REBORN AS A RUTHLESS HEIRESS

Celeste's POV

Standing at the edge of the bridge, my breath coming in sharp gaps as I turn to face the two people I had trusted the most- Noah Harrington, my devoted fiance, and Sophie Raynes, my childhood best friend.

Except now, their faces are twisted into something unrecognizable.

Looking at Noah's hazel eyes, there is no love, neither is there any warmth for me. Instead, they hold a chilling detachment, as if he was already looking past me, this moment, and even past my existence.

Sophia's usual playful smile is absent, replaced with a satisfying smirk as she plays with the ends of her designer coat. The moonlight created eerie shadows over her face, making her look more like a threat than the friend I had known for years.

My heart pounded heavily in my chest. The realization is a slow, agonizing knife twisting inside me.

"Noah?" My voice wavered, disbelief lacing every syllable. "What ... What is this?"

Noah sighed as if I was nothing more than an inconvenience. "Don't make this harder than it has to be Celeste."

Sophia stepped closer, the clicking sound of her heels echoing on the concrete. "You should have known better, darling. You were never meant to have everything."

My breathing hitches in my throat. The betrayal burns like acid in my veins.

I had loved Noah with all my heart. Given him my trust, my devotion, my future.

What else could he possibly want from me? I don't deserve this kind of betrayal.

Before now, I have always stood by Sophia's side, defended her, and even cherished our friendship a million times.

And yet--- this betrayal is deafening.

"Why?" I ask with a voice barely above a whisper, "After everything we've been through..."

Sophia let out a laugh, light and airy as if I just asked an absurd question. "Because you were always in my way." She said flatly.

I took a step back, my heels scraping against the bridge's stone edge. The river roared beneath me, and the dark abyss stretched infinitely below.

"In the way?" I repeated, my mind spinning. "How is that?"

Sophia's smirk widened. "Noah and I... We've been together for a while now."

The words hit me like a hammer to the chest. My lungs seized, the world around me seems to stop rotating.

No! No, it can't be true.

Noah and Sophia?

I searched Noah's face desperately, holding on to hope that this may be some cruel joke, a misunderstanding. But his expression says otherwise, it remains impassive.

"You never questioned why I never truly look at you, Celeste?" Noah's voice was smooth, almost mocking.

"Why I never really touched you the way a man in love should touch his woman?"

I felt my stomach drop at that instant.

"I never loved you," he continued, his tone brutally calm.

"You were just... Convenient."

Tears burned in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall.

"And what about you, Sophia?" I asked, forcing myself to look at the woman I had once called my sister. "You were my best friend, Sophia."

Sophia rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. You were always so perfect, so adored, so untouchable." She sneered.

"Do you know how exhausting it was to live in your shadow? To watch you have everything, handed to you while I was just feeding from your leftovers?"

My hands form into fists. "That's not true. I never--"

"Oh Please! Spare me the act," Sophia cut me off. "The Lancaster name, the wealth, the attention -- it should have been mine."

I shake my head in disbelief. "So this is what it's all about? Greed?"

Noah scoffed. "Oh, Celeste. You're so naive."

He took a step closer, his fingers grazing my chin in a mockery way of affection. I flinch.

"You see," he continued, "the Lancaster fortune isn't really yours. You were adopted, remember?" He tilts his head, eyes gleaming with something dark. "But your Father -- he left a clause in his will. If anything happened to you before your twenty-fifth birthday, the inheritance would go to your family."

My blood turns to ice.

My adoptive parents. The people who had raised me.

Were they in on this, too?

Sophia leans towards me, her breath warm against my ear. "You were never meant to last, Celeste. Just a placeholder."

My stomach twisted. I felt sick and disgusted.

"You're going to kill me." The words were barely a whisper, but the weight of them crushed me.

Sophia grinned, reaching out to brush my hair from my face. "Don't take it personally."

And then---

Sudden pain exploded through my body as Sophia shoved me with brutal force.

Time slowed.

The wind rushes past me, stealing the screams from my lips.

Noah's face remains Indifferent, watching me fall without a flicker of remorse.

My body hit the icy water with a violent crash. The shock of it steals the breath from my lungs, the cold cutting into me like thousands of needles.

I thrash, my limbs flailing, but the current is merciless. It drags me down, swallowing my whole being.

Above, the bridge grew smaller and smaller.

Noah and Sophia stood there, silhouette against the night sky, watching me disappear.

I fight hard. I fight with every strength in me.

But the more I struggled, the deeper I sank.

My lungs burned, and my vision became blurry.

No. No, I can't die like this.

Not at their hands.

But my strength is fading.

Memories flash behind my eyes -- my childhood, the laughter I had shared with Sophia, the stolen kisses with Noah, the dreams I have for my future.

All lies.

