Chapter 1 Chapter 1 This Time, She Didn't Wait to Be Betrayed

Evelyn Knight had been reborn, back to the day she married Nathaniel Andrews at twenty.

In her last life, she had believed Nathaniel's sweet talk and poured everything she had into helping the Andrews family rise to the top in Lichester, using her network and connections. And what had she gotten in return? Betrayal. That man had strangled her with his bare hands, his face twisted in rage as he snarled he had never loved her. He had literally killed her.

Right now, dressed in a white wedding gown, Evelyn carefully lifted her skirt and stood atop a garden wall. She was stunning-her eyes sparkled like stars, her bridal makeup flawless. Her hair was simply styled and secured with a small jewelled crown, her veil fluttering in the breeze.

Behind her, the wedding was in full swing; laughter and congratulations filled the air. They were at a private manor-the very place where, in her past life, Evelyn had been kidnapped during the ceremony. All part of Nathaniel's plan.

She wasn't going to let it happen again. Without hesitation, she sprinted straight to the backyard and climbed the wall. Looking down at the height in her heels, her legs trembled slightly. She took a deep breath, and just as she glanced down-

She froze.

Julian Everett. The youngest Everett heir, son of the richest man in Lichester. Rumored to be an illegitimate child of the Everett family. A total playboy-charming, flirtatious, never serious about anything.

Julian was leaning casually against the wall, arms crossed. His fox-like eyes curved playfully, lips tugged into a teasing smile.

Startled, Evelyn locked eyes with those wickedly magnetic irises. A slow, deliberate wink from him made her breath hitch. She shifted uneasily, adjusting her stance atop the narrow ledge, eyes flicking around for a safe spot to jump.

But then-her foot slipped.

A sharp gasp escaped her lips. The world tilted.

She braced for impact, eyes squeezed shut-

-only to crash not into cold stone, but into warmth and muscle.

Julian had lunged forward on instinct, arms outstretched. "Careful!"

They hit the ground in a tumble, air knocked from both lungs. His back met the earth with a muffled thud, and she landed flush against him, the full length of her body sprawled across his.

For a breathless second, time suspended.

Evelyn's face was inches from his, her lips brushing the edge of his jaw during the fall. The faintest trace of stubble grazed her skin. Her hands, frantic and searching for balance, pressed against the solid contours of his chest, fingers splayed, feeling the quick rise and fall of his breath beneath her palms.

Julian groaned softly, blinking up at her. One arm slipped around her waist in a protective, almost possessive motion. "Don't move," he murmured, voice husky with impact-and something else entirely.

Evelyn froze.

His breath was warm against her cheek, his hand firm at the small of her back. She could feel his heartbeat pounding beneath her, fast and deep, mirroring her own. Her body tensed, but she didn't pull away.

Julian's gaze darkened, flickering down to her parted lips. The space between them was nothing now-barely an inch. Her skin tingled where they touched, her cheeks burning as his fingers curled slightly against her waist.

The air between them thickened, charged. Everything else fell away.

They stared at each other, breath mingling, neither daring to close the gap-nor daring to break it.

Just then, chaos exploded on the other side of the wall, snapping them out of the moment.

Without missing a beat, Julian leaned in closer, his voice a teasing whisper by her ear: "If you wanted to be in my arms that badly, all you had to do was ask."