Chapter 1 Poison

• The prison was chillingly cold, filled with a strong stench of blood.
• “Why…” Madelyn was painfully curled up on the ground, the oversized prison garb enveloping her and accentuating her frail, emaciated body.
• A violent coughing fit racked her body, and blood gushed out of her mouth.
• The pain was unbearable.
• It felt as though ten thousand knives were churning in her stomach, causing such intense pain that her vision started to darken.
• The poison was terrifyingly potent, even piercing her guts.
• “Why… Why are you treating me like this?” Madelyn mustered all her strength to lift her head, her eyes filled with deep-seated hatred as she stared at the prisoner before her.
• “Hehe, are you asking why I poisoned your food?” The prisoner laughed cruelly, looking down at the woman kneeling on the ground with a mix of disdain and pity. “Someone paid me to kill you. Your very existence stands in the way of her happiness!”
• “Who?” Madelyn braced her stomach with her knee, struggling to maintain a shred of consciousness.
• “Fine, since you’re already on the brink of death, I’ll tell you who it is so you can rest in peace. Aren’t you going to marry Mr. Lockhart? That’s why she doesn’t want you around! Once you’re gone, they can be together…”
• The excruciating pain coursed through her body, engulfing her nerve endings in torment.
• Despite the agony, a woman’s face flashed through her mind, albeit fleetingly.
• It’s her! It’s Janessa, that despicable woman! I can’t believe she actually stooped so low!
• Madelyn cried out in agony, her tear-filled eyes reflecting an overwhelming sense of regret and remorse.
• Janessa, once her closest and dearest friend, had meticulously plotted against her, causing her to be incarcerated. It was because of that woman, she had given up the best man in the world.
• That handsome man once pampered and doted on Madelyn, but due to Janessa’s instigation, Madelyn used every trick in the book to make him despise her and push him away from her.
• Only then did Madelyn realize she had been manipulated by Janessa. I’m such a fool. I ended up being imprisoned, and now, I’m even losing my life. But it’s too late for regrets… I’m no longer worthy of him.
• She spewed out yet another mouthful of blood.
• Lying in a pool of crimson blood, she gazed upon the darkness that enveloped the room through tear-filled eyes. She could no longer feel the gut-wrenching pain. Only profound regret engulfed her, so intense that even death couldn’t erase it.
• Seeing her in such a state, the prisoner couldn’t help sighing in pity. He stepped forward, gently brushing his fingers over her eyes. The next second, her eyes, wide with anger and filled with hatred, were shut. All that remained was a beautiful face devoid of any vitality.
• Once again, the prisoner sighed lamentably, then rose to his feet and left.
• All that was left was the pungent smell of blood filling the room.
• Pain and resentment intertwined, gradually engulfing Madelyn from head to toe like a rising tide.
• Shuddering, Madelyn let out a yelp.
• She found herself submerged in an abyss of suffering, utterly overwhelmed. Before she could muster a response, a strange sensation surged through her body, shattering her thoughts and consciousness once more.
• The man’s seductively deep voice, coupled with palpable pain, evoked a sense of familiarity that left her feeling bewildered.
• Before she had a chance to ponder, the man’s domineering actions to claim her interrupted her train of thought.
• After what felt like an eternity, Madelyn opened her eyes laboriously, only to be stunned by the sight before her.
• The pristine yet plain, boring furnishings were exactly the same as those in the hotel she spent the night in seven years ago.
• She incredulously turned her head to look at the person beside her.
• The man’s distinctive features loomed before her. His thin lips bore the mark of a harsh bite, the wound scabbing over with a dark red tint. A subtle trace of a smile played at the corner of his lips as he slept.
• Madelyn covered her mouth, muffling the uncontrollable sobs that threatened to escape.
• It’s Sebastian! It’s really him!
• To her surprise, she found herself transported back seven years, to the night she had become engaged to him and, ultimately, slept with him.
• That evening remained deeply etched in her memory, not solely because it was the night she lost her virginity, but also because her family pressured her into marrying Sebastian, to which she adamantly rejected.
• Rumors had it that Sebastian was not only a formidable figure in both sides of the law, but also a hot-tempered man with a tendency toward cruelty. She was terrified, so she vehemently opposed the arranged marriage between their families. She even once suspected that her father and stepmother harbored ill intentions, intending to throw her into hell.
• That night, she didn’t want to be touched by Sebastian. In her desperation, she blurted out that she was in love with Christopher Gale and even declared that she wanted to save herself for him.
• She vividly recalled how those very words had sparked Sebastian’s fury, causing him to forcefully claim her.
• After that night, she was even more convinced that the heir of the Lockhart family was indeed as terrifying as the rumors suggested.
• It was only later that she realized, the man she had pegged as cold-hearted was actually the man who loved her the most in this world. However, she had squandered all his affection for her.
• She was filled with regret.
• But now, she had been reborn.
• Madelyn sobbed with joy, tears flowing uncontrollably. Her trembling fingers gently brushed over the man’s injured lip.
• Since fate had granted her a second chance at life, she vowed to reclaim everything that was rightfully hers, including this man.
• She wouldn’t make the same foolish mistakes again, let alone allow herself to be played like a fiddle by Janessa, the woman who had killed her.
• Madelyn gently moved closer to the man, her trembling lips kissing the corner of his mouth.
• Knock! Knock!
• A flurry of rapid knocks echoed from the door.
• Taken aback, Madelyn froze, her gaze fixed on the source of the sound.
• If my memory serves me right, Janessa should be outside the door. She’s here.