My Father's Daughter: Unstoppable

The acrid smell of burning plastic filled my lungs, a scent that brought back chilling memories.

I was trapped, a massive server rack crushing my leg, as sparks flew and a hellish glow illuminated the terrified face of Tiffany, my boyfriend Liam's "friend."

This was it, the moment everything went wrong. Again.

Just like in my last life, Liam burst in, scanned the chaotic scene, and without hesitation, rushed to Tiffany, who was barely coughing, leaving me shattered and bleeding under the rack.

He looked back, his eyes cold, muttering that Tiffany's family were key investors, and saving her was "for the greater good." He dismissed my crushed leg, promising to come back, then turned his back and vanished with Tiffany, leaving me for dead in a room about to explode.

I stared at the man who had murdered me in my previous life, making the exact same choice, offering the exact same excuse.

But this time, I wouldn't beg. This time, I was alive, miraculously saved by my brave friend, Maya. And this time, I was done. Dead bodies don' t get a second chance at revenge-but I did.

The acrid smell of burning plastic filled my lungs, a scent I remembered with chilling clarity. A massive server rack pinned my leg, the pain a dull, crushing throb beneath the searing heat. Sparks flew from a nearby console, casting a hellish orange glow on Tiffany' s terrified face.

This was it. The moment everything went wrong. The moment I was reborn into.

In my last life, I screamed Liam' s name. I told him I was the CEO's daughter, using my father's power to force his hand. He saved me, but his eyes held a cold fury. Tiffany died in this room, and he never forgave me. On our first wedding anniversary, he locked me in a burning car, his last words a whisper about revenge.

The memory of the fire consuming me then was so vivid it felt like it was happening all over again.

This time, I would not beg.

The heavy server room door was thrown open, and Liam stood there, silhouetted against the relative safety of the hallway. His eyes scanned the room, landing first on Tiffany, who was coughing dramatically near the door, then on me, trapped and bleeding under the rack.

He didn' t hesitate.

"Tiffany!" he yelled, rushing to her side.

"Liam, oh god, I can't breathe," she gasped, clinging to him. She' d only inhaled a little smoke. My leg was shattered.

"I've got you, I've got you," he soothed, wrapping his arm around her.

He glanced back at me, his expression hardening. "Chloe, are you okay?"

I stared at him, the man who murdered me. "What do you think, Liam?"

"Look, I have to get Tiffany out first," he said, his voice clipped and impatient. "Her family are our main investors. If something happens to her, the company is finished. You understand, right? It's for the greater good."

The same excuse. The same hollow words he used last time.

He dismissed my crushed leg. "Your injuries don't look that bad. I'll come back for you. Just hang on."

He turned to leave, supporting Tiffany.

"Liam, wait!" I shouted, not for myself, but for the others outside. "The backup batteries! They're going to overload and explode!"

He paused at the door and sneered. "Still trying to manipulate me, Chloe? Trying to make me look like the bad guy for making the logical choice? Pathetic."

He and Tiffany disappeared into the hallway. The door swung shut, leaving me in the roaring darkness.

The heat intensified, the air growing thick and unbreathable. The low hum of the backup power units was escalating into a high-pitched whine. I knew I had minutes, maybe seconds, before they blew.

Just as I started to lose hope, the door burst open again. It wasn't Liam.

"Chloe!" Maya screamed, her face pale with terror.

"Maya, get out of here!" I yelled, my voice cracking. "The batteries are going to explode!"

"I'm not leaving you!" she shot back, her eyes scanning for a way to help me. She grabbed a discarded fire extinguisher.

"It's too heavy!" I gasped, trying to push against the rack. The movement sent a fresh wave of agony through my leg.

"We don't have time to argue!" Maya wedged the base of the extinguisher under the rack, using it as a lever. She grunted, her muscles straining. "On three, push with your good leg! One... two... THREE!"

I screamed, shoving with all my might. The rack lifted, just an inch, but it was enough. I scrambled backward, dragging my mangled leg behind me. It left a smear of blood on the floor.

"Go, go, go!" Maya yelled, grabbing my arm and pulling me toward the door.

We stumbled out into the corridor just as a deafening boom shook the entire building. A wave of heat and force slammed the server room door shut behind us. The lights in the hallway flickered and died, plunging us into emergency lighting.

My leg gave out completely. I collapsed, the pain finally overwhelming me. Maya was crouched beside me, her hand on my back, her whole body trembling.

"You're okay," she whispered, more to herself than to me. "You're okay."

I was alive. This time, I was alive. And I owed it all to her.