Chapter 3 — A Dangerous Alliance

The engagement party ended near midnight.

One by one, the guests left the mansion beneath the glow of golden lights, their laughter fading into the cold autumn night.

But inside the Carter mansion, tension still lingered heavily in the air.

Evelyn Carter stood alone on the balcony outside the ballroom, staring silently at the city skyline.

The chilly wind brushed against her bare shoulders.

She should have felt relieved.

Instead, her mind was in chaos.

Damien remembered.

That single truth changed everything.

In her previous life, she believed fate had punished her alone.

But now, somehow, Damien Blackwood had returned too.

Why?

And more importantly—

Could she trust anything he said?

The balcony door slid open quietly behind her.

“You always come here when you’re upset.”

Evelyn’s expression hardened instantly.

She didn’t need to turn around to know it was Damien.

“I’m surprised you still remember that,” she replied coldly.

Damien stepped beside her, hands in his pockets.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

The silence between them felt strangely familiar.

Painfully familiar.

Finally, Damien spoke quietly.

“You’re planning revenge already.”

It wasn’t a question.

Evelyn laughed softly.

“Shouldn’t I?”

Her eyes remained fixed on the distant city lights.

“In my last life, I lost everything.”

Her voice trembled slightly despite herself.

“My reputation. My family. My freedom.”

Then slowly, she turned toward him.

“And you helped destroy all of it.”

Damien’s jaw tightened.

“I know.”

The calmness of his answer only angered her more.

“You know?” Evelyn repeated bitterly. “That’s all you have to say?”

For the first time that night, emotion flickered clearly across Damien’s face.

Regret.

Real regret.

“In the previous life,” he said quietly, “I thought I was protecting the company.”

Evelyn stared at him in disbelief.

“You chose the company over me.”

“No.” Damien’s voice lowered dangerously. “I chose the wrong people over you.”

The words hit harder than she expected.

Memories flashed painfully through her mind.

Sophia crying fake tears. Forged evidence appearing one after another. Damien growing colder each day until she no longer recognized him.

Evelyn clenched her fists tightly.

“It doesn’t matter anymore,” she whispered.

Because she had died.

Because he had let her die.

Damien looked at her silently for several seconds before speaking again.

“Sophia wasn’t acting alone.”

Evelyn’s eyes narrowed instantly.

“What do you mean?”

“There were others involved,” Damien said carefully. “People inside both our families. People after your father’s shares.”

A cold chill ran through Evelyn’s body.

In her previous life, her father had suddenly fallen ill only months before the accusations began.

At the time, she thought it was stress.

But now…

“You think they poisoned him?” she asked quietly.

Damien didn’t answer immediately.

Which was answer enough.

Evelyn felt sick.

The betrayal had gone deeper than she imagined.

She looked away sharply, trying to steady her breathing.

After a long silence, Damien suddenly spoke again.

“This life can change.”

Evelyn laughed bitterly.

“You expect me to believe you?”

“No.”

His honesty surprised her.

“But whether you trust me or not…” his gaze darkened slightly, “you’ll still need me.”

Evelyn hated that he was right.

The enemies hiding around them were powerful.

And this time, she refused to die helplessly again.

Slowly, she crossed her arms.

“So what exactly are you suggesting?”

Damien stepped closer.

Close enough that she could hear the unevenness in his breathing.

“A partnership.”

Evelyn stared at him silently.

“You help me uncover the people behind everything,” he continued quietly, “and I help you destroy them before they destroy us.”

The city wind howled softly around them.

A dangerous offer.

A dangerous man.

But perhaps revenge itself was dangerous.

Evelyn studied Damien carefully.

Then finally—

A cold smile curved her lips.

“If you betray me again,” she whispered, “I won’t wait for fate to punish you this time.”

Something unreadable flickered in Damien’s eyes.

“Fair enough.”

Inside the dark ballroom, hidden behind the curtains—

Sophia Hayes silently lowered her phone after recording everything.

And slowly smiled.

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