Chapter 2

"Miss Autumn, do you… still need to freshen up?"

Hearing Mr. Jenkins, the butler's voice,

I truly, fully realized that I was back.

Snapping out of my daze, I quickly shook my head.

"No, thank you. Let's just go see Mom and Dad."

In my previous life, I was so nervous arriving at the Hayes mansion that I asked Mr. Jenkins to take me to the powder room.

On the way back, I got lost,

and stumbled upon Serena in a provocative negligee,

sitting on a bare-chested Damon's lap.

Serena and I were both startled.

She was terrified I'd tell on her and get her kicked out of the Hayes household.

So that very evening, she threw herself from the third-story window.

I kept my head down, hurrying behind Mr. Jenkins, even quickening my pace.

As long as I didn't pass that spot, Serena wouldn't jump.

But I hadn't anticipated running straight into Damon.

One hand in his pocket, he slowly exhaled a puff of smoke, the other resting heavily on my shoulder.

"You're here."

Just two words, but they hit me like a lightning bolt.

Damon Blackwood, a close family friend I'd always called Uncle Damon, was like an adopted son to the Hayes, ruthless and aristocratic, yet detached.

At this exact time in my previous life,

it was my first formal meeting with him.

He had just returned from overseas, wearing a perfectly tailored shirt and trousers.

He'd only given me, the suddenly recognized niece, a polite nod.

His gaze had been as indifferent as if he were looking at a new piece of furniture in a corner.

It was nothing like this.

Nothing like this intense, complex stare he was fixating on me now.

It felt like an invisible hand squeezed my heart, stealing my breath.

He had been reborn too.

That realization shattered all my attempts at composure.

I lowered my gaze, my nails digging deep into my palms.

Every fiber of my being screamed to confront him, to demand answers.

But rather than tearing him apart for another lifetime, I'd rather give myself a new one.

I gave a gentle nod, then forced a calm demeanor, trying to move past him.

He seemed surprised by my reaction,

the fingers on my shoulder tightened for a fraction of a second,

the pressure almost crushing my bones.

But the next moment, he abruptly let go,

as if I were something vile.

I didn't dare to linger,

quickening my steps towards the sounds of laughter.

Soon, we arrived at the brightly lit small living room.

My father, Robert Hayes, was sitting on the sofa, reading a newspaper. He looked up at our footsteps.

He was nearing fifty, his brows etched with the shrewdness of a seasoned businessman.

My mother, Eleanor Hayes, stood by a flower stand, meticulously pruning a blooming orchid.

The scene before me,

was almost identical to my first time stepping into this room in my previous life.

"Sir, Ma'am, Miss Autumn has arrived," Mr. Jenkins reported respectfully.

My mother turned at the sound, the gentle smile on her face not yet fully formed.

It was interrupted by a faint rustle from the stairs.

A soft, melodious female voice drifted down.

"Damon, my head's spinning, could you give me a hand?"

I looked up.

Damon had appeared halfway down the stairs, I hadn't even noticed.

His back was to the living room's light,

his face shadowed, his expression unreadable.

Serena Hayes leaned against him,

one hand delicately resting on his forearm.

She wore a simple, off-white dress,

her long hair cascading down, face pale, with a lingering hint of redness around her eyes.

A picture of delicate frailty, designed to elicit pity.

But as she, aided by Damon, descended the stairs step by step,

her gaze subtly brushed over me,

and a fleeting hint of mockery, like an ice-cold needle, pricked me deep in her eyes.

She wasn't truly weak. That look,

it was clearly assessment and calculation, a condescending… confirmation.

Damon carefully helped her to the living room.

My father immediately rose, his voice filled with concern. "Serena, what are you doing down here? You should be resting if you're not feeling well."

Serena gently shook her head, her gaze, however, settling on me, who everyone else seemed to ignore.

Her pale lips curved slightly,

"I heard my sister was coming home today… How could I possibly stay in bed and not greet her?"

She paused,

her gaze wrapping around me with an innocent cruelty.

"Autumn, we finally meet again. This time… you really must stay, won't you?"

This time.

Those two words, she spoke them lightly, but they struck my heart like a hammer.

Her too.

My breath hitched. She had also returned.