Chapter 1

In my previous life, my Alpha mate buried me and my daughter alive as sacrifices to resurrect his first love. After being reborn, I personally took everything from him and sent him to hell!

…

Serafina Pike heard my words and grabbed Ethan Horn's arm while sobbing. "Ethan, since the Luna refuses, let's not force her. It's not her responsibility, after all."

This sentence seemed to hurt Ethan. He looked at me angrily. "Who said this isn't her responsibility? Four years ago, if she hadn't used the fact that she saved my mother to make me repay her for her kindness, my mom wouldn't have forcibly separated us and prevented you from being my Luna!"

Feeling exhausted, I forced a wry smile. "Ethan, when your mom was alive, she told you herself that she never stopped you from being with Serafina because of me!"

Ethan's mother, Maria Fallon, had strongly opposed Ethan and Serafina's relationship at that time.

In a fit of rage and humiliation, Serafina accidentally pushed Maria into a pond sprinkled with silver powder during their argument. Fortunately, I was gathering herbs for Maria at the time and managed to save her with a purification potion in time.

Grateful for my kindness and eager to completely eliminate Serafina's hope, Maria asked me to marry Ethan and become his mate. She had explained it to Ethan countless times, but he refused to believe her, stubbornly believing it was a lie that his mother fabricated to side with me.

Thankfully, after we had our daughter, Lily Horn, Ethan stopped talking about it. He seemed to pull himself together, and we lived a peaceful life.

I thought our peaceful days would continue, but on this night, Serafina barged into our manor, kneeling and begging me to save her brother, Leo Pike.

Her appearance rekindled Ethan's old feelings.

He claimed I owed it to her and forced me to jump into Shadow River, a place that even the Alpha feared.

"Clara, my mother treated you like her own daughter. I know she came up with those lies to make me treat you well! I've been kind to you all these years, just as you all wished. Now, I'm just giving you a chance to make amends. Are you refusing to do it?"

Looking at his stubbornness, I knew any explanation would be futile. Maria had been kind to me, and I wanted her to rest in peace in the Moon Goddess' realm. I patiently persuaded him for the last time, "Ethan, please trust me this once. I'll go anywhere, but I can't save anyone in Shadow River!"

Serafina stiffened for a moment, a flash of panic crossing her face. However, she quickly composed herself and continued to cry in front of Ethan. "Ethan, it's all because we were too close in the past. It's only natural for Clara to worry about me threatening her position as the Luna. Forget it. As a woman, I understand how she feels. Just stop pushing her."

Ethan already felt guilty toward Serafina, and now that he had a chance to make amends, how could he let it go so easily?

Seeing my resolution, he grabbed our daughter by the neck. His eyes were filled with pain and determination as he looked at me. Even his voice trembled. "Clara, get in the water right now! Don't make me force you! I'm warning you. If you give up saving Leo, I'll kill Lily and let her die with Leo!"

My heart skipped a beat.

Lily's face flushed red from being strangled. She looked at me in horror. "Mom, why is Dad trying to kill me? Mom, save me! I'm in so much pain."

The scene slowly merged with the desperate scene I remembered.

In my previous life, Ethan believed the witch's words, convinced that sacrificing his kin's blood could bring back the soul of a loved one. Thus, he pierced our daughter's limbs with silver nails and nailed her to death in a coffin right in front of me.

That day, my daughter fearfully asked her father why he was killing her. She cried and begged me to save her, but I was powerless as my limbs had been severed.

Fortunately, there was still time this time.

Since Ethan refused to listen, I would let him be. I only needed to protect myself and my daughter in this life.

I pulled out a stack of documents I had prepared in advance and handed them to Ethan. "I can save Leo, but you'll have to sign these first."

Ethan hesitated, and I calmly explained, "Shadow River is the Moon Goddess' domain. Rescuing someone from her clutches is extremely dangerous. This is the rule of the Spirit Soothers. Before entering the water, the client must sign this soul oath and burn the request to the Moon Goddess, seeking her forgiveness."

They knew nothing of these ancient secrets, so they could not tell the truth from falsehood. That was why I could make up lies so easily.

Seeing Ethan's skepticism, Serafina cried and urged, "Ethan, it's just a formality. Sign the papers. My brother will truly be dead if we delay."

Distracted from having to soothe Serafina, Ethan hastily signed his name without even glancing at the stack of documents.

I retreated to the river's edge and secretly pulled out the two documents at the bottom, handing them to my personal assistant, Alva. "Take this Mate Bond Dissolution Application and this Severance of Blood Ties and have them stamped at the Council of Elders."

The scene I witnessed at the bottom of the river in my previous life was still vivid in my mind, and it sent chills down my spine.

The price was too heavy. My daughter and I could not bear it...