Chapter 3

Cassius' arrival attracted everyone's attention. He swept his gaze across the scene with disdain, completely disregarding Miles and Faith, who were both on their knees. Instead, he simply knelt on one knee, took out a ring, and asked me whether I would be willing to marry him.

"I heard that someone was being bullied. Have you considered changing grooms?"

I felt tears roll down my cheeks as I looked straight into his eyes. Those eyes were looking at me in barely concealed anticipation.

I had done so many foolish things in an effort to break off our engagement in my previous life, hurting him terribly. So, I always thought that he hated me until I saw him rushing back from abroad overnight when the news of my death reached him.

I saw how he collapsed over my coffin during my funeral, sobbing uncontrollably. Finally, I saw him doing everything in his power to eliminate Miles and dying because of it. That was when I realized how deeply he loved me.

Therefore, I was determined to hold onto him and make amends in my second life.

Just then, Miles said mockingly, "Cassius, are you trying to take advantage of a damsel in distress? What a pity. Willow will only ever love me."

Those words had just left his lips when I threw myself into Cassius' arms and said firmly, "Alright, Cassius. I'll marry you as long as you want to marry me. Will you marry me?"

Frankly, I was quite terrified when I asked him that. I was afraid that he too had been reborn. I was scared he would resent me for my indifference.

I was worried that he would reject me. However, the sudden quickening of his heartbeat told me that he would not.

Everyone looked at me in astonishment. Miles even blurted in disbelief, "What did you just say?"

I shot him a cold glare and replied sardonically, "Are you hard of hearing? Then, I'll say it again. I want to marry Cassius! Miles, consider yourself gone from my world."

My father and the others exchanged glances as the frown on their faces was replaced with a smile. After all, they had always preferred Cassius.

Everyone else was quick to congratulate us.

Cassius lowered his gaze to mine. His eyes were filled with a myriad of emotions as he murmured softly, "Are you sure you won't regret this?"

I shook my head, choking back tears as I replied, "I'll never regret this."

Miles' eyes were filled with despair as he looked at me, shaking his head. "No, you can't marry him. You love me. How could you marry someone else?"

I ignored him entirely. Julian hastily sent for the guards to send Miles packing. Then, he led Cassius away, claiming they had to straighten out some details about the wedding.

The earlier scandal was promptly forgotten due to the birth of another. However, everyone was satisfied with this outcome, as the Wrights and the Moores had been business partners for ages. Therefore, no one wanted to see an ending in which both families would end up in a feud.

That evening, my dear friend Amara Price sent me a location. She invited me to meet her at Crown Resort. She said that she wanted to congratulate me for finally figuring it all out and wanted to celebrate the occasion.

I knew Amara had always disliked Miles. It had gotten so bad that we nearly had a fallout. Now, it was time for me to apologize to her. With this in mind, I told my parents about my plans and headed to Crown Resort.

To my surprise, when I arrived, Amara was nowhere to be found. Instead, Faith was there, holding Amara's phone with a contemptuous expression on her face.

A sense of foreboding crept up my spine as I demanded sternly, "Faith, why do you have Amara's phone?"

Faith cast aside her little miss innocent demeanor and shot me a venomous look as she replied, "What do you think? Your best friend wouldn't be in dire straits if you hadn't pushed Miles and me to the brink."

I yelled in anger, "Are you crazy? Amara is a Price. How dare you hurt her!"

At that moment, the door behind me creaked open, and several men came storming in. Alarm bells rang in my head, and I instinctively reached for my phone. Alas, they snatched it out of my hands.

They surrounded me, each eyeing me with lewd gazes.

Faith giggled gleefully before smashing a wine bottle and saying, "Oh, why so tense? These men… are here for me."

I thought she had lost her mind when those men bypassed me and charged at her before I could even process the situation.

Then, the door swung open again, and a visibly furious Miles stormed in with his entourage right on cue. Faith held a shard of glass to her neck, crying out, "Don't come any closer, or I will kill myself!"

Miles shouted in panic, "Faith!"

His bodyguards swiftly subdued the men, gaining control over the situation.

Faith lowered the glass shard and rushed into Miles' arms, her eyes red with tears. She whimpered, "Miles, I only wanted to apologize to Ms. Moore and ask her to give you another chance.

"Yet, she set these men on me, saying that you would despise me after this. That way, there would be no possibility for us to be a couple. I was so scared… I would've died if you had come a moment later!"

Miles seethed with rage and grabbed me by my neck. I struggled to free myself, hitting his hands in desperation and gasping, "She's… lying to you…"

Alas, Miles ignored my plea. Instead, he threw me to the ground and roared, "You vile woman! Since you're so vicious, I might as well repay you in kind!"

With that, he ordered those goons sternly, "If you want to leave Crown Resort intact tonight, you'd better treat her well."

I felt as though I had been plunged into an icy abyss. I knew he hated me, but I never imagined he could be so cruel. I screamed, "Miles! My father will kill you!"

Miles merely gave me a cruel smile before responding indifferently, "Do you think Cassius will still want you once you're ruined? As for your father, well, he'd be begging for me to marry you after this!"

I felt goosebumps dotting my skin as I regarded the hateful scowl on Miles' face. If I had any doubt that he had been reborn, then that doubt was utterly gone. At that moment, I felt as though the demon who had tormented me in my past life had come back to haunt me.

He grasped my arm as he watched me with cruel eyes. Yet, he sounded so kind and gentle as he added, "I know you're scared, but don't worry. It'll be all over soon."

Then, he tore a piece of fabric from my dress and blindfolded me.

Finally, he left the room, tenderly carrying Faith in his arms. Before he left, he even instructed those goons to "entertain" me well, saying, "She's all yours. Make it quick."

The goons Faith had hired were all outlaws. Therefore, no amount of money would be able to tempt them from sparing me.

Brawny men surrounded me, closing in on me one step after another. An endless despair engulfed me, and all I could do was close my eyes in resignation.