Chapter 1 Chapter 1 Reborn as a CEO's Wife

The heavy smell of disinfectant hit her nose hard.

Elaine Foster blinked slowly, head pounding, and struggled to open her eyes. All she saw was blinding white.

Was this... heaven?

She vaguely remembered heading to work when suddenly, bam-Lydia Hawkins' people hit her with their car. Lydia: her stepmother. After a hit like that, she shouldn't have made it out alive.

Before she could fully process what was going on, a surprised voice rang out. "Mrs. Sinclair, you're awake!"

Mrs. Sinclair?

An older woman in her fifties appeared by her bedside. Elaine was sure she didn't know her, but right then, a flood of foreign memories came crashing into her mind.

Elaine was, indeed, dead. She now inhabited the body of Audrey Sinclair, the daughter of the Parker family and the wife of Marcus Sinclair, CEO of the Orion Axis Group.

Too bad this new wife status meant absolutely nothing.

Marcus only married Audrey to repay a debt-her father had saved his dad's life once. Beyond that? Zilch. Nada. No love. In just two years, Marcus had asked for a divorce so many times the count was lost. And every time, the elder Sinclairs stepped in to delay it.

The reason Audrey had ended up like this? Starvation. Her "tactic" to keep him from leaving-refusing to eat to force his hand. In the end, she still lost. Marcus didn't blink an eye. That's how Elaine got her second shot at life.

The woman beside her now, Mrs. Thompson, had been Audrey's long-time housekeeper. She stood there, worry plain on her face.

Elaine quickly offered a smile. "Don't worry, Mrs. Thompson. I'm feeling much better."

Mrs. Thompson sighed in relief. "That's good to hear, ma'am. I'll let you rest."

Over the next few days, Elaine gradually adapted to her new identity. Not once did Marcus show up, which, honestly, just confirmed how done he really was with Audrey.

Not that it mattered now. Fate had handed Elaine a fresh start-and she wasn't planning on wasting it.

The Orion Axis Group wasn't just big in Ravenfall-it was a whole empire. If she wanted to snatch back the shares of Valtros Group stolen by Lydia and her daughter, she might really need to hold on tight to Marcus's leg.

Before her dad passed, he'd wanted to transfer part of the company shares to her. That was what drove Lydia to try to get rid of her in the first place.

Valtros Group was built by her parents, brick by brick. While her mom held only a small stake, it had always been under Elaine's name. Lydia could get her hands on the rest if she wanted, but she had no right to claim it all for herself.

Since they wanted to go that far, Elaine wouldn't be holding back either.

Exactly a week later, Elaine was cleared to leave the hospital. Mrs. Thompson accompanied her throughout the whole process. Her "husband"? Still MIA.

Their car cruised smoothly into Ravenfall's most exclusive villa district. It stopped outside one of the most jaw-droppingly luxurious mansions she'd ever seen.

Elaine had thought her old place was fancy-but compared to this? Talk about humble pie.

She stepped inside, eyes barely getting a chance to explore before her stomach gave a loud protest. "Mrs. Thompson, I'm starving."

"Right away, ma'am. I'll get something started," she said, motioning the rest of the staff toward the kitchen.

Elaine couldn't help but gape-living with the ultrarich really was another world. This place looked like it was ripped straight out of a palace, and the number of maids? Couldn't even count.

But okay, she was seriously hungry right now. Time to grab a snack.

With eagle-like precision, Elaine zeroed in on the massive fridge. She dashed over, already fantasizing about all kinds of delicious food waiting inside. But the moment she swung the door open?

Instant disappointment. Her heart sank like a stone.