Chapter 1

My name is Stella Chavez.

In my last life, I died at twenty-one, murdered by the family who adopted me.

The Blakelys.

They told the world I was their beloved daughter, but in reality, I was just a vessel. I was born with what they called a "Golden Aura," a kind of supernatural luck that brought success to everyone around me. They wanted it for their real daughter, Nicole.

So, they drained my energy, my life force, and then they killed me.

I spent the next ten years as a wandering spirit, invisible, watching them. I watched as the luck they stole from me propelled them to the heights of power and influence. I watched their real daughter, Nicole, live the life that should have been mine.

And I watched my real parents, a kind, working-class couple from Oregon, get murdered by the Blakelys once they were no longer useful.

Now, I' m back.

I' ve been reborn. I' m eighteen again, with every single memory of my past life and the decade I spent as a ghost.

This time, I' m not the naive girl they can manipulate. This time, I' m here for revenge.

And I will burn their world to the ground.

The first thing I feel is a sharp, throbbing pain in my cheek.

My eyes flutter open. I' m kneeling on a cold, hard marble floor. The scent of expensive lilies and old money fills the air. A shattered teacup lies in pieces near my hand, its dark contents staining the white rug.

This scene. I know this scene.

It' s the day it all began.

Elizabeth Blakely, my adoptive mother, stands over me, her face a mask of cold fury. "How dare you raise a hand to Nicole?"

Her voice is like ice.

"She killed my dog," I whisper. My throat is raw. In my past life, I had screamed it. Now, the words are just a statement of fact.

"It was just a mutt!" Elizabeth snaps. "A stray you brought into this house. Nicole is your sister! She suffered for eighteen years in that miserable little town because of you, living a life of poverty that was meant for you!"

I look past her. Nicole is standing by the grand staircase, her eyes red, tears streaming down her face. She' s clutching her arm, where a faint red mark is visible. A mark I never made. She' s the perfect picture of a victim.

A perfect liar.

Elizabeth follows my gaze and her voice softens, but only for Nicole. "Look at what you' ve done. You' ve been living a life of privilege that belongs to her. You owe her everything."

She then turns back to me, her expression hardening again. "You are not our daughter, Stella. Nicole is. We found her. We brought her home."

The words are meant to shatter me. In my past life, they did. The shock of being a replacement, the guilt of living a "stolen" life, it broke me. It made me pliable. It made me the perfect sacrifice for their ritual.

But this time, I know the truth.

It wasn't about righting a wrong. It was about stealing my "Golden Aura." They needed me to feel guilty. They needed me to feel indebted. They needed me to willingly participate in the "energy transfer" that would empower Nicole and, eventually, kill me.

I lower my head, not in shame, but to hide the coldness in my eyes.

"I'm sorry," I murmur, letting my shoulders slump in defeat.

I will play their game. But this time, I make the rules.