Chapter 1I Gave Her The Real Medicine And Left You Forever

Declan Cross and I were known throughout the city as the most purely hostile couple in the social register.

It was a reputation earned, not given. He married me only to gain access to the Aethel Elixir, a rare medicine that would save the life of Stella Wren—the ghost of his first love.

And I?

I gave him a fake one.

He hated me for it my entire life.

The day I finally outlived Declan, I cheerfully called my closest circle of friends for a high-stakes bridge game. I planned to celebrate.

I ended up losing the entire afternoon.

I tossed my cards down in frustration.

“This is boring,” I complained to the table. “You are all too good.”

“Not like Declan. He lost to me every single time since we were kids.”

The women exchanged confused glances.

“Eliza, darling, you must be joking,” one of them said. “Who in this entire city doesn't know Declan Cross is an absolute master player?”

“That’s right,” another chimed in. “My husband never once won a hand against him!”

My breath caught.

The cards in my hand slipped and scattered on the floor.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back—exactly one month before my wedding to Declan.

My assistant, Maya, stormed in, her expression fierce.

“Your Grace, what’s the plan? How are we going to punish that insidious little viper today?”

I shook my head, a strange calm settling over me.

“No need,” I said, managing a smile. “Just give her the medicine.”

“The real one.”

* * *

I was leaving my brother Grant’s palace—the seat of our family’s political dynasty—when I walked right into Declan Cross.

It was the first time I’d seen him in the month since I was given this strange second chance. The sight of him made me momentarily dizzy.

We had spent too long in the last life exchanging nothing but cold glares. I had almost forgotten the gentle curve of his brow, his soft eyes, warm as a sunrise before the world shattered us.

Declan clearly hadn't expected to see me here, either. He opened his mouth, then seemed to remember that we were currently entrenched in a bitter cold war, and his lips pressed into a hard, rigid line.

A month ago, he’d demanded that I hand over the Aethel Elixir—a rare family heirloom left to me by my mother—to cure Stella Wren’s mysterious illness. I’d refused, leading to a massive, public fight.

This time, though, he would get his wish soon enough.

His gaze fell on the sealed document in my hand—a decree from my brother, Senator Grant Sutton—and his forehead furrowed. The contempt in his voice was a sharp, undisguised edge.

“Still throwing your weight around, Eliza? If you can’t have something, you just manipulate and demand it, regardless of the cost to anyone else!”

I paused, realizing he had misinterpreted the situation.

It was understandable. In the last timeline, I’d cried and begged Grant to force Declan to marry me, and Declan had taken thirty lashes rather than consent, all for Stella.

This time, it truly wasn't what he thought.

I was about to explain, but he was already gone, turning on his heel and sweeping away without a backward glance.

It wasn't until we were far down the hall that Maya, my steadfast assistant, couldn't hold it in any longer and burst into tears.

I looked at her, weary. “What is there to cry about? It’s just a marriage. What difference does it make who I marry?”

“But Senator Victor Albright is nearly seventy, Your Grace! He has dozens of mistresses and he’s known to be utterly ruthless, a monster in business and life!” Maya’s tears were like rain, streaming down her face. “I just hate this for you…”

I slowly unfolded the sealed decree.

It was, indeed, a marriage contract. But not for me and Declan.

It was for the Sutton heiress, Eliza, and the notorious power broker, Victor Albright.

In the previous life, I never knew the Aethel Elixir in our vault was fake. So, when I woke up, the first thing I did was send my people to find the real one.

The only known dose was locked away in Victor Albright’s private collection.

I wrote to him, asking what it would take for him to part with it. His reply contained just one condition—

I had to marry him.

I once used that medicine to blackmail Declan into marrying me.

It seemed the bitter consequences of that action had finally found their way back to me.

I laughed, a dry, humorless sound.

“Perhaps this is just karma.”