Chapter 2 Reborn

Blood would not stop trickling out of my body. I was tormented until my body was bent out of shape, yet Melanie only watched in cold indifference.

But God decided to give me a second chance at life. I noticed the smug look on my sister's face, and I snickered.

She would soon find out that marrying Jonathan would be the first chapter of her nightmare.

I reported for duty and successfully finished my work. My parents finally smiled at me.

The sun was setting. I was writing up the latest report on another homestay. Melanie came into my room, all smiles.

She put a bottle of perfume on my desk. "I haven't congratulated you for getting that job. Here's to a smooth career."

I looked at her and put on a smile. "Thanks. I'll use this."

A smile of disdain curled her lips, then she left my room.

I stared at her. That perfume was no ordinary gift. It was part of her scheme. The fire would happen in three days. That perfume was spiked with sleep-inducing components.

Once I got into the homestay, I talked to the person in charge. "Hi, something smells charred in the room. Can you get someone to check it?"

The person in charge did not waste any time. Lives were at stake here. The technician came and conducted a thorough check. The wires in the fridge's pipes were too old. Shocked, he said, "The circuit's nearly bust! You're lucky you found this early. It's summer, and electricity usage's through the roof. This could've been a fire hazard!"

Everyone inhaled sharply. Soon, the incident brought the homestay's owner into the picture. Joseph Quigley.

Joseph was a famous entrepreneur in Imperia's elite circle. He got rich doing real estate and was in the right place to invest in new energy. Thanks to his vision and ambition, he made his way to the top three richest men in the country.

He launched an investigation and found out this was one of his competitors' dirty tricks. When his competitor found out he was working on another round of funding for his company, they tried to start a scandal with the ruined circuit. That would hurt his reputation.

Joseph handed the evidence over to his lawyers. His competitor was struck down with the hammer of justice.

I was going to go back to my room, but Joseph stopped me, "Thank you, Ms. Yvonne. I was in the penthouse. If you hadn't noticed the faulty circuit, this whole place would've taken me down with it in a fire."

He was smiling wryly. I paused for a moment as memory hit me. Yes, an entrepreneur was hurt in the fire in my previous life.

I wasn't expecting to save another life along with mine, but here we were. I smiled at him. "Don't mention it, Mr. Quigley. Glad you're safe. This place is famous nationwide. I'm honored to be of help."

Joseph was looking at me with gratitude and approval. He was going to say something, but a voice interrupted him. From behind, someone demanded, "How are you safe, Yvonne?"

Melanie was standing right behind me, and her eyes went wide with disbelief. She blinked for a moment and snapped out of it.

The woman looked at Joseph and put on a look of concern. Fake. "They told me something's wrong with this place! I was so worried about you! Are you alright?"

Joseph sized Melanie up. Calmly, he said, "She's fine, and we're saved thanks to her. I need to thank her properly."

That turned Melanie's expression into an ugly palette. She held back the jealousy that was oozing out of her eyes, and she forced a smile. "Mr. Quigley, I've heard of you. You're famous. Hi, I'm her sister, Melanie Shaw. I'll be holding a birthday party in a few days. Would you care to join us?"