chapter 3

The sunbeam through the curtains made Arielle stretch out her body, stopping halfway due to the immense pain she felt, as if her body had been run over by a trailer. She slowly opened her eyes.

With the flash of sun rays, she closed them and opened them again after a few seconds. She took a close look around her surroundings, which seemed to be familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. She remembered falling from a great height—how could she survive that?

This was the Royal Court Hotel, where she lost her innocence, but she wouldn't dare come back here after the incident. So why was she here? Something she wondered. She sat upright on the bed, trying to figure out what happened.

“Is this some dream?” she asked herself, not sure of the answer.

“I am not like others. I mean, I have lost one leg and fallen from a great height—as high as the flat. How can I still be alive? Anabel did mention her mother added the wrong product to my food, making me more sick and weak. So how the hell am I still alive? This has to be some joke or dream.”

She wondered aloud, pinching herself in the process. The hurt was not enough reason to convince her. However, something seemed to be off. She noticed the silk blanket slipping off her body. It felt like she wore nothing underneath, and her doubts became a reality when she held the silk blanket from falling off.

“Oh, my God!! Where are my clothes?” She ran her eyes around the room, scanning for her clothes, and saw them on the floor—shredded. “NO… NO, this can’t be.” Her hands went down to feel her amputated leg, but it wasn't missing—her leg was in place. This made her jump off the bed with joy, completely forgetting she was naked.

She walked close to the big wall mirror, admiring her leg. Her face had ceased to smile the day she woke up without a leg. She dared not look others in the face and had always accepted whatever life threw at her, but her glow was back. Her hand went to the mirror table, where she took her mobile, flipping through the calendar. It was 5 years earlier—she had been granted a rebirth 5 years earlier.

Oh… just how much she missed it was very clear and written in her eyes. She felt so happy having her leg back and being given a second chance. Now everything made sense. She had been given a second chance to rewrite everything.

Things like this only happened in the movies and books she read. She had no idea the heavens would listen to her cries for mercy. Now a new her was back—and better than before. She was aware of their plan and knew every move they were thinking about and how they would act.

Why couldn’t I come just a day earlier to keep myself? She had to lose her innocence to a man she knew nothing about. She had no idea who drugged her, and in her previous life, she did not know who it was. He left before she woke up.

The door to the bathroom opened, startling her. In the bathroom filled with water vapor, a person was standing faintly. Two strong legs stepped on the waterdrops on the bathroom floor and walked forward step by step. She was lost, staring at him, not sure what to do or how to react. She had completely forgotten about her rebirth and only thought of why there was a man in the room with her. It was better last night, for she was under the influence of drugs, but facing him right now made her feel awkward.

His hair was slightly wet, and he was wiping it with a towel in his hand. There was only a white bath towel around his waist. His abs caught her eyes, and he could see how she stared straight down to his lower abdomen, swallowing a huge lump. This lady was something. It was deeply disturbing.

Indifferent and slightly scrutinizing eyes swept toward Arielle, with a trace of indifference. She had no idea of his name or where he came from.

Her eyes reached his when she felt a godlike figure of a man staring at her with amusement. Just then, she realized she was naked and jumped back on the bed, quickly covering her body with the quilt. She was naked—however, she had just mind-raped the man before her.

“I saw everything last night, so no need to cover up,” he smirked and continued drying his hair with the towel. His voice sounded rather hoarse, judging from the fact that he had just come from having his bath.

Arielle pursed her lips tightly and did not speak but just looked at him vigilantly, as if scanning a thief. She still could not understand why he was here. No one was in the room in her previous life—when she woke up, everyone had left.