All meaningless.

The water presses in from all sides, a crushing weight.

I wanted to scream, to rage, to curse the heavens.

But instead, all I can do is let go.

Darkness claims me. I died!

Celeste POV

Pain.

A dull, throbbing ache press against my skull, dragging me from the depths of nothingness. My body feels heavy as if I am submerged in a thick fog.

But there is something else -- something familiar. The scent of my favorite -- fresh lavender. I can also hear the distant hum of morning traffic and the meowing of the little cat around me.

Then suddenly -- light rays flash into my eyes as they try to snap open.

A white ceiling, unblemished.

My breath hitches.

My chest rises and falls rapidly as my lungs gasp for air.

My fingers curl into the silk sheets beneath me, feeling the texture and the weight of reality pressing down on me.

I blink, my vision adjusting to the dim light filtering through the luxurious canopy above my bed.

My bed.

How am I on a bed?

Confusion twist through my mind like a storm, had it all been a dream? No icy water, no suffocating darkness, no pain -- had I imagined it?

A rush of disorientation hit me like a tidal wave.

Where am I?

I sit up abruptly, my hands slowly flying to all parts of my body, expecting to find bruises, wounds -- some kind of proof of the horrors I had endured that night.

But there is nothing. No marks or bruises on me, and my silk nightgown is pristine.

Instead, I'm surrounded by the warm glow of a familiar chandelier hanging above me.

I recognize this room.

Golden drapes, silk sheets, the lovely scent that envelopes the air-- it is my bedroom in the Lancaster estate. But how?

My fingers grip my nightgown tightly as I struggle to breathe. This isn't possible. I am supposed to be dead!

My gaze goes around the room, my heart hammering in my chest. Everything is exactly how I remembered it-- my vanity mirror still had the small crack in the corner from when Sophie had accidentally knocked over my perfume bottle, and the large desk close to the window still had the deep scratch from when Sophia had dragged a chair across it.

These details... They shouldn't be here.

I turn to the light stand, where my phone is charging. With trembling hands, I grab it and press the power button. The screen lit up, and my heart nearly stop.

Date: March 16th, 2024

My breath hitches.

This is the day before my engagement to Noah Harrington. Five years before my death.

My entire body went still. The truth slams into my face like the force of a tidal wave.

I am reborn.

A chill ran down my spine.

To be sure I'm sane--- who knows my phone could be wrong. My gaze went back to the wall-mounted calendar near my bedside. I grip The calendar, looking closely at the date...

Still five years ago.

I gasp... My mind still spinning in disbelief, I stumble towards the mirror nearly tripping over my own feet.

The woman staring back at me... Is way younger and softer.

I reach up, touching my face in shock...

All the faint lines of exhaustion were gone, the dark circles beneath my eyes gone, the weary lines carved by years of betrayal and suffering. I look younger...

My cheeks were fuller, untouched by the pain I had endured. My glossy, wavy hair flows over my shoulders.

A hysterical laugh bubbles up in my throat, but it comes out as a strangled sob.

Then it dawned on me...

This is the day before my engagement party. The day before, I sealed my fate by agreeing to marry Noah Harrington. The day before, I unknowingly walked into a trap set by the people I trusted the most.

A small bit of memories crash down on me like a wave. I remember everything. The sweet words Noah had whispered in my ear while secretly spending nights with Sophia.

The way my adoptive mother always smiles at me pretending to care while plotting to steal my inheritance. The way I had foolishly sacrificed my happiness, my dignity, and my entire life for people who never truly loved me.

A sharp, bitter rage coursed through my veins, unlike anything I had ever felt before. I had died in the cold, discarded like trash.

Not this time.

This time, I won't be their fool. This time, I'm not going to be that naive girl desperate for love and approval.

This time, I would destroy them before they could destroy me.

A knock at the door cut through the silence.

"Miss Celeste, are you awake?"

A maid's voice, one I recognize. My throat tightens. The last time I heard that voice, it had been filled with pity as she was driven out of the Lancaster estate, discarded like an unwanted burden.

Taking a deep breath, I straightened my shoulders, wiping the shock of my face. The old me would have hesitated, uncertain, and vulnerable. But I am no longer that girl.

"Yes," I answer with a steady and commanding voice.

"Enter."

The door opens, and a maid steps in bowing politely. "Madam Lancaster has requested you to join us for breakfast. The family is expecting you."

My fingers dig into the sheets with rage. "Ok, I will be there soon."

She turns and leaves the room.

I have no plans of going downstairs to have dinner with those pretenders.

My nails dig deep into my palm until I feel the sting of pain. No, I'm not that naive, foolish girl anymore.

I have been given a second chance.

A slow, bitter smile curls on my lips. This time, things will be different.

This time, I won't be their puppet.

