Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Gasp!

I woke up with a sudden jerk from a nightmare. Sweat coated my entire body. My heart raced so much it felt like I was seconds away from having a heart attack. The dream felt too real, I closed my eyes and took deep breaths to calm myself down, when I finally escaped having a mini heart attack, I looked around, the room I'm in is nothing like mine but it still looked familiar, like the one in my dream, I moved from where I was to get off the bed only to finally get a mini heart attack. 

‘I am naked!’ I thought to myself in shock. 

I looked at the marks on my body, the type of marks that appear after having a lover. The reality dawned on me that I was with someone last night. I looked around, but couldn't find anybody in the room— I was the only one there. 

I stood up and walked towards the bathroom, my reflection on the mirror was a sight to behold. Then suddenly, it all started to click. The dream I had, too vivid like it had happened to me. 

I immediately looked for my clothes to dress up, the gown was exactly the one I was putting on. Then I looked around, my eyes scanning for anything that would show me today's date. I saw a digital clock and moved to see it. 

“Ahh,” I screamed at the top of my voice. 

The revelation made me excited and quite agitated. So many emotions flooded through me one at a time. I was from shock, to grief, to anger, to denial, to excitement. All flooded through me.

“I've been reincarnated!” I said to myself in disbelief.

“I've been reborn,” I said again, this time with more determination. The whole thing baffled me a bit. 

“Oh thank you Almighty, thank you thank you,” I said while looking up at the ceiling. 

Then I sat on the bed, if I remember correctly, based on the timeline I was reborn two months before my death, and it was after I had been with Darian. 

Now that I was reborn, I know who I was with and I also know that Darian would have forgotten what happened that night. I don't have any plans on telling him I was the one with him last night. Whoever plotted against us would be a formidable enemy and I can't make any rash decisions yet. 

I thought of Stephanie and the betrayal caused by my brother Jacob. I thought of Darian's blind trust in Stephanie and how he also indirectly caused my death in my past life. 

“I will ensure they all pay for the sins they committed in my past life, I will have my revenge for my baby and I will ensure they don't have a good life,” I said with so much resolve and determination on my face. 

Then I thought of the last scene during my death 

“Lucas Vale,” I muttered.

“Who are you exactly, to save me?”

I needed to leave here and think clearly about my next move. I walked to the door and noticed it was unlocked. Immediately I left, I went straight to the hotel receptionist and demanded to see the hotel manager. 

After the receptionist saw that I was a guest in the elite party last night, she called the manager. 

“How can I help miss…”

“Selena,” 

“Miss Selena, what can I help you with?” He asked politely.

“I need to see the surveillance footage of the balcony last night, something terrible happened and trust me you don't want me to take it up to the authorities,” I said in a calm voice yet a little threatening voice, trying to appear as someone not to be messed with.

The manager looked skeptical, perhaps doubting the truth behind my words.

“May I know what exactly was the terrible thing that happened?” He asked tentatively, as if scared to anger me.

“You don't need to know, just let me see the footage, and also I need the list of servers in the party, one of them is related to what happened,” 

Seeing how determined I was and trying to avoid any trouble that will damage the reputation of the hotel, the manager invited me to the security room to check the footage. 

I followed him without any protests, I needed to know the exact person that took me to the room. I knew someone caught me before I fainted. That person could be my first clue towards finding out who is behind the whole incident that happened. My first guess was Stephanie, after all she was also the one who ordered my death in my past life but then her obsession with Darian is proof that she won't plot against us. 

Soon we arrived at the control room. The manager instructed the security team to show me the footage from the balcony last night. The revelation from the footage was a bit shocking but not surprising anymore, since I'm already used to getting betrayed by that person now.

“Do you know the man, miss? Also if you want to press charges, our hotel will fully cooperate with the authorities,” The manager said after seeing how I was attacked. 

“Yes I know the man and I won't be pressing charges,” I said firmly. 

The person that took me to the room is Jacob, my brother. His involvement clearly shows that Stephanie must have instructed him. Which is confusing because Stephanie would never allow me to be close with Darian.

So it could only mean that they had planned to do something else but failed since Darian was the one that came. Out of curiosity, I asked to see the footage of the hotel room, the entrance. The security man did that after receiving a nod from the manager. 

“What the…” The security man said.

“I can't get the footage of that location from last night,” He said surprised, and I it Instantly clicked to me— Darian must have something to do with the footage missing. If he remembers that he was with me, why does he not want me to know? 

I left the hotel after a while, standing in front of the tall building. 

I took a deep breath, still getting used to the whole rebirth idea. Without wasting any more time, I stopped a taxi and went home. The manager was kind enough to lend me some money since I didn't have my phone with me anymore and I couldn't find my purse. 

I soon arrived home and walked inside, I noticed no one was there which I am grateful for because I wasn't ready to answer questions from my adoptive father and I also wasn't in the mood to see Jacob's face. 

I took a shower and discarded my dress immediately I got to my room. I sat on my desk, one filled with paper designs of smart technology devices and a few jewelry designs. I have always loved designing things like that since I was a kid. I opened my computer and began to search for any information on the one person I know I can meet currently to start my revenge plan. I planned to know as much as I can about him before I met him. This man, who wanted to save me in my past life, this man who looked very sad and angry at my death, this man who is Darian's business rival. This man who I can't trust completely but I also have no options left than to meet him. 

“Lucas Vale,” I said slowly as his face appeared on my computer screen.