Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The grandfather clock in the Whitmore estate's drawing room chimed three times,  the tone loud enough to cut through the silence that had settled on everyone who were here, witnessing the beginning of something new.

Sadie Blake, remembered this exact moment, from her past life. This was when she was asked to choose between three men on  who would be her husband and she had ended up paying that mistake with her life.

Now Sadie Blake sat rigidly in the  chair, her hands folded primly in her lap, though her knuckles were white  from clenching her fists.

 Around her, six pairs of expectant eyes watched her every movement, waiting for the words that would seal her fate.

But this time, Sadie knew exactly what that fate would be.

"Darling, take your time," her mother, Eleanor Blake, said softly, though her eyes were filled with happiness and certainty already knowing who he daughter was going to choose.

"Though I suspect we all know which young man has captured your affections."

The Whitmore parents exchanged satisfied glances hearing this from Eleanor, as they were already certain of their son being picked, while Julian Ashford's mother leaned forward slightly, her face mask, polite despite the resignation in her eyes. 

They all knew who Sadie's lucky man would be. In her past life, everyone had known that Sadie Blake would choose Marcus Whitmore, the golden boy who had swept her off her feet with his charming smile and silver tongue.

Everyone including the Cross family, who sat quietly in the corner, their presence more of an  obligation to be fulfilled, not that they were getting their hopes up.

Sadie's eyes drifted to Helena Cross, a well dressed elite of the city, whose elegance couldn't quite hide the years of disappointment that were etched around her eyes. Beside her, Edmund Cross maintained his stoic expression, though Sadie caught the way his fingers drummed silently against his knee—a nervous habit she remembered from the handful of times they had visited her during her illness, when her own husband had been mysteriously absent.

They had been kind to her then, even after she had so cruelly rejected their son. Even after she had made it clear that she found the very idea of marrying someone in a wheelchair disgusting and beneath her.

 They had brought her soup and sat by her bedside, asking for nothing in return.

"I've made my decision," Sadie announced, her voice cutting through the comfortable murmur of conversation.

The room fell silent. Her father, Thomas Blake, nodded encouragingly, while Marcus's father, Richard Whitmore, straightened in his chair with barely concealed triumph.

Sadie reached across the table, her fingers hovering over the contracts. She could feel the weight of history pressing down on her shoulders—the memory of Marcus's hands around her throat, the taste of poison on her lips, the sight of her best friend's satisfied smile as life slowly her body.

Her hand moved past Marcus's contract. Past Julian's. And settled firmly on the third.

"I choose Damien Cross."

The silence that followed was so complete that Sadie could hear the gentle tick of the clock, the distant sound of traffic outside, even the whisper of her own breathing. For a moment, she wondered if they had all heard her correctly.

Then the chaos began.

"Sadie, darling," her mother gasped, half-rising from her chair. "Surely you mean—"

"I mean exactly what I said." Sadie's voice was steady, though her heart hammered against her ribs. "I choose Damien Cross. I want to marry him."

Richard Whitmore's face had gone an alarming shade of red. 

"Now see here, young lady. This is obviously some sort of jest. Everyone knows that you and Marcus—"

"Are not engaged," Sadie interrupted, her eyes never wavering from the contract in her hands as she kept her mind made up. "I am making my choice freely and without coercion, as was agreed upon. I choose Damien Cross."

Julian's mother, Patricia Ashford, cleared her throat delicately. "My dear, perhaps you should consider this more carefully. Damien Cross is... well, he's been confined to a wheelchair since his accident. And he's quite... intense. Reclusive. His previous fiancées all—"

"Got cold feet," Sadie finished. "Yes, I'm aware. I've made my choice with full knowledge of his circumstances."

"But Sadie," her father interjected, his voice gentle but concerned, "you've never even met the young man. He doesn't attend social functions, doesn't—"

"Doesn't matter." Sadie finally looked up from the contract, meeting each pair of shocked eyes in turn, they were all in disbelief about what they were witnessing, live and direct.

"I am not changing my mind. I will marry Damien Cross in two days' time, as scheduled."

