The drive to Blackwood Hotel felt longer than usual.
Rain clouds covered the city, turning the streets dark and restless. Inside the car, Evelyn Carter tightened her grip on the steering wheel, Sophia’s final words replaying endlessly in her mind.
Be careful who you trust this time.
This time.
Not “now.” Not “from now on.”
This time.
The words sounded far too deliberate to be accidental.
A cold uneasiness settled inside Evelyn’s chest.
Could Sophia Hayes truly remember their previous life too?
If that were true, everything would become far more dangerous.
By the time Evelyn arrived at Blackwood Hotel, her thoughts were in complete chaos.
The lobby gleamed with gold chandeliers and polished marble floors, but the luxurious atmosphere did nothing to calm her nerves.
“Miss Carter,” the receptionist greeted politely, “Mr. Blackwood is waiting in the penthouse suite.”
Of course he was.
Evelyn stepped into the private elevator silently.
A few moments later, the doors opened directly into Damien’s suite.
Damien Blackwood stood near the massive glass windows overlooking the city skyline. His suit jacket rested carelessly over the sofa, and exhaustion shadowed his sharp features.
But the moment he saw Evelyn, his expression changed instantly.
“You came.”
“You said it was urgent.”
Damien walked toward the table and handed her a thin folder.
“I investigated Sophia last night.”
Evelyn’s eyes narrowed immediately.
Inside the folder were photographs.
Sophia entering a private club. Sophia meeting unknown businessmen. Sophia transferring money into an offshore account.
Evelyn’s stomach tightened.
“This happened before our engagement in the previous life too,” Damien said quietly. “But back then, I never paid attention.”
Evelyn flipped through the pages carefully.
Then one photograph made her freeze completely.
A man stood beside Sophia in the picture.
Tall. Gray-haired. Familiar.
Her breathing stopped.
“Richard Vaughn…” she whispered.
Damien’s expression darkened.
“You recognize him.”
Of course she did.
Richard Vaughn had been her father’s business partner years ago before suddenly disappearing overseas.
In her previous life, Evelyn heard rumors that he secretly hated the Carter family after losing company shares during a merger.
But she never imagined—
“He’s connected to Sophia,” Evelyn said slowly.
Damien nodded once.
“And possibly connected to your father’s illness.”
Anger surged violently through Evelyn’s chest.
Her father had trusted too many people. Just like she had.
Suddenly, Damien stepped closer.
“There’s something else.”
His voice had become unusually serious.
“The brake failure in your accident…”
Evelyn’s heart skipped painfully.
Damien looked directly into her eyes.
“It wasn’t accidental.”
Silence crashed between them.
For several seconds, Evelyn couldn’t breathe.
She remembered the burning car. The crushed metal. The flames swallowing everything.
Someone had planned her death from the beginning.
Her hands trembled slightly.
“Who?” she whispered.
Damien’s jaw tightened.
“I don’t know yet.”
Evelyn laughed bitterly.
“Incredible.”
Her eyes slowly filled with rage.
“In my last life, I was surrounded by monsters and didn’t even realize it.”
Damien’s expression softened briefly.
“You weren’t weak, Evelyn.”
“No,” she replied coldly. “I was blind.”
The city thunder rumbled outside the windows.
Then suddenly—
Damien’s phone rang.
He glanced at the screen, and his expression darkened instantly.
“What happened?” Evelyn asked.
Damien lowered the phone slowly.
“There was an attempted break-in at your father’s office thirty minutes ago.”
Evelyn froze.
“Was anything stolen?”
“No.”
Damien’s gaze sharpened dangerously.
“But the security team found one thing.”
He reached into his coat pocket and placed a silver necklace onto the table.
Evelyn’s blood ran cold immediately.
Because she recognized it.
Sophia wore that necklace almost every day.
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