Chapter 3

"The wedding is off," I managed, my voice hoarse, after Mom settled me on the sofa with a glass of water.

I told them about Mark and Tiff, about walking in on them in the new house. I left out the lab report, for now. I left out the rebirth.

Mom gasped, her hand flying to her mouth.

Dad' s face hardened, his eyes like chips of ice. He' d never trusted Mark, always said there was something off about him, something too smooth, too predatory.

"Good," Dad said, his voice firm. "He' s not worthy of you, Ashley. Never was."

He paused, then added, "I' ll handle the business side. Any Carter family support, any local backing for his projects, it' s gone. Effective immediately."

I stared at him, a flicker of surprise cutting through my distress. That was fast, decisive. It was almost... too understanding.

Just then, my phone rang. Mark.

I let it ring.

He called again. And again.

Finally, I answered, putting it on speaker.

"Ashley! What the hell was that? You walk in, say nothing, and then I hear from your father you' re calling off the wedding? Are you trying to slander Tiff with fake medical reports again?"

My blood ran cold.

Again?

He knew. He was reborn too.

The game had just changed, become infinitely more dangerous.

I forced my voice to be steady, confused. "Fake medical reports? Mark, what are you talking about? I' m calling off the wedding because you were screwing your ex in our house!"

"Don' t play dumb with me, Ashley!" he snarled. "Tiff is sick, she' s dying. She needs me. I' m ending things with you. Officially. I' m going to marry Tiff. I' m going to save her."

The line went dead.

Save her. He was still obsessed. Still blind.

Or maybe, not so blind. Maybe he knew more about Tiff's "illness" than he let on in our first life.

My father looked at me, a strange, knowing expression in his eyes.

"He knows, doesn't he?" Dad asked quietly. "About the first time."

I nodded, a new wave of fear washing over me. "And he just confirmed he' s reborn too."