Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Kate sped down the open road, her knuckles white as she gripped the steering wheel. Glancing anxiously into the rearview mirror, she caught sight of a sleek, dark car accelerating aggressively right behind her.

Before she could even react, the vehicle slammed into her rear bumper with bone-jarring force. The impact sent her car crashing violently off the asphalt, spinning out of control before smashing head-on into a thick utility pole.

Slowly, agonizingly, Kate fluttered her eyes open. Blood streamed down her forehead from a deep gash, and her chest was crushed painfully against the deformed steering wheel. She couldn't move a single muscle, paralyzed by the wreckage. Through the shattered window, she saw a shadowy figure pull her door open. A man leaned in, forcefully pouring cheap alcohol into her mouth and leaving the bottle resting beside her seat. Then, with cold calculation, he grabbed her hair and jammed her head twice against the steering wheel before slamming the door shut, leaving her to suffocate and die in the wreckage.

***

“I'm so sorry you had to go through such pain because of me,” Arden whispered, hot tears trekking down her cheeks as she relived the horror.

“It's not your fault, Arden. When I opened my eyes this morning, I realized I was back in my own bed. I was terrified and completely in shock, so I called you immediately,” Kate replied gently.

“Do you think Luke and Stephanie were behind your death, too?” Arden asked.

“Yes, without a single shadow of a doubt,” Kate answered firmly.

“Does this mean we both had the same bizarre dream, or what? I honestly do not get it,” Arden said, pacing the length of the apartment.

"We were reborn, Arden," Kate said, her voice dead serious.

“Kate, this isn't one of your dramatic romance movies. Those kinds of things don't actually exist!” Arden protested.

“How else do you possibly explain it? We both died brutally and woke up back here—days before it happened.”

“So does that mean everyone else died, too? How were they reborn with us?” Arden asked, her mind racing.

"Nope, it's just the two of us. That's why we're the only ones who remember our past lives," Kate explained.

“Hold on... this is just way too much for me to process,” Arden replied, pressing her palms against her temples.

“You should be grateful life gave you a second chance to make things right,” Kate urged.

“That means we know things other people don't—including Stephanie and Luke?” Arden asked, her eyes widening.

“And if you don't act fast, they're going to kill you—us—a second time,” Kate replied grimly.

“You have to help me, Kate.”

“You just have to call off the wedding,” Kate suggested immediately.

“If I do that, they'll instantly know we found out. What if they devise an even deadlier way to get rid of me?” Arden countered.

“Then what are you planning on doing?” Kate asked.

“I don't know, Kate. I honestly don't know,” Arden replied, pacing frantically. “It's not like we have much time. My wedding is in two days!”

She stopped, her voice breaking with frustration. “Why would fate bring me back exactly two days before my wedding? What do they expect me to do? Just walk right back into the trap and die a second time?”

“Arden, you just have to calm down,” Kate said, standing up to steady her.

“How am I supposed to calm down when my life and my child's life are in serious danger? Maybe this whole sick thing is just a game for whoever brought me back here,” Arden sobbed, tears blurring her vision. “They should have just let me die in peace.”

“Arden, I know what you're going through, but you have to be strong for your unborn child. Your baby has nothing to do with this cruelty,” Kate said softly, stepping forward and pulling Arden into a warm embrace.

“I treated her like my own sister! And Luke... that bastard, I loved him, I did everything for them, and they want me dead?” Arden choked out against Kate's shoulder.

Kate gently guided Arden back to sit on the sofa, settling right beside her. “Life has given us another chance. I know the timing is terrifying, but we can't just fold our hands and do nothing.”

“I know how you feel I honestly do but this isn't the right time to break down, we should—”

“Wait,” Arden suddenly interrupted, her eyes snapping wide open as an electric spark of realization hit her. “Kate... I think I know what we have to do.”

Kate reached out, giving Arden's trembling hand a reassuring squeeze. “What do you mean?”

“What if we play them at their own game?” Arden proposed, a fierce edge creeping into her voice.

“What are you talking about?” Kate asked, her eyes gleaming with hope.

“They want me dead, right? They want my company, and they want my baby gone,” Arden said, and Kate slowly nodded. “What if we let them execute the exact same plan they did before?”

“Arden!” Kate gasped, her face turning pale. “Are you out of your mind? You want to die a second time?”

“No, no, you're getting it all wrong! Since we already know every single detail of their plan, what if we pretend to be completely ignorant? We'll carry on with the wedding, but I'll fake my death just like last time.”

“And then what? You'll crawl out of the woodwork to expose Stephanie?” Kate asked skeptically.

“Hold on— You will show up instead before Stephanie and— Arden continued but Kate interrupted.

“What if things go wrong, Arden? They wouldn't hesitate to kill me a second time, too,” Kate pointed out, shuddering at the memory of the car crash. “You need someone with real power—someone untouchable, someone who cannot be destroyed easily.”

A calculated, dangerous smile touched Arden's lips as her fingers curled into tight fists.

“I know the exact person for that job,” Arden replied.