The piercing, bone-deep pain nearly caused Amelia Johnson to black out.
Sabrina Johnson gripped a fruit knife, slashing Amelia's face over and over until it was a bloody, unrecognizable mess.
Today, it was her half-sister, Sabrina, who had lured her here. Here, Amelia had witnessed with her own eyes the intimate entanglement between her fiancé, Ethan Collins, and Sabrina on a bed.
Ethan, far from showing any guilt, even spat insults at her, calling her two-faced.
"If it weren't for you, Ethan would've married me ages ago. Blame yourself for coming back! Why couldn't you stay a country bumpkin where you belong? Trying to fight me for the family inheritance? What a joke!" Sabrina's gaze burned with malice as she glared at Amelia.
With tape tightly sealing her mouth, Amelia could only let out muffled cries. Tears mixed with fresh blood streamed down her cheeks.
"What's the matter? Want to talk? Too bad, I won't let you," Sabrina sneered, tapping the knife against Amelia's cheek with deliberate cruelty. "Just keep all your last words bottled up inside."
"My dear sister, you're really something, aren't you? Even after my mom dumped you in the wild when you were little, you still managed to be picked up and raised by someone. But this time? This time, you're finished!" Sabrina cackled, her grin twisted and vicious.
Then, without hesitation, she shoved Amelia off the balcony.
Amelia plummeted from the 27th floor like a severed kite. Bones shattered on impact, and her body was mangled beyond recognition in a spray of blood.
Her eyes remained wide open, her crimson irises brimming with despair and sheer unwillingness.
As life escaped her, only one thought consumed her mind: if there was another chance, she'd make Sabrina repay every single thing a hundredfold!
*****
Amelia's head buzzed as she slowly opened her eyes. In front of her, two blurry figures seemed to loom closer.
"Hey, Bro, check this chick out," the shorter man muttered, practically drooling as he fumbled in his pockets. "Damn it, forgot my phone. Let me borrow yours. Gotta snap a couple of fire photos of this little beauty."
The taller man dug into his jacket, only to curse under his breath. "Crap, left mine in the car. I'll grab it now. Don't touch her while I'm gone. We agreed I'm first in line."
As Amelia's vision cleared, the sight of the two scumbags became all too familiar. How could she ever forget? Just three months ago, on her birthday, Sabrina had drugged her drink.
These two men had been Sabrina's pawns, sent specifically to defile her. However, Amelia had fought with everything she had, and they'd backed off, fearing the consequences of things spiraling out of control. Still, they'd taken a few compromising photos before leaving.
But these weren't just any photos. No, they were suggestive and explicit enough to insinuate things that had never happened. Anyone who saw those images could easily assume what went down between her and the two men.
Before long, those incriminating shots had ended up in Ethan's hands.
The scene unfolding now was an exact replay of that night.
On the television playing nearby, a news broadcast displayed the date—it was her birthday, the very same day!
Fate itself had intervened—she had returned, reborn!
The surge of joy was indescribable.
This time around, she wouldn't allow herself to suffer the same fate. Amelia vowed to make Sabrina and every one of her tormentors taste the full weight of their karma!
At that moment, the taller man stepped out, leaving the shorter one in the bathroom. This was her chance to escape.
Amelia stumbled off the bed, her legs unsteady, and rushed out of the room in a panic.
She knew running aimlessly wouldn't save her. She needed to find somewhere to hide. Just as panic began gnawing at her, she spotted an open door to the side and darted inside, slamming into something solid—solid and warm.
It was a man.
Amelia clung to him like a lifeline. "Someone's after me! Please, help me!"
Damien Taylor frowned, intending to shove her away. But as soon as he got a proper look at her face, he hesitated.
In a swift move, he closed the door behind her. "You're safe now."
"Thank you..." Amelia muttered weakly, her head spinning. She could barely stand on her feet, and the next second, she was falling.
Damien instinctively reached out, catching her slim waist, and she collapsed against him.
The faint, sweet scent of her enveloped him, momentarily dazing him.
Carrying her in his arms, he placed her gently on the bed. When he tried to pull away, she suddenly gripped his neck, holding him close.
To his surprise, instead of feeling annoyed, something unfamiliar stirred within him.
"I'm burning up... Please... help me..." Amelia mumbled, her voice laced with unbearable heat.
Damien's brows furrowed. She'd been drugged?
Lifting her once again, he brought her to the bathroom and turned on the shower.
Cold water cascaded over Amelia, but even icy torrents couldn't quench the fire raging inside her. She squirmed, visibly in agony.
Her partly shut eyes searched blindly, and her hands flailed until they grabbed onto his arm. She clung tightly to him as if he were her anchor.
"Help... me..." she whined, pressing her burning face against him.
Damien leaned down, trying to keep his balance, but his foot slipped, causing him to tumble into the tub.
He steadied himself by propping his arms on either side of her, ensuring he didn't crush her under his weight.
Amelia wrapped her arms around him, nestling against his chest. "This feels... better."
Grabbing her restless hands, Damien's voice dipped into a gravelly murmur. "Stop moving, or you'll really start something dangerous."
