"I knew it. You’ve been pretending the whole time," he sneered. "Listen up—don’t you dare breathe a word of this to anyone in either of our families. My relationship with Audrey is none of your business. She’s kind and fragile—nothing like your petty little schemes." His voice dropped low, almost a warning. "If you ever hurt her, don’t think for a second I’ll still go through with this wedding."
I couldn’t help but laugh. He was too much of a coward to be honest with the Hughes family, yet somehow, I was the one painted as the villain in all of this.
I didn’t say another word. I just turned on my heel and walked into my apartment, the weight of it all pressing down on me.
The moment I stepped through the door, my phone buzzed in my hand. It was a video from Audrey.
I hesitated before opening it, but when I did, there they were—Simon, gently helping Audrey fasten a necklace around her neck. The brand was unmistakable. And then it hit me: the bracelet Simon had just given me was the freebie that came with that very necklace.
They were so close, their necks almost touching. And then, as the camera zoomed in, they kissed. The sound of it pierced the silence of the car—sharp, intrusive, like a slap to my chest.
[Bianca, Simon must have told you by now, right? After the wedding, he’s going to marry me legally.]
[Just so you know, without a legal marriage, there’s no inheritance rights. Guess it’s my turn to become the richest woman in Evergreen City!]
Audrey… she’d been reborn too.
It all clicked. Even though Simon and Audrey had no connection in our past life, this time, just days into it, they were already acting like a couple. Doing all the things lovers do.
It was as if they had an unspoken understanding as if they were trying to pick up exactly where they left off.
I lowered my gaze, memories of my past life flooding back. I thought about when I first married into the Hughes family.
Right after the wedding, it felt like everything changed. The company started receiving a flood of partnership offers, landing new contracts left and right.
Hughes Enterprises’ assets skyrocketed, and before long, they had become the richest company in Los Angeles.
The patriarch of the Hughes family was convinced I was the one bringing good fortune to Simon.