Chapter 2

The ink on the plea bargain was barely dry when the news hit.

"Promising Software Architect Ethan Miller Confesses to Espionage at Hayes Innovations!" screamed the tech blogs.

Social media exploded. My face, somber and defeated from a courtroom sketch, was everywhere.

The leak was swift, professional. Chloe's work, no doubt.

Derek Smith was prominently named as the "brave eyewitness" who saw me "infiltrate Hayes Innovations' servers."

The narrative was set. I was the villain.

Chloe called, her voice dripping with false sympathy.

"Ethan, darling, I'm so sorry this got out. It must be awful for you."

"It's fine, Chloe," I said, my tone flat.

"Derek is a hero," she continued, "He's being praised for his courage."

I could almost hear her smirk through the phone.

The sentencing hearing arrived a week later.

The courtroom was packed, vultures eager for the kill.

Chloe sat in the front row, a picture of concerned loyalty, Derek beside her looking suitably pale and brave.

My lawyer, a public defender assigned after I "lost" my fortune, looked grim.

The judge entered. "Mr. Miller, you have pleaded guilty to serious charges..."

He was about to pronounce sentence when the main doors of the courtroom burst open.

A woman strode in, flanked by a team of sharp-suited lawyers.

Olivia Hayes.

CEO of Hayes Innovations, the plaintiff, the woman whose company I had supposedly robbed.

Her presence silenced the room. She was formidable, radiating power and an icy calm.

"Your Honor," Olivia Hayes announced, her voice clear and strong, "Hayes Innovations wishes to withdraw all charges against Mr. Ethan Miller."

A collective gasp swept the courtroom.

Chloe's jaw dropped. Derek looked like he'd seen a ghost.

The judge, clearly stunned, stammered, "Ms. Hayes, this is highly irregular."

"I am aware, Your Honor," Olivia said, her gaze locking onto mine.

There was a flicker of recognition in her eyes, something ancient and profound.

Then, to the utter shock of everyone present, Olivia Hayes walked directly towards me.

She stopped, got down on one knee, and produced a diamond ring.

Not just any ring. The ring.

The ring from our past life, the one I had given her before everything fell apart.

"Ethan," Olivia Hayes said, her voice soft but carrying through the silent room, "this lifetime, will you marry me?"

The world seemed to stop.

Chloe looked like she was about to faint.

Derek's face was a mask of disbelief and fury.

My heart hammered against my ribs. She remembered.

She remembered too.