Alia is a skilled thief who, in search of a legendary treasure, sneaks into a castle under the cover of night. However, she unexpectedly witnesses the castle’s owner, the handsome and cold-hearted billionaire Marcellus, murder his wife. In the chaos of her escape, Alia is discovered and killed by him. But death isn’t the end. Alia wakes up to find herself reborn a year earlier, this time in the body of the wife Marcellus had killed—Livia. Faced with the man who had once killed her, now acting outwardly kind but still harboring deadly intentions, Alia knows she must uncover the truth within a year and avoid the same tragic fate. Her plan? Escape the castle and steal the treasure. During her time in the castle, Alia discovers that Livia’s identity is far from simple, and she soon finds herself tangled in a deeper conspiracy. Marcellus’s younger brother, Elias, has a close, secret relationship with Livia, one that seems to involve hidden feelings. As Alia secretly investigates Marcellus’s true intentions, she is drawn to his conflicting mixture of gentleness and coldness. At the same time, the body of Livia compels her to develop feelings for Elias, whose tender care for her awakens a sense of warmth. Caught in a whirlwind of emotions, Alia realizes that every person’s motives are more complex than they first appear, and she must make difficult choices between truth, revenge, love, and survival. As the one-year deadline approaches, the conspiracy unfolds, and Marcellus’s true intentions toward Livia are exposed. Alia finally finds a chance to escape. But with emotions tangled and fate inextricably linked to the castle, will she choose revenge and freedom, or will she find redemption and true love within the deadly walls of the castle?
Lihat lebih banyakThe night was dark and quiet, like a thick, inky shadow. A woman dressed in black slipped silently through the shadows toward the castle ahead. The moonlight cast a faint glow on her slender figure, outlining her graceful shape even in the night. The castle was a classic piece of medieval European architecture, with tall, towering spires and thick stone walls that looked both grand and eerie. Alia smirked slightly, muttering to herself, “Doesn’t seem too hard. A place this big, and no guards in sight? This should be a piece of cake.”
Even though she felt relaxed, Alia’s movements were precise and careful. She pulled out a detailed map of the castle from her bag, studying it in the dim light. With a confident nod, she silently slipped inside. Her eyes were sharp, quickly memorizing every hallway and corner. There were no guards, but infrared sensors were everywhere. Trained from a young age, Alia was more than used to these challenges. She moved skillfully, evading every sensor like a shadow gliding through the darkness.
After passing through layer after layer of obstacles, she finally reached the treasure room marked on her map. She held her breath, hiding behind a bookshelf as she prepared to make her move—when suddenly, a low, angry voice broke the silence.
“Why did you betray me? Do you even understand why I did all this?” The man’s voice was cold and harsh, slicing through the stillness of the night. Alia froze, instinctively looking up to find the source of the voice.
A moment later, a soft voice answered, distant and calm, yet laced with bitterness. “You never understood what I needed. You never really knew me. This would have ended sooner or later, with or without this.”
“No, I won’t let you go!” the man shouted.
As he spoke, the air grew heavy and thick, and then—BANG! A gunshot rang out, sharp and startling. Alia stumbled back in shock, her heart racing. Her hand flew to the knife at her waist, but the tiny movement betrayed her.
“Who’s there?” The man’s voice cut through the room, sharp and cold. In an instant, the lights blazed on. Alia’s eyes widened at the scene in front of her, blood chilling—there, sprawled on the floor in a pool of blood, lay a beautiful young woman. Over her stood a tall, cold-faced man, gripping a pistol tightly.
Before Alia could react, another gunshot echoed. Pain shot through her chest as the world blurred, her consciousness slipping away.
“Miss? Miss, please wake up! How could you fall so deeply unconscious? This illness… why did it get so serious this time?” A gentle, worried voice floated into Alia’s ears. She opened her eyes to see a maid sitting beside an extravagant bed, watching her with concern. Alia’s pale face looked frail, but somehow even more beautiful in her weakness, like a delicate figure from a painting.
“Miss?” Alia heard the voice, stirring her from a deep, foggy sleep. She struggled to open her eyes. Warm sunlight poured through sheer curtains, casting a soft glow around her. She whispered, almost instinctively, “Where… am I?”
“Oh! Miss, you’re awake!” The maid’s eyes filled with tears of joy as she clung to Alia’s hand, hardly believing it. “I’m so glad! I’ll go fetch the master right away!” With that, the maid hurried out, her joyful voice fading into the distance.
Alia closed her eyes again, trying to steady her mind. “Where is this? How did I end up here?” She felt a faint ache in her chest, reminding her of the events before she blacked out—she had been on a mission, sneaking into a creepy old castle to steal a legendary “Holy Grail.” But just as she was about to succeed, she had seen the castle’s stern, handsome owner murder his wife in cold blood. She had witnessed the scene and tried to escape—only to be shot by him.
“Where am I now? Did someone save me?” Alia pressed a hand to her chest, trying to sit up, but her body felt weak and her head heavy. She gritted her teeth, taking a shaky breath as her mind swirled in confusion.
Before she could gather her thoughts, quick footsteps sounded from the hallway, and a tall, striking man rushed to her bedside. His features were sharp and defined, his eyes filled with worry and relief. He grasped Alia’s hand, his voice brimming with emotion, “My dear, you’re awake! Do you have any idea how worried I was?”