Across the room, Helena Cross had gone very still, her hands pressed to her mouth. Tears gathered in her eyes—not of disappointment, but of something that looked almost like hope.

Edmund Cross was the first to recover his composure as he sat upright. He rose slowly, his wife following suit, and approached Sadie slowly as if they were scared, she would change her mind and laugh at them for even hoping. 

When he spoke, his voice was thick with emotion.

"Miss Blake... Sadie... are you quite certain? We would never want you to feel obligated—"

"I am certain." Sadie stood as well, extending her hand to the older man. "I am honored to be joining your family, Mr. Cross. Truly honored."

Helena Cross stepped forward then, ignoring the shocked murmurs from the other parents, and took Sadie's hands in both of hers. Her touch was warm, gentle—the same hands that had smoothed cool cloths across Sadie's fevered brow when she had been bedridden with pneumonia.

"My dear girl," Helena whispered, "I promise you, we will make sure Damien treats you well. He can be... difficult, but underneath it all, he has a good heart. We'll make sure he sees what a treasure he's receiving."

Sadie squeezed the older woman's hands, remembering all the kindnesses they had shown her in her previous life and vowing to pay the back whether or not if their son wanted her or not.

 "You have already welcomed me into your family with more grace than I deserve. I won't forget that."

The formal proceedings that followed passed in a blur and soon enough ,the other families departed in various states of bewilderment and displeasure, with the Whitmores barely managing to remain polite to their hosts after the disgrace that had endured as they bid their farewells. Only the Crosses lingered, Helena embracing Sadie warmly before they left.

"There is one thing I must ask," Sadie called out just as her parents were preparing to announce the engagement to society. 

"I want to keep my choice secret until the wedding day. No announcements, no preparations beyond what's already been made. I want it to be a surprise."

Her mother frowned. "Darling, that's highly irregular. The society pages will need to know, the guest list will need to be adjusted—"

"Please." Sadie met her mother's concerned gaze steadily. "Trust me on this. Just this once."

After a moment's hesitation, her father nodded. "If that's what you want, sweetheart. We'll keep it quiet until the ceremony."

As the Blake family retreated to their private chambers, Sadie found herself alone in the drawing room for the first time since her resurrection.

In her previous life, she had never bothered to learn much about him beyond his disability and his reputation for being cold and reclusive. She knew now that she had been willfully blind to so much—including the fact that Marcus and Gwen had orchestrated his death just as they had hers.

Her phone buzzed against the polished wood of the side table, the sound  loud in the quiet room. Gwen's name flashed across the screen, and for a moment, Sadie felt the familiar flutter of affection that had once defined their friendship.

Then she remembered the sight of Gwen's hands on Marcus's chest as Sadie lay dying, and the feeling curdled into something much darker.

"Hello, Gwennie," she answered, injecting just the right amount of excitement into her voice.

"Sadie! Oh my God, I've been dying to know—how did it go? Did you finally make it official with Marcus?" Gwen's voice bubbled with false enthusiasm, the same tone she had used when she encouraged Sadie to trust Marcus completely.

"It went... interestingly. I'll tell you all about it when I see you."

"Speaking of which, are you free this afternoon? I found the most amazing boutique, and they have some gorgeous dresses that would be perfect for your engagement announcement. We could make a whole day of it—shopping, champagne, maybe try on some wedding gowns for fun?"

Sadie's grip tightened on the phone. In her previous life, this had been the call that started it all. The innocent invitation to go wedding dress shopping that had turned into the most humiliating experience of her life. The wedding dress that she ended up buying after Marcus and Gwen's persuasion, she found out years later, from a clip sent to her on her anniversary, that Marcus and Gwen had screwed, staining it with their disgusting act.

"That sounds wonderful," Sadie said sweetly. "I'll meet you there in an hour. And Gwen? Make sure to bring Marcus. I have some... news... to share with both of you."

She could practically hear Gwen's satisfied smile through the phone. "Oh, this is going to be so much fun. I'll see you soon, darling."