No Longer Yours to Break

The second Zoe reset her life and landed back at the Elite Match Gala, she swapped her token with her half-sister's. No hesitation.Because in her previous life, Connor had married Zoe, but she had died helpless and unloved.It was only on her deathbed that Zoe finally knowed the truth: Connor had loved her sister all along.Now, Connor grabbed the bouquet meant for Vicky, eyes lighting up."Vicky, you're it for me. My one and only."Then he turned to Zoe—and the warmth vanished."Zoe, you've always been like a little sister to me. Don't even think about stepping into Vicky's place."That hit like a slap. Cold, sharp, humiliating.Everyone thought she was pathetic. But this time, Zoe wouldn’t beg for his love.She would bless them instead—marry the man her father had chosen for her, and never look back.……Last time, she got picked at the Elite Match Gala—only for Connor to ditch her on their wedding day. Her face got slashed, her heart shattered, and she died humiliated.So the first t

Zoe got tossed out of the auction hall like trash, right in front of everyone.Her dress was wrecked, her body ached from where security had roughed her up—but none of it hurt like her heart did.By the time she blinked, her cheeks were already soaked.Whatever was left of her feelings for Connor burned out right then, gone with her mom's stolen bangle.She wiped her face, pulled herself together. That bangle was the one thing she wasn't walking away from.***Zoe showed up just as Connor's car rolled through the gate.Vicky froze when she saw her, instantly shoving the hand with the gemstone bangle behind her back.Zoe's face was pale, her hands clutching a fresh stack of financial statements."Give me back my mother's bangle. All of this—it's yours," Connor's jaw tightened. At the word "bangle", his scowl deepened."Vicky's the lady of my house now. We don't need your money."Vicky placed a soft hand on Connor's arm. "Go inside, Connor. This is between me and Zoe. I'll handle it."T

"Waiting for Zoe? Sucks for you. Pretty sure she's done wasting time on you."Pierre, strapped to a ventilator, glared back, eyes burning. Couldn't speak. Couldn't stop her.Vicky's voice went cold. "Your perfect little angel? She's been crawling after Connor like a total simp."Too bad. Even throwing herself at him didn't work."She grinned. "We're getting married in two days. Bet Zoe's off crying her eyes out somewhere."Then came the dagger. "Oh—Connor shoved her into a pool the other day. And she's terrified of water. No clue if anyone fished her out. She could already be dead."Pierre's eyes went wide. He slammed his fists against the bed, the sound echoing off the walls.The heart monitor screamed.Didn't matter. Vicky had made sure no doctors were around.She watched in silence, lips curled in victory, as Pierre's eyes slowly drifted shut.Bang!The door flew open. Zoe stormed in, breathless, and rushed to the bed.One look at Pierre—not breathing—and her face crumpled.She grab

Connor stared at Eleanor like he could burn a hole through her.She pointed at the bracelet."You seriously didn't know? That's Zoe's."The sapphire bracelet still gleamed under the lights, polished from years of care.Connor's jaw tightened. Something cold twisted in his chest."This isn't Vicky's?" His voice cracked. "I was thirteen, sick with that crazy fever. Vicky stayed with me the whole time. Before she left, I took this off her wrist. It HAS to be hers—it can't be Zoe's."Eleanor blinked, stunned."What are you talking about? When you were sick, it was Zoe who stayed up with you—three whole days. She didn't sleep, not once. We begged her to rest, but she wouldn't until you woke up. She passed out from low blood sugar, ended up on an IV..."She kept going, but her voice blurred out.Connor couldn't hear a thing.The venue buzzed with wedding chatter, but inside, everything went numb.The bracelet in his hand felt heavier by the second—like it was punching straight thr

[Today Connie said he's gonna marry me when we grow up. I didn't know what that meant, so I asked Mrs. Buxton. She said it means I'll live with them and Connie forever, and I won't go home anymore. She asked if I was okay with that. I was so happy. I don't have a mom at home, and Mrs. Buxton feels like one. I wish I could grow up faster—I wanna stay with Connie forever!][Yesterday, Connie jumped in the water to save me. He still hasn't woken up, and he's burning up. I'm so scared. Mr. and Mrs. Buxton keep saying it's not my fault, but if I hadn't been pushed, Connie wouldn't be sick.][Connie woke up, but I was the last to know. He doesn't really want to see me. That's okay. I made him sick. I'll wait till he's not mad anymore, then say sorry.]Connor flipped through more pages, watching her handwriting shift—from messy little kid scrawls to something older, steadier.Memories crashed back all at once.Every line cut deeper.Did he really tell her he'd marry her?He always thou