Chapter 1

A gasp.

Cold air filled my lungs, a shocking, painful sensation.

My eyes snapped open.

Sunlight, too bright, streamed through the tall windows of the Vanderbilt library.

I sat bolt upright in the familiar leather armchair.

My heart hammered against my ribs, a frantic drum against the silence.

Just moments ago, or so it felt, I was... dying.

The rain, the slick penthouse balcony, Seraphina' s face contorted in a sneer as Leo' s hands shoved me.

Her final words echoed, a chilling refrain from a life I thought was over.

"You shouldn't have chosen me, Ethan. You were always too weak."

Then, darkness.

Now, this.

My hands trembled as I looked at them. Younger. Stronger.

No lingering ache from the fall, no crushing weight of betrayal.

Not yet.

A calendar on the mahogany desk caught my eye. June 10th.

The day.

The day I chose my bride. The day I picked Seraphina Ashworth.

The day my misery began.

I was reborn.

A cold laugh, devoid of humor, escaped my lips.

A second chance.

The universe had a sick sense of humor.

But this time, I wouldn't be weak. This time, I wouldn't be a fool.

My grandfather, Arthur Vanderbilt, stood by the fireplace, his silver hair immaculate, his expression stern.

"Ethan, the families are waiting. It's time to make your selection."

His voice was the same, authoritative, expecting obedience.

In my first life, I had approached this moment with a naive, fluttering heart, already smitten by Seraphina's curated elegance.

I remembered her, standing among the other debutantes, a vision in pale blue, her smile a carefully constructed masterpiece.

She was the "white moonlight" I had chased, only to find she cast the darkest shadows.

Arthur handed me a velvet-lined tray. On it lay several small, embossed cards, each bearing the name of a potential Vanderbilt bride, a pre-selected list of New York's finest.

"The choice, as always, is yours, Ethan. Though I trust you'll make a sensible one."

His gaze flickered towards Seraphina Ashworth's card, a subtle, yet clear, endorsement.

I picked up her card. Her name, Seraphina, felt like ash in my mouth.

I remembered her eloping with Leo Vance, the son of our estate manager, leaving me a hollow shell of a man, my fortune plundered, my heart shattered.

"You shouldn't have chosen me..."

Her voice, a venomous whisper in my memory.

I dropped her card back onto the tray as if it burned.

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Is something amiss?"

"Everything," I said, my voice rougher, harder than he was used to.

I scanned the other cards. Names I barely registered in my first life.

Then, one caught my eye. Chloe "CJ" Maxwell.

CJ.

My childhood rival. Tomboyish, rebellious, always ready with a sarcastic remark or a playful punch. We fought constantly, a whirlwind of youthful antagonism.

She was everything Seraphina wasn't. Outspoken, fiercely independent, utterly unimpressed by the Vanderbilt name.

In my first life, I'd dismissed her as unsuitable, too brash, too... much.

Now, the thought of her brought a strange, almost forgotten, sense of something real.

A "blind selection," Grandfather had called this part of the tradition, a few wild cards thrown in. CJ was definitely a wild card.

"Her," I said, tapping CJ Maxwell's card.

Arthur blinked. "Chloe Maxwell? Are you certain, Ethan? She's... spirited." That was his polite way of saying she was a menace to societal norms.

"I'm certain, Grandfather."

He frowned, a deep furrow appearing between his brows. "This is highly unconventional, Ethan. Your mother would have..."

"Mother isn't here," I cut him off, a new assertiveness in my tone. "And Seraphina Ashworth is not an option."

The finality in my voice made him pause.

He studied me, his gaze sharp. "You seem... different, Ethan."

"I am," I agreed. "And to make my choice perfectly clear, I'll be bidding on the Starfire Diamond Tiara at the charity gala next week. For my fiancée."

The Starfire Tiara. A legendary piece, priceless, a Vanderbilt heirloom sometimes used to signify a major family commitment. Bidding on it publicly for a chosen bride was a declaration of intent no one in New York society could ignore.

Arthur' s eyes widened slightly. "That will certainly send a message."

"Exactly."

Just then, the library doors opened.

Seraphina Ashworth glided in, a picture of demure elegance, her eyes, however, held a familiar flicker of calculation. Leo Vance, charming and deceitful, hovered a step behind her, his expression one of feigned humility.

She hadn't heard my choice yet. She still believed she was the inevitable one.

"Ethan, darling," Seraphina began, her voice like honeyed poison. "Your grandfather said you were ready to announce..."

She stopped, her gaze falling on the tray, then on my face. She must have seen something in my eyes, a coldness she didn't recognize.

"I've made my choice, Seraphina," I said, my voice flat.

Her smile faltered, just for a second. "Oh?"

"And it's not you."