This time, I will make them pay.

I take a deep, steadying breath and force myself to think rationally. I woke up exactly one day before the engagement announcement.

In my past life, I had blindly accepted Noah's proposal, believing in his sweet words and empty promises. I had thought it was the beginning of a fairytale.

Now I know it was the beginning of my downfall back then in my past life and now.....

Such a mistake won't happen again.

While still in my thoughts, a few minutes later, I hear a knock on the door again.

I thought I told this lady I will be with them shortly. Why the irritating disturbance?

"Come in," I yell without thinking if it's the same person at the door; I'm just trying hard to control my anger.

When the door opens wide, I see Mum-- the pretender.

"Celeste darling are you awake? I sent the maid to get you for over thirty minutes now. You didn't show up" Eleanor Lancaster's voice is sweet, warm --- deceptive.

My lips curl in disgust. I have once sought this woman's approval, desperate for affection. Now I know better.

Taking a deep breath, I compose myself. I can't let them know I have changed. Not yet.

"Yes, Mother," I call, making sure my voice sounds soft and obedient. "Come in."

The door opens, and Eleanor steps inside, her elegant frame wrap in a designer silk robe. She is as beautiful as ever, with her flawless skin and carefully styled blonde curls. She smiles at me, but I can see the deceitful calculation behind her eyes.

How was I blind all these years. I mumble to myself.

"You slept in," Eleanor said gently, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Today is an important day, darling. The engagement announcement -- have you forgotten?"

Forgotten? I nearly laugh. I can never forget the day I had unknowingly sealed my fate.

But instead of showing my true thoughts, I tilt my head, forming innocence. "Of course not, Mother," I say with a small smile. "Just that... I was lost in thought."

Eleanor's sharp eyes study me for a moment before she nods approvingly. "Good. The press conference is at noon, and we want everything to be perfect. Noah is the ideal match for you, after all."

Ideal match! Indeed I scoff In my subconscious

I clench my jaw but force my expression to remain pleasant.

"Of course," I murmur.

Eleanor patted my hand. "Good girl. Get dressed and come downstairs soon. Your father wants to discuss the final details."

With that, she leaves the room, closing the door behind her.

I exhale slowly, my hands tightening into fists so that I can feel the sting.

I had tolerated this in my past life. I had allowed myself to be led like a lamb to the slaughter.

But not this time.

My first move is to destroy the engagement...

I can't wait to see the disgrace on their faces.

My second move?

Noah Harrington and Sophia Raynes won't see me coming for them.

Celeste POV

The Lancaster estate is very busy with preparations for the grand engagement announcement between me and Noah Harrington.

Crystal chandeliers shine from above, reflecting off the marble floors. Floral arrangements of ivory roses and golden lilies adorned every corner, their fragrance mingling with the expensive champagne being poured into delicate crystal flutes.

For everyone in high society, this is a momentous occasion -- a union between Lancaster and the Harringtons, two of the wealthiest families in the country.

For me, however, this is a nightmare I had once been too blind to see.

I stand in front of the long mirror in my bedroom, dressed in an elegant silver gown that shimmers under the soft glow of the vanity lights.

A maid is helping me adjust the diamond necklace around my neck, a symbol of my family's wealth.

A cruel irony. In my past life, I had worn this same dress, this same necklace, and stepped into the same grand ballroom, completely unaware that I was walking towards my doom.

I place my finger around the necklace, my heart pounding.

Five years ago, this was the day I sealed my fate.

Back then I had smiled, accepted Noah's proposal, and trusted Sophia with all my heart. The very people I loved the most were the ones who had planned my demise.

The memory of cold water engulfing me, Noah's indifferent gaze as Sophia whispered venomous words into my ear, sent a shiver down my spine.

Not this time. This time, I am in control.

A knock on the door pulled me out of my thoughts. The maid steps aside just as the door swings open, revealing my adoptive mother.

Estina is dressed impeccably in an emerald green gown, her hair styled in an elegant ponytail. Her eyes, the same ones that once held fake affection, gleam with satisfaction as she looks at my appearance.

"You look perfect," Estina says smoothly, stepping inside. "Just as a Lancaster heiress should."

I force a smile, my fingers unclenching from the necklace. "I suppose I should thank you."

Estina's lips curl into a pleased smirk, oblivious to the icy undertone in my voice.

"You should my love. Do you know how many young women will kill to be in your position? Noah is the perfect match for you. And this engagement will secure the Lancaster family's influence."

That's all I ever was to you. A tool! I mutter to myself

I keep my expression calm, though fury forms in my stomach.

In my past life, I had been desperate for her approval, craving even the smallest affection from the woman who had raised me.

Now, I see her for what she truly is -a master manipulator who has stolen my birthright and thrown me away when I was no longer useful.

