Chapter 1

I shot up in bed, gasping for air.

Sweat ran down my forehead, soaking my silk pajamas. My phone screen glowed beside me, the date showing the exact day of the house handover.

I had been reborn.

Memories from my past life still churned in my mind, and the burning sensation of being scorched by flames seemed to linger on my skin.

Gabriel Lowe was still soundly asleep beside me, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth, probably dreaming of striking it rich.

I got up and went into the bathroom to splash water on my face. The woman in the mirror looked pale, but her eyes were sharp. This time, I wouldn't let the tragedy repeat itself.

I changed into a crisp work outfit, grabbed my toolbox, and headed straight to the new villa. Dawn had barely broken, and the development was so quiet I could only hear birds chirping.

After opening the front door, I quickly located all the gas line connections. I pulled out an industrial-grade leak detector and checked for leaks inch by inch.

The readings showed everything was normal. Still uneasy, I took out several cans of high-strength sealant and sealed every connection that could have been tampered with.

After that, I installed three explosion-proof safety valves on the main line. If there was even the slightest irregularity, the valves would automatically cut off the gas supply.

I also replaced the smart lock on the front door, changing the passcode to a sequence of numbers only I knew. To make sure everything was airtight, I gathered all the construction blueprints in the house and took them with me. I even grabbed the spare key from the entryway shoe cabinet.

When I finished, I stood in the center of the living room and surveyed my work. This house was the result of my hard work. Every single detail embodied my dedication.

Satisfied, I locked the door, checked the perimeter one more time, and only after making sure that nothing could get in did I head to the office.

The entire morning, I sat in my office staring at the surveillance footage. The villa entrance remained quiet. No one approached.

I picked up my coffee and took a sip, though my hands trembled slightly. If I could just make it past 3:00 pm, everything would be over.

Time crawled by. I stared at the screen at 2:50 pm, my heart pounding so hard I could feel it in my throat.

At 2:55 pm, my phone buzzed. It was a message from Gabriel. "Honey, come home early tonight. I have a surprise for you."

I let out a cold laugh and ignored it. Just then, the image on the screen shook violently. Immediately after, static filled the screen.

Before I could react, a deafening boom erupted outside the window. The ground shook, and the glass windows of my office buzzed and rattled. I rushed to the window and looked toward the south side of the city.

A thick black column of smoke shot straight into the sky, and piercing sirens wailed in the distance. The television news cut in with a breaking report.

"A massive gas explosion has occurred in the southern residential district. The entire building has been leveled. The number of casualties has not yet been confirmed."