Chapter 1 I Choose You

"As agreed, Mr. Marshall, the registration between Sabrina and Vernon will take place this Saturday, with the wedding arranged for early next month," someone said confidently.

Up in her room, Sabrina Foster's eyes snapped open, the glittering chandelier above her swimming into focus.

A phantom ache tore through her chest-the echo of her death at Vernon Marshall's hands in her past life. The memory clung to her skin like ice, but the scene before her left no room for doubt.

She had come back. Reborn on the very day when Theo Marshall, the head of the powerful family, arrived with a marriage proposal for his late brother's son.

Through the heavy doors, his commanding voice carried with ease. "These are the gifts to the Foster family. Ruben, announce them one by one."

Bodyguards in black filed forward in perfect formation, each tray they carried gleaming with excess: rare jewels, luxury watches, property deeds, and polished car keys. Ten extravagant offerings worth more than a hundred million.

The Fosters, a family of status themselves, could only gape in awe at such overwhelming generosity.

Joslyn Foster, Sabrina's stepmother, moved quickly, ready to accept the treasures with eager hands.

However, before she could touch a single gift, the doors burst open and Sabrina strode out, her voice cutting through the air. "Stop! I will not marry Vernon Marshall!"

Gasps rippled as every face turned toward her.

Her gaze locked, unbidden, on the tall figure of Theo.

Her heartbeat thundered wildly in her chest as she stared at him, breath catching at the weight of his presence.

His eyes locked on her, cold and unreadable, his striking features carved in stone without the faintest flicker of warmth.

Memories clawed at Sabrina's mind. In her last life, Vernon had forced her to deliver health supplements to Theo day after day, never knowing he had laced them with poison. Under the guise of her care, Theo's body had withered, and Vernon had stolen the empire Theo had built with his own hands.

The betrayal hadn't ended there. Vernon had staged her abduction, luring Theo to a remote warehouse. There, his limbs were broken, and he had been left to rot in unrelenting pain.

Why Theo had chosen to save her in that life, she never understood. But she could not escape the truth-she had been the unknowing instrument of his downfall.

Her spiraling thoughts shattered when Theo's deep voice cut through the silence. "Why refuse Vernon now? Weren't you the one who claimed to love him? If he upset you, say the word, and I'll discipline him."

Her father, Terry Foster, slammed his words down like a gavel. "Sabrina, you're on the verge of marriage. It's time you learned to bend a little instead of making trouble. A husband won't tolerate endless quarrels."

Joslyn's lips curled with mockery, her voice dripping with venom. "Wasn't all that drama and tears just one big act to get Vernon to marry you? Now that you've achieved it, what more do you want?"

From the corner, Lynda Foster, Sabrina's half-sister, shot her a knowing glance, a smirk twisting her features. "Don't tell me you're waiting for Vernon to kneel and propose properly. If that's your fantasy, wake up-it will never happen."

Sabrina's lips curled with a bitter sneer only she could feel. It wasn't just her family. Everyone in the glittering social circles knew she had once adored Vernon beyond reason-and it was true.

The day before Theo's visit, she had walked into Vernon's office carrying a lunch she had cooked herself, happiness bubbling in her chest. Instead, she had found him sprawled on the sofa with his secretary, Emeline Moss, locked in a heated kiss, her skirt hiked indecently around her waist.

The lunch box had flown from her hands, crashing to the floor as she choked out her fury through tears. But Vernon hadn't looked the slightest bit ashamed. Straightening his clothes, he trapped her against the wall with a smirk.

"If this gets out, you'll be the one humiliated," he had said coolly. "You want to be my wife? Then swallow this. Men with power don't stick to one woman for life. Learn that now."

She had stumbled home shattered, crying until she fainted more than once through the night.

By morning, Theo had appeared, announcing the proposal as if nothing had happened.

Never in her darkest dreams had she imagined she would be reborn to this very moment. But this time, she would not repeat her mistakes.

Turning her back on her family's shocked faces, she walked directly toward Theo.

He sat tall and commanding, his six-foot-three frame radiating an effortless authority that made the air around him heavy. Even seated, his presence was overwhelming.

Sabrina's hands balled tightly at her sides, but her voice came out steady. "The marriage pact between my grandpa and your family never stated who I had to wed, did it?"

Theo's brow creased slightly, his expression unreadable. Danger and magnetism seemed to linger in his gaze.

He replied evenly, "My late brother left behind only one son-Vernon. He's about your age, and there's no one else-"

Sabrina interjected, her words striking like a blade, "But you're unmarried too, aren't you? Then I choose you. I'll marry you!"