Chapter 1

The four of us stared at the ring with its massive diamond, completely dumbfounded by what we'd just heard.

Everyone in the family who could have married Sebastian Vance had already done so. So who was this billionaire actually planning to marry?

My stepmother, Vivian Cole, kept pressing Sebastian's assistant, Owen Hayes, her voice tight with anxiety. "Are you sure there isn't a mistake? There shouldn't be anyone in the Lowe family he's interested in, right?"

Otherwise, we wouldn't have cycled through four potential brides like we were completing some sick checklist.

Owen frowned, his expression serious. "At Mr. Vance's banquet, the four of you occupied an entire table. He glanced over once and said the owner of the ring is among the four women of the Lowe family. There's no mistake."

Wearing a slightly smug expression, he passed the ring over and suggested, "Why don't you try it on, one by one?"

My stepsister, Mia Lowe, who was always obsessed with appearances, recoiled. "I'm allergic to diamonds. I'd probably break out and die on the spot."

My other stepsister, Lorraine Lowe, obsessed with money, waved her hands frantically. "I'm too fat. I'd snap the ring."

Vivian, who had long been itching to move on from my deceased father, forced a bitter smile. "My heart's still with my late husband. There's no way Mr. Vance would ever look at me twice."

Finally, all eyes turned to me. Owen's face creased into a knowing smile. "Ms. Alexia, haven't you already crossed paths with Mr. Vance? One glance, and he was completely smitten. This ring must belong to you."

My stomach just dropped, and I could barely breathe.

In my past life, hearing that had actually moved me. After all, Sebastian and I had been secretly involved, and the ring had even been custom-made to my size.

So when I finally escaped the control of my other three family members and married Sebastian, I thought that my suffering was over. I sat on the bed, nervous and hopeful, waiting for him to show up.

But the moment he saw my face clearly, he flew into a rage and stabbed me repeatedly with a fruit knife.

His eyes locked onto my face, blazing with a rage that made no sense. He roared, "How dare you come into my place! You're not her!"

I passed out from the pain, and when I woke up, I couldn't understand any of it. If I wasn't the one Sebastian was looking for, then who the hell was?

I sank into silence, lost in thought, not even reaching for the ring Owen held out.

Owen smiled. "Marrying Mr. Vance isn't something you can just walk into. You'll need time to mentally prepare.

"Here's what we'll do. Mr. Vance will arrive tomorrow, so you'll have the whole night to consider. In the meantime, the ring stays here."

With that, he left the ring behind, got into his diamond-encrusted Maybach, and drove off.

We stared at the blinding diamond, too scared to move.

For once, the three women who had spent years scheming against me were suddenly united. They dragged me into the living room for a quick huddle and slipped the ring onto their fingers one by one.

Ultimately, the ring could only fit me.

Vivian looked at me suspiciously. "Are you sure you were also killed on your wedding night?"

I rolled my eyes. "I was repeatedly stabbed and dumped at the Lowe residence. Didn't you see it yourself?"

Lorraine nodded repeatedly. "Brutal doesn't even begin to describe it. There wasn't a single inch of you that wasn't torn up."

Mia sighed. "I spent ten years fighting with Alexia, and even I felt bad seeing that."

We all exchanged helpless looks and sighed.

Vivian panicked. "But if we don't hand someone over tomorrow, he won't really kill all of us, will he?"

The three of them looked genuinely distressed.

I lifted my head. "It's not entirely hopeless. There should be surveillance footage from the banquet, right?

"If Sebastian's target isn't among us, maybe we can spot the woman he's looking for in the footage."