborate fiction. Behind the impressive façade lurked massive debt and accounting fraud that would detonate like a financial nuclear bomb in exactly one year, destroying everyone associated with it.

"This project requires special handling," Arthur interjected at precisely the right moment. His calculating gaze swept the room before settling on Mark. "We need someone ambitious and hungry to drive this forward. Mark, with your track record, perhaps you'd like to take the lead?"

Mark nearly jumped from his chair, barely containing his excitement. "Absolutely, sir! I'll make this acquisition my personal mission!"

Evelyn lowered her head to hide the cold smile playing at her lips. But when she glimpsed Mark's smug expression, the memory of his hands shoving her to her death suddenly overwhelmed her, causing her fingers to tremble violently beneath the table.

A warm, steady hand reached under the table and covered hers, anchoring her to the present.

Evelyn stiffened in surprise, looking up to meet Arthur's gaze. His eyes conveyed calm reassurance, silently communicating: I'm here. You're not alone.

The tsunami of hatred and fear receded under his touch. She turned her palm upward, returning his grip, drawing strength from the silent connection between them.

After the meeting, Evelyn advanced her plan with a carefully orchestrated "coincidence," cornering Mark in the break room.

"Mark, congratulations on landing the Alpha project," she said with practiced sincerity.

Mark, riding high on his success, regarded her with newfound condescension. "This is just the beginning, darling. Once I close this deal, we'll get married right away. Then you can quit this grind and focus on making our home perfect."

"Speaking of marriage," Evelyn injected just the right note of concern into her voice, "I've been swamped lately. Chloe keeps texting me about wedding details—she seems even more invested than I am. Sometimes I wonder if she's being… well, almost too interested in our relationship. It's sweet but a little intense."

With these carefully chosen words, she painted Chloe as suspiciously invested in her friend's fiancé. Knowing Mark's vanity and wandering eye, this subtle suggestion would take root and flourish.

Right on cue, Mark's eyes lit with interest. "Really? Chloe has always been so… supportive of our relationship."

Watching his expression shift, Evelyn knew her hook was set. The fish was circling the bait.

That evening, Evelyn declined Arthur's offer of a car service, suggesting they walk instead through the twilight streets of Manhattan.

"You were brilliant today," Arthur said, breaking their comfortable silence.

"This is just the opening move," Evelyn replied, her gaze hard as she watched neon signs flicker to life along the avenue.

They walked side by side, their elongated shadows merging on the sidewalk. After several blocks, Arthur spoke quietly: "Evelyn, about our previous life… I'm sorry I couldn't save you. I should have seen what was happening sooner."

His voice carried the weight of profound regret.

Evelyn stopped walking and turned to face him. "You have nothing to apologize for, Arthur. The blame lies entirely with them—with human greed and cruelty. Besides," she added softly, "you already paid the ultimate price trying to get justice for me."

Arthur gazed down at her, streetlights reflecting in her eyes like distant stars. "It wasn't enough," he said quietly. "If I'd known then what I know now, I would have done so much more than just watch from a distance."

His intensity made Evelyn look away, suddenly self-conscious. Since her return, she'd focused solely on revenge, but this man was like an unexpected beam of light penetrating her darkness.

"It's getting late," Arthur said, changing the subject. He slipped off his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders in one fluid motion. The fabric carried his warmth and a subtle, expensive cologne.

Outside her apartment building, Arthur paused.

"Evelyn," he said, his expression intensely serious, "remember that you're not alone in this fight. Your enemies are now mine as well."

With that declaration, he leaned down and placed a gentle, almost reverent kiss on her forehead.

Evelyn remained rooted to the spot until Arthur's car disappeared around the corner. Only then did she raise her hand to her forehead, where the warmth of his lips seemed to linger like a promise.

Back in her empty apartment, she realized something had changed—for the first time since her return, she didn't feel alone. The road to vengeance remained long and treacherous, but now she had someone walking beside her, holding a light against the darkness.