"I'll be downstairs shortly," I say, dismissing her.

Estina gives me a final approving nod before stepping out of the room. The moment the door clicks shut, I exhale slowly, and my fingers form into fists.

My stylist quickly did some touch-ups, and we're set to go downstairs.

The large hall downstairs is full of the elite of high society, men in tailored suits and women in dazzling gowns.

Laughter and hush conversation fills the air, but I feel the weight of dozens of eyes on me as I descend the staircase.

I meet Noah's gaze from across the room. He stands at the piano, dressed in a classic black tuxedo, with a confident smirk playing on his lips.

Noah Harrington-- the man I had once loved. The man who vowed to always protect me but rather chose to betray me instead.

His brown eyes hold nothing but triumph. He believes I am still the same naive woman who adores him.

Hmmm... he must really be happy within him. My lips curl in amusement. You have no idea what's coming, Noah.

Noah made his way towards me extending his hand.

"Celeste," he greeted me smoothly, pressing a light kiss on my glove fingers. "You look stunning and... Breathtaking, my love."

I smile, but deep down there's no warmth in my gaze. "And you look pleased with yourself, Noah."

Noah's facial expression changes immediately; confusion crosses his face, but he tries to mask it with his usual fake charm. "Shouldn't I be? After all, tonight is our big night."

Before I could give him a befitting response, another voice from behind came in.

"Celeste dear, you're absolutely radiant."

I remember you--- Sophia Raynes I mutter to myself.

This woman has always been my childhood best friend. She's standing a few feet away from me; she's dressed in a champagne-colored gown, her dark eyes shimmering with pretense and fake affection.

I can actually see through her, I feel nothing but contempt.

You wince... You smile at me like this before pushing me to my death. You won't succeed this time.

Sophia reach for my hand, squeezing them gently as if we're still close friends. "I can't believe the day is finally here. I'm so happy for you." She says.

I let out a soft laugh, tilting my head. "Are you? How touching."

Sophia blink her eyes, slightly taken aback by the Sharp edge in my voice, I guess she's trying to process what I mean.

Noah chuckles, wrapping his arm around my waist. "You'll have to excuse my fiancee, Sophia. She's just nervous." Noah says, trying to be nice or whatever, I don't care.

I turn my head slightly, meeting Noah's gaze. "Oh, I'm not nervous, Noah. In fact, I've never been more certain about life... About what I really want for myself."

His smirk widens. "That's good to hear. Soon, we'll finally be together."

I smile sweetly at his foolishness. "Of course, soon, everything will change."

Sophia shifted uneasily. "Celeste, I need to talk to you for a moment. Alone."

I arch a brow; what does she want to possibly talk about with me? "Alone?" I ask her.

Sophia bit her lip, glancing at Noah. "It's about ---"

"Ladies and gentlemen," a voice echoes through the microphone, interrupting us.

I turn round and notice my pretentious adoptive mother stepping forward, holding a champagne glass in her left hand.

"Thank you all for celebrating with us tonight. It is with great joy that we celebrate the engagement of my beloved daughter Celeste, to the distinguish Noah Harrington." She continues.

Polite applause sounded from the crowd.

The room light becomes dim as the spotlight becomes focused on the stage where Noah takes center stage from Estina. He holds the microphone, and his deep voice echoes effortlessly through the hall.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he begins, his tone lace with charm. "As my mother-in-law-to-be has said, we thank you for joining us tonight to celebrate a love that has been in the making for years." He says smiling from ear to ear.

What a world... How was I this blind to this pretentious act I ask myself.

The crowd murmurs in delight, some sighing at the supposed romance of it all. I try to hold my expression of disgust and express polite happiness.

The next second, Noah turn his gaze towards me, that brown eyes of his.... The warmth and affection it carries are fake. Those eyes were beautiful to look at before now. FAKE! "Celeste my love, will you join me here?" He romantically asks me.

The crowd's gaze turned to me, and immediately, they parted as I made my way forward, my gown sweeping the floor with each slow and deliberate step. My heart is steady and my mind is still sharp.

As I reach the stage, Noah takes my hand, gently leading me up. He squeezes my fingers --- his way of reminding me to act properly.

I smile slowly as I curve my lips.

I won't be playing by his rules tonight.

Noah turns back to the crowd, the showman in him seeking the attention. "Celeste and I have known each other since we were young. She is the love of my life, my future, and my everything."

He turns back to me after saying those gibberish, lowering himself on one knee as gasps echo through the hall.

Noah reaches into his pocket and pulls out a velvet box. He flips the box open to reveal a stunning diamond ring.

It's time I say to myself.

The engagement ring glitters between his fingers.

"Celeste Lancaster," he calls with a smooth, confident voice and filled with rehearsed emotion. "Will you marry me?"