Chapter 1

In my first life, I died for my family. My father, a high-ranking official at the State Department, was disgraced. My mother died of grief. My older sister, Stella, watched it all happen.

No, she didn't just watch. She caused it.

Now, I've woken up again, back at the lavish D.C. gala hosted by Senator Maria Clarkson. The air is thick with the scent of expensive perfume and the low hum of powerful people making deals.

It's the moment before everything went wrong.

My sister, Stella, is standing near the podium. She' s a junior aide to the Senator, a position my father secured for her. She looks radiant, but I know the poison she' s about to spew. She believes she' s the main character in some grand story, here to tear down the "corrupt establishment."

In my first life, she gave a speech right here, denouncing Senator Clarkson for "elitist extravagance." It went viral. She became a progressive darling. My fiancé, Ethan Lester, and the Vice President' s son, Andrew Scott, fell over themselves to champion her.

The scandal destroyed my family. My father had a heart attack. My mother followed him soon after. I joined the army to support my younger brother, only to be betrayed again. Stella, then a "war correspondent," leaked my patrol's location to insurgents. She told the commanding officer a rescue wasn't "worth the risk."

I remember the ambush. I remember the pain. And I remember her face, watching from a distance as I bled out in the dirt.

This time, things will be different.

Stella clears her throat, a self-righteous fire in her eyes. "Senator Clarkson," she begins, her voice ringing with performative passion, "I must speak out against this obscene display of wealth..."

Before she can continue, I move.

I walk directly to Senator Clarkson's wheelchair, my steps firm on the marble floor. I drop to my knees, my head bowed. The entire ballroom falls silent.

"Senator," I say, my voice clear and steady, cutting through Stella's planned tirade. "My sister is unwell and speaking treasonously."

I look up, meeting the Senator's sharp, intelligent gaze.

"I beg you to remove this embarrassment from your presence and forgive my family's failure."