Chapter 1 I'm back

The suffocating darkness gave way to a blinding light. Bella's senses roared to life all at once-her lungs burned as if she had been drowning, her heart raced, and her vision was a chaotic blur. She gasped, clawing at the air, panic tightening her chest. Then, reality slammed into her like a tidal wave.

She was alive.

But this wasn't right.

Bella's gaze snapped to her hands-smooth, unscarred, with the delicate softness of youth. Panic surged, but as she stumbled to the cracked mirror across the dimly lit room, the reflection that stared back was unmistakably her own... but younger. Twenty years old. Alive. Breathing.

A rush of memories assaulted her-Marco's cold, triumphant smile, the betrayal of her so-called allies, the burning agony as death claimed her. But she had died. She was sure of it.

Yet here she stood, reborn in the prime of her youth.

A shuddering breath escaped her. Was this a dream? A cruel, taunting illusion? Her trembling fingers traced her jawline, her full lips, the fierce light in her eyes. No. This was real.

And with that realization came a flood of emotions-fear, confusion, and most of all, rage.

Marco. The man who had destroyed her. The man she had trusted... and who had plunged the knife into her heart without hesitation.

FLASHBACK

It was their fifth wedding anniversary. She had had it in mind to surprise Marco, and it was a double surprise because she had just found out she was pregnant. She came back early from work that day only to find the shock of her life.

She found Marco making love to another woman in their matrimonial bed-not just any woman, but her best friend, Betty.

"Oh, finally!" Marco exclaimed, not bothering to cover himself. "There's no more need for pretense."

There wasn't an ounce of remorse on their faces. "But why? We were happy together. We were-"

"Happy, you say?" Betty interrupted, laughing. "Who would be happy with someone that's a liability? I have so much to offer him, and you don't."

But that wasn't true. Bella had sacrificed a lot. She'd left her wealth just to be with him. She'd used her connections to help him boost his business.

"You wouldn't be where you are without me," she yelled, but this only drew laughter from their lips.

"You're right, though," Marco sneered, slipping on his clothes. "I'd have been far better than this if I hadn't had to deal with your extra burdens."

Tears stung Bella's eyes. Desperation clawed at her. "I'm pregnant, Marco. We... we're going to have a child."

The room fell silent for a heartbeat, but then Betty's laughter shattered it. "Oh, please! Pregnant? With his child? Are you even sure it's his?"

"Betty... what are you..." Bella whispered, horror dawning on her.

"Marco," Betty's voice turned sweet but laced with venom, "she's been away so often for her so-called business trips. Who knows who she's been with?"

"That's... that's a lie! Marco, you know me. I would never-"

"Wouldn't you?" Marco's eyes darkened, a flicker of doubt taking root. "You've always been so perfect, so righteous. Maybe that was just a mask."

"Marco!" Bella's voice broke. "Please, you know I love you. I've done everything for you."

"Enough." His voice was cold, final. He exchanged a look with Betty, who smiled-a wicked, knowing smile.

Before Bella could react, Marco seized her by the arms, shoving her to the floor. "If you think I'll let you ruin everything I've built... you're wrong."

"Marco... no... please," she sobbed, struggling. But he was relentless.

"She'll never let go, Marco," Betty whispered, kneeling beside them. "You know what you have to do."

Bella's eyes widened. "What...? No! No!"

Marco's face was a mask of cold determination. "Goodbye, Bella."

The knife gleamed in his hand, and before she could scream, he plunged it into her chest.

Her last vision was of Betty's smile, twisted in triumph, and Marco's emotionless gaze.

Darkness swallowed her.

PRESENT

But now... now she was alive.

"No," Bella whispered, her voice a venomous promise. "Not just alive. I'm back."

Her fingers clenched into fists, and she forced herself to breathe. Panic would not help her now. She needed to understand. To adapt.

A quick search of the room revealed it to be a modest, rundown apartment-peeling wallpaper, a flickering overhead light, and a sparse, battered wardrobe. She found a phone on the bed, an old model, but functional. When she powered it on, the date displayed was unmistakable. She was twenty again, and the year matched her past.

"I've gone back... in time?" she murmured, the concept both terrifying and thrilling.

Then a dark smile stretched across her lips.

If she was back, so were they. Marco. His loyal lackeys. The ones who had betrayed her.

This was her chance. A chance to rewrite everything. A chance for revenge.

Bella took a deep breath, the haze of shock clearing from her mind. She needed a plan. Barging in headfirst would be suicide. The De Luca family-the same family Marco led-was a fortress, and she was one woman. But she was also Bella.

A woman who had once clawed her way to the top of the criminal underworld. A woman who had learned the game of power, seduction, and manipulation.

Her phone vibrated, a message appearing on the screen: "Sofia, you start at the club tonight. Be on time."

Sofia. Her new name. Her new identity.

Bella's smile widened. Fate was practically handing her an opportunity.

"Marco," she whispered, her voice laced with venom. "You took everything from me. Now... it's my turn."