Before the Knock

Lena Clermont fell hard for her dad's friend, Andrew Rohan—twelve years older.

The first time she saw him, he was all sharp suits and broad shoulders, effortlessly standing out. He smiled, patted her head, and handed her a princess dress.

Fast forward to twenty. He got drugged at a banquet. She wore that same dress, offering herself as the cure.

By morning, they were a wreck—clothes askew, air thick with implication.

Nicole Jenner, Andrew's childhood sweetheart, stood frozen in the doorway before bolting, tears blinding her. She never saw the truck.

She died on impact.

Andrew changed after that.

Buried Nicole with eerie calm. Married Lena with the same detachment. Took her to bed every night—cold, empty. And every time she got pregnant, he made sure it didn't last. Dragged her to the clinic over and over until the eighteenth time nearly killed her.

Lying on the operating table, weak and drained, she heard the doctor call him.

His voice was ice. "Is she dead? Let me know when she is."

That was the moment she finally got it.

He hated her. Hated that she'd been his so-called cure. Hated that Nicole was gone because of it.

As her heart monitor flatlined, regret swallowed her whole.

Then—she woke up.

Back in the same hotel room. Back on the night Andrew had been drugged.

Lena's breath hitched. Andrew lay on the bed, shirt half-unbuttoned, his usual cold expression softened by fevered exhaustion.

This was it. The moment that had wrecked everything. The moment she'd thrown herself at him, blind to the fallout.

But now she knew the truth.

Andrew and Nicole had always loved each other. They just never said it—until she came along and tore them apart.

Maybe fate pitied her. Maybe it was handing her a do-over.

This time, there was only one goal—make sure Andrew and Nicole ended up together.

She grabbed her phone and dialed.

Ten minutes later, Nicole burst in, breathless.

Lena took her hand. "He loves you. You love him. But neither of you ever said it. He's drugged right now—this is your chance."

Nicole hesitated, eyeing her like she'd lost it. "You've chased Andrew for years. And now, instead of taking advantage of this, you're handing him to me?"

Lena let out a dry laugh. Yeah, no wonder Nicole was suspicious of her. The whole city knew how obsessed she'd been.

She used to think love was about persistence. That if she just held on long enough, she could close the distance between them.

But love didn't work that way.

Shaking her head, she whispered, "I don't love him anymore. And I never will again."

A low, strained groan came from the room.

Time was running out.

"If you don't go in now," Lena said, "you'll regret it."

Nicole wavered, then bit her lip. "Then why are you still here? Want to listen in?"

Lena flinched but stepped aside.

The second Nicole reached out and touched Andrew's face, Lena shut the door.

Soft gasps, broken murmurs, the rustle of sheets—muffled but unmistakable.

Each sound slammed into her like a blow, shattering the last remnants of her past self.

She sank to the floor, hollowed out. Tears slipped down her cheeks, but strangely, relief settled in her bones.

At last, she was free.

Lena wiped her tears and stumbled back to her room.

Next door, Andrew and Nicole lost themselves in each other, no hesitation, no restraint.

Lena didn't sleep a wink.

At dawn, her phone rang.

Her dad, Benjamin.

"Lena, do you want to come live with me?"

Years ago, when Clermont Group expanded overseas, Benjamin had moved abroad alone. Worried he wouldn't have time for Lena, he left her in Andrew's care.

That arrangement lasted for years.

Later, she fell for Andrew. So even when the company stabilized and Benjamin begged her to join him, she refused.

But now, Andrew and Nicole were finally together.

It was time to move on.

She took a deep breath. "Dad, I'm ready to leave Altesia."

Silence. Then, Benjamin's voice—unusually excited. "Lena, you finally came to your senses! I told you—Andrew was never right for you. You were too stubborn, and nothing good could've come from it!

"There's nothing wrong with falling in love, but you need to pick the right person. I've already found you a fiancé—he's your age.

"Once you get to Engloria, spend some time with him. Just give it a shot. It won't hurt."

Lena's already swollen eyes burned again.

In her past life, he'd tried to talk sense into her, but she wouldn't listen. And she wasted everything because of it.

She clenched her palm, forcing a smile.

"Dad, I'll do as you say. I'll handle my immigration paperwork today."