Chapter 1

In her previous life, Vivian Grant and Nathan Hayes had gone to the same college, but they barely knew each other.

At the freshman welcome party, she walked past him after finishing a dance and was about to say hello when he frowned and turned away.

When they took graduation photos senior year, she moved a little closer to him.

Nathan immediately stepped two places away and switched spots with someone else.

Later, she ran into him in an elevator while she was with her fiancé.

She greeted him first.

“Nathan, long time no see. I’m getting married next month. You should come to the wedding.”

Nathan gave her a cold look.

He didn’t say a word.

The moment the elevator doors opened, he walked away.

Vivian had always thought he found her too loud.

Too flashy.

That he simply didn’t like people like her.

It wasn’t until the Grant family lost everything that she learned the truth.

She knelt in the rain and begged everyone she knew for help.

Not one person agreed.

Nathan was the one who paid off her family’s debts.

He arranged for her mother to be treated at the best hospital.

Behind the scenes, he even used his connections to help reduce her father’s sentence.

And when the man Vivian had married beat her so badly that she ended up fighting for her life in the hospital, Nathan rushed over as soon as he heard.

Without a word, he rolled up his sleeve and donated blood.

Vivian survived.

Nathan didn’t.

Already weakened from giving too much blood, he became dizzy while driving and crashed into a highway guardrail.

He died at the scene.

Only later, when Vivian read the letter he had left behind, did she finally learn everything.

'The first time I saw Vivian, she performed a ballet at our freshman welcome party.

'I think that was the moment I understood what love at first sight meant.

'But she was too dazzling.

'I didn’t dare go near her.

'Our graduation photo was my only chance to have a picture with Vivian.

'I wanted to stand closer to her, but there were so many people around her that I couldn’t bring myself to squeeze in.

'Right after my company went public, I arranged a project with the Grant family.

'I thought I would finally get the chance to work with her.

'Then I found out she was getting married.

'The ring I bought would never have a purpose after all.'

Vivian cried until she passed out in front of his memorial.

So what she had mistaken for dislike had actually been Nathan trying, ever so carefully, to get close to her.

What she had mistaken for coldness had been love he never dared confess.

When Vivian opened her eyes again, she was eighteen.

This time, she was determined to make up for every regret Nathan had ever had.

This time, she would be the one to win him over.

But that night, the food grew cold.

Nathan still hadn’t come home.

Something felt wrong.

Vivian grabbed her car keys and rushed out.

Behind the venue where the IPO celebration was being held was a dark alley.

The moment Vivian turned into it, she stopped dead.

Nathan, who was usually so composed and refined, was fighting a group of thugs.

His white shirt was covered in blood.

One sleeve had been torn open, and the corner of his mouth was split.

But even though he was badly outnumbered, every punch and kick he threw was vicious, almost reckless.

The men were eventually unnerved by the look in his eyes.

Someone shouted, “He’s crazy!”

Then they scrambled away.

Only then did Nathan turn around.

He hurried toward a woman curled up in the corner.

Vivian narrowed her eyes.

It was Serena Lane.

Nathan’s secretary.

And their former college classmate.

Her dress had been torn in several places.

Her hair was disheveled, and tear tracks streaked her face.

Nathan took off his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders.

His movements were incredibly gentle, as though he was afraid even the slightest touch might hurt her.

“Serena, I’m sorry.

“I was too late in our last life.

“This time, I swear I’ll never let anyone hurt you again.”

Vivian went rigid.

Their last life?

What did he mean?

Had Nathan been reborn too?

Inside the alley, Serena lifted her tear-filled eyes from Nathan’s arms.

“You should go.

“Isn’t Vivian still waiting for you?”

Nathan didn’t let go.

He looked directly into her eyes.

“Are you sure you don’t need my help?

“Serena, you’ve sacrificed too much for me in both lifetimes.”

Serena stared at him blankly, tears still clinging to her lashes.

“What... what are you talking about?”

Nathan tightened his arms around her and finally confessed.

“In my last life, I loved Vivian for ten years.

“And you stayed by my side for all ten of them.

“You have hypoglycemia, but you still worked day and night with me to build the company. You passed out at the office more than once.

“When the company went public and our competitors came after us, they deliberately sent those men to get to me.

“You were the one who stepped in to protect me.

“But that time, they…”

Nathan couldn’t finish.

He buried his face in Serena’s hair.

His voice came out muffled, trembling with suppressed emotion.

“Forget it.

“At least this time I wasn’t too late.”

Serena was silent for a long time.

Finally, she asked,

“What about you and Vivian?

“I don’t want to do anything that would hurt her.”

Nathan’s voice was quiet, almost as though he were speaking to himself.

“I’ve already done everything I could for her.

“But Serena, I can’t stand by and watch you go through all of that again.

“As for Vivian... I’ll handle it.

“You don’t need to feel guilty.”

Vivian stood in the shadows at the mouth of the alley.

Her fingers clenched so tightly around her car keys that her nails dug into her palm.

Her entire body trembled.

Tears spilled from her eyes without warning, landing hot against the back of her hand.

So while she had been desperately trying to make up for Nathan’s regrets, Nathan had been putting just as much effort into making up for someone else’s.

No wonder.

At the freshman welcome party in this life, she had gone over to introduce herself.

Nathan had ended the conversation quickly, then turned around as if searching the crowd for someone else.

During their graduation photos, he had stood behind Serena.

And tonight, he had chosen to protect Serena while leaving Vivian alone at home.

But none of this had happened in their previous life.

Not long after Vivian got married back then, the Grant family had fallen apart.

That was when her husband finally showed his true colors.

He drank constantly.

Whenever he got drunk, he beat her.

Her body was always covered in bruises, but she never dared tell anyone.

When she was seven months pregnant, he kicked her in the stomach.

Vivian began hemorrhaging on the spot.

By the time she reached the operating room, she was barely hanging on.

She had thought she was going to die.

Then Nathan rushed to the hospital to donate blood for her.

He was already anemic.

His face had turned as white as paper.

The nurse tried to persuade him not to give too much, but he shouted with red-rimmed eyes,

“Take it!

“Take as much as you can!”

Vivian had always believed that was proof of how deeply he loved her.

Only now did she understand.

His love for her had been real.

But so was the debt he felt he owed someone else.

Vivian covered her mouth and forced her sobs back down her throat.

She didn’t rush out to confront them.

She didn’t cry or make a scene.

She didn’t make a single sound.

She simply turned around and walked home one step at a time.

Every step felt like walking over blades.

Vivian sat alone at the empty dining table.

The food had long since gone cold.

She picked up the platinum ring and stared at their initials engraved inside for a long time.

Tears fell one by one onto the ring, blurring the tiny engraving.

Nathan never came home that night.

All Vivian received was a single message from him.

'Baby, something urgent came up at work and I can’t get away.

'I’ll come home and spend time with you tomorrow.

'Get some sleep.'