Chapter 2

A week later, I was sitting in the living room, pretending to read a magazine while Emily and Mrs. Davis finalized their plans. They spoke in hushed, excited tones, convinced I was still the same naive, broken girl from my past life.

"The Wilsons are expecting our call tonight after the 'incident'," Mrs. Davis murmured, a greedy glint in her eyes. "Mark will express his disgust, but his family will pressure him to uphold the arrangement with our family. That' s when you step in, Emily."

Emily preened, fluffing her hair. "I'll be the perfect, caring sister, stepping up to save the family's honor."

I turned a page in the magazine, my fingers tracing the glossy paper. My eyes scanned the text, but my mind was elsewhere, until a photo made me freeze.

It was in the business section. A feature on the city' s most influential tech innovators.

And there he was.

The man from the hotel room.

His face was the same-sharp jawline, intense eyes, a calm expression that seemed to hold a world of secrets. But he wasn't a bellhop or a security guard.

The caption read: "David Chase, CEO of Apex Innovations, the tech giant revolutionizing the AI industry. A rising star whose net worth is already in the billions."

My heart gave a single, hard thud.

Apex Innovations. Their headquarters was in the same building complex as the hotel where I was framed. He must have been there for a meeting.

A slow, cold smile touched my lips for the first time since my rebirth. The pieces clicked into place, forming a picture so perfect, so beautifully ironic, it was almost poetic. My stepmother thought she was playing chess, but she couldn't even see the most powerful piece on the board.

That evening, during dinner, Mrs. Davis brought up the topic again, her tone laced with false concern.

"Chloe, dear," she began, "your father, may he rest in peace, was very keen on an alliance with the Wilsons. It's a very important opportunity for our family."

"I know," I said, my voice even.

Emily chimed in, her voice dripping with fake sympathy. "I know this is hard for you, Chloe, but it's for the best. Mark is a wonderful man."

I put down my fork and looked at them both, my expression placid. I let the silence hang in the air for a moment before I spoke.

"I won't be marrying Mark Wilson."

Mrs. Davis' s face tightened. "Don't be ridiculous. The arrangements are all but made."

"I have other plans," I said calmly. I looked directly at my stepmother, then at my sister. "I'm going to marry the man who saved me during the scandal you' re planning for tonight."

There was a stunned silence.

Then, Mrs. Davis let out a short, sharp laugh. It was a sound full of derision and contempt.

"The man who saved you? Who are you talking about? Some low-life hotel employee? A security guard you plan to thank with your hand in marriage? Chloe, you are becoming more pathetic by the day."

Emily giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. "Oh, Chloe, don't be so dramatic. Are you writing a fairytale in your head? You're going to throw away a future with the Wilsons for some nobody? You really have lost your mind."

I didn't argue. I didn't defend him. I let them believe he was a nobody. Their ignorance was my greatest weapon.

Instead, I turned my head slightly, my eyes finding the small security camera my father had installed in the corner of the dining room years ago. It fed directly to a security hub that I knew David, as the building's most important tenant, would have access to.

A single, perfect tear welled in my eye and slid down my cheek. It wasn't a tear of sadness. It was a signal. It was a performance.

I let my voice tremble just enough to sound vulnerable, but firm.

"He was kind to me," I whispered, my gaze fixed on the camera. "In a moment of complete darkness, he was the only one who showed me any decency. I will marry him. I don't care if he has nothing. I will spend the rest of my life finding him and repaying his kindness."

I knew David would see this. A brilliant, powerful man like him didn't get to where he was by missing details. He would investigate the incident in his building. He would check the security footage. He would see me. He would hear me.

This public declaration, in front of my scheming family, was not for them.

It was for him.

It was my proposal.