LOGIN"You… You wretched child!" my father roared, trembling with rage as he raised his hand to strike. But Selina suddenly broke into wild, hysterical laughter. She shoved Enzo aside, stood up, and glared at her adoptive parents with venom in her eyes."Wretched? Now I'm the wretched one?" she cried, laughing until tears streamed down her face. "Who was it that told me if I behaved and did as I was told, I could remain your precious daughter forever? Who was it that turned a blind eye—no, encouraged me—when I badmouthed Raina?"You think you're innocent? You just couldn't stand how plain and unrefined she was, how she didn't fit your perfect image, so you turned me into your convenient replacement!"She pointed at them, her voice cracking as she screamed, "You never loved me—or her! The only thing you've ever loved is yourselves and this family's reputation!"Her words sliced through the last layer of pretense my parents had been clinging to."Get out!" my father bellowed, his face twi
Enzo shut his eyes in pain, as if trying to lock all those precious memories inside his mind before they slipped away."I was a fool. A coward," he said hoarsely. "I let myself be shackled by guilt and duty, blinded by Selina's lies. I was the one who pushed you away, who tore you apart. But Raina—I love you! I always have. From the very beginning, the only one I've ever loved was you!"He opened his eyes suddenly, his gaze burning with desperation, searching my face for even the faintest flicker of emotion. "Life here is hard—I can see it. You've lost so much weight! How can you stay in a place like this? I won't let you! Come back with me. We'll get married; I'll make it up to you. I'll spend the rest of my life treating you right, making up for both lifetimes of regret!"Just as his hand reached toward me, I stepped back, evading his touch. I shook my head gently and smiled. That smile held sorrow—but also release."Enzo, you're wrong," I replied softly. "The man I loved—the one
"Raina, I—" Enzo tried to step forward, but one of my colleagues immediately blocked his way.That was Jace—one of my closest friends here, short-tempered and fiercely protective. He had despised Enzo from the moment he heard about him."So you're that bastard, huh?" Jace sized him up, his voice dripping with hostility. "You've got some nerve showing up here after everything Raina went through because of you. I'll give you a piece of my mind!" He raised his fist, ready to strike."Jace, stop." My voice was calm but firm. I didn't want these people, or their loyalty, to be dragged into the mess I had left behind.Reluctantly, Jace lowered his arm, though his glare didn't waver. He and the others closed ranks around me, forming a solid wall of protection between Enzo and me.At the sight of that, Enzo's heart twisted painfully. Once, he had been the one standing in front of me like that—shielding me from the world. But now, there were others in his place."Raina, please," he begged
Enzo shoved Selina aside, ignoring her desperate sobs, and stormed out of the wedding hall. Behind him was the sound of her hysterical cries—and the wreckage of a ceremony that had turned into a public farce.He burst out of the hotel like a madman, his mind consumed by a single thought—find Raina.Mobilizing every connection and resource his family had, he cast a global net in search of her. But one day passed, then two, then a week—and every report came back the same: no trace found.Raina had vanished completely. There were no flight records, no rail logs, no port entries under her name. Her bank cards showed no transactions, and her social media accounts were silent. She had taken everything that legally belonged to her—and disappeared like a ghost.…Enzo visibly wasted away; his eyes sank deep, rimmed in red from sleepless nights. He locked himself away, replaying the wedding footage over and over again.He watched her walk calmly onto the stage, speak calmly about parting
The assistant's voice grew quieter and shakier, laced with fear. "We've used every connection we have to check her travel records and movements, but… there's nothing. No trace at all."Enzo stood rooted to the ground, stupefied. The phone slipped from his hand and hit the floor, the screen shattering on impact.As he stood frozen and hollow-eyed, and the wedding hall erupted into uneasy whispers, the massive LED screen at the center of the venue flickered to life without warning. The slideshow of romantic wedding photos abruptly vanished, replaced by a grainy video clip—surveillance footage from a school hallway.In the video, a frail-looking girl was cornered in a bathroom by a group of students in the same uniform. They shoved her, emptied her backpack, tore at her clothes, and slapped her across the face. Leading the pack was none other than Selina Arroway—the very same woman now standing on stage in her wedding gown, looking every bit the innocent bride."Raina Arroway," the te
They were the people I had met during the three years I'd been missing—scientists stationed at a secret research base overseas. They were the ones who had pulled me from the sea, healed my wounds, and helped me rediscover my true passion—the study of neuroscience, something I had once loved deeply but given up for Enzo and my parents.In my previous life, I had turned down their repeated invitations, foolishly clinging to the belief that Enzo still loved me. I had stayed behind out of obsession, only to meet a tragic end, my body never even recovered. This time, I wouldn't make the same mistake again."I don't have a family," I said evenly over the phone. "I make my own decisions."There was a brief silence, then a warm laugh on the other end. "How could you say that? We're your family, Raina! You'll always have a home with us."I stood there in the chill of the night, gripping my phone, and for the first time in years, I smiled—genuinely.The departure was set for the next day, c