Alia’s eyes widened, her breath catching in shock. Her mind went blank, and for a moment, the pain in her chest vanished. She knew this man—she could never forget him. He was the very same man who, just last night, had murdered his wife and shot at her, the castle’s cold-blooded killer—Marcellus!
A few days later, the hospital corridors still reeked of antiseptic—cold and acrid.When the group pushed open the door and entered, they all froze at the sight of Marcellus lying in bed.The once-ink-black hair, full of youthful luster, had turned entirely to a pale silver, as if a night of frost had swept through it. White strands fell by his temples, sharpening the lines of his face yet revealing an exhaustion that could not be concealed. The wrinkles were shallow, but at the corners of his eyes and between his brows, the faint marks looked like they had been forcibly pressed there by time itself.Even Elias—who had always clashed with him—couldn’t help but frown and ask,“Marcellus… what happened to you?”His voice carried undisguised surprise, tinged with something more complicated.In the room, only Livia—or rather, Alia—knew the real reason. Her hand curled slightly, nails biting into her palm, the pain traveling along her nerves. But it was a pain she could not voice, so she l
Marcellus suddenly lifted his head to look at her.There was no suspicion in his gaze now—no doubt at all. He finally believed her.He could feel it—this wasn’t an act, nor was it a delusion. He could see straight through to her soul. And though she stood before him in the body of the Livia he knew so well, the soul inside was different—perhaps the soul of Alia, the girl he had once killed with his own hands.That realization broke him.“Why is it you…” he murmured, voice trembling. “Why you… You’re not her, and yet I still…”The words caught in his throat, but his eyes revealed everything he could not say.He realized he did not only love the gentle, innocent, childhood Livia—He also loved the woman before him now: strong, perceptive, and sharp as the edge of a blade—Alia.His fingers clenched the bedsheet so tightly that his knuckles turned white. In his eyes swirled an unnameable chaos, a tearing apart of self.And wasn’t Alia in just as much pain?She had told herself over and ov
Alia stood quietly, gazing at Marcellus.She didn’t rush to speak. She simply looked at him, her eyes weighted with the heaviness of long-suppressed truths—and a tangle of emotions too complex to name.For a moment, the only sounds in the room were the quiet rhythm of their breathing and the distant hum of passing cars on the rain-soaked street. It was as if everything else had been drawn into a soundless vortex.Marcellus looked pale, as though the very strength had been drained from his body. The faint glimmer of hope still lingering in his eyes flickered like a candle caught in a gust of wind—then vanished completely.He spoke, his voice hoarse and hollow, as if it had been clawed up from the depths of his throat:“How could I… how could I shoot Livia? I loved her so much… How could I possibly…? What… what really happened?”His head shook in denial, as though trying to hold onto the last threads of sanity, but those threads were already unraveling.Alia lowered her eyes, took a sof
Before the cup could hit the floor, a hand caught it in midair with perfect precision.Time seemed to freeze in that instant.Livia—who had been standing a full two meters away from the bed—was now right there, her figure a blur from the sudden movement. In one fluid, near-effortless motion, she caught the glass and placed it gently back on the table. The entire sequence was smooth, sharp, and impossibly fast—without spilling even a drop of water.After it was done, she let her gaze fall slightly. Her fingertips still carried a tremor from the momentum, but her face remained as composed as ever—serene, calm, almost indifferent.“…!”Elias stared in disbelief, unable to process what he had just witnessed. He had always known Livia was intelligent, composed, and possessed a keen intuition beyond most. But this—this reflex, this precision—was something else entirely.Why would she reveal such a skill in front of Marcellus?Had he seen it wrong?But Marcellus was just as stunned—utterly s
Elsewhere, at the far end of the hospital corridor, rain still tapped relentlessly against the window, weaving dense threads of sound across the glass. Elias finally arrived, pushing open the door with a rare urgency written on his face. Inside, Marcellus was half-reclined against the bed’s headboard, and Livia stood beside him. From their stiff posture and the faint residue of tension in the air, it was clear they’d just ended an emotionally charged conversation. The atmosphere was calm—but stiff.Elias’s brows furrowed slightly as he picked up on the subtle dissonance in the room. His gaze flicked between the two of them, sharp and observant, but he didn’t press. Instead, he said softly, “You two seem… different. But this isn’t the time to get into that.”Marcellus let out a quiet breath, seemingly relieved, and adjusted the corner of his blanket with a casual smile. “Exactly. Since you’re here, we should get to the real topic.”Livia took a small step back, creating more space for
The study was still cloaked in that same dim, amber-gold glow. The ticking of the clock on the wall echoed like a suppressed rage, seeping quietly through time. Behind the broad solid-wood desk, Eryx sat upright—his spine as straight as steel, yet his gaze burned with unmasked fury. His fingers struck the desktop with heavy taps, each thud like a war drum, oppressive and deliberate.“Speak. What is it you want?” His voice was low, but it landed like thunder. “We can sever all ties right now. Without cooperation, you are my enemy.”But Jim showed no sign of retreat. Instead, a slow smile curved his lips.His finely tai
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