Chapter 2 No More Second Chances

Then came the tenth betrayal. The eleventh. All the way to the ninety-ninth.

I heard the system question Luna, "Host, this is already your ninety-ninth reincarnation. Haven't you had enough fun yet?"

Luna answered without a care, "This is the last one. Once I complete my hundredth conquest, I'll settle down and live a good life with Julian."

The betrayals in those memories crashed over me like a tidal wave, swallowing me whole.

I curled into myself. It felt as if a dull knife had been driven into my heart, only to turn into a sharpened blade that twisted relentlessly inside me. The pain was so intense I could barely breathe.

Back when we were dating, Luna would cross half the city at dawn with sweat beading on her forehead, just to carefully hand me breakfast with eyes full of affection.

She would go with me to my favorite concerts. Surrounded by crowds, she always nestled close against me. Sometimes she would even shield me with her arm, afraid I might get shoved by the people around us.

She would look at me with starlight in her eyes and sing along to the music beside me.

In those moments, it felt as though the entire world belonged only to the two of us. Now, every sweet promise and every devoted gesture had become the sharpest form of mockery.

The happiness I thought I had was nothing more than a carefully woven lie. And I was the most pathetic fool trapped inside it.

I agreed to bind myself to the Reincarnation System and offered a condition in exchange—my reincarnation, in exchange for the end of Luna's.

'Luna, from this life onward, through every lifetime to come, we will never meet again.'

…

I leaned against the car window, silently watching the scenery rush past outside as I considered how I would leave this world.

At last, Luna noticed something was wrong.

"Is there something about the wedding arrangements you don't like?" she asked cautiously.

After a moment, I finally spoke. "Why didn't you choose the liquor-filled chocolates I like?"

The first time I ever tasted liquor-filled chocolates, I had shared them with Luna.

"I've decided something. When we get married, we have to have liquor-filled chocolates at the wedding. The flavor is really special."

She had nodded repeatedly. "Okay, okay."

Then she added it to the notes app on her phone.

Now I slowly turned my head and met her eyes. "Why did you choose that premium chocolate brand that's marketed toward expectant mothers as a wedding dessert?"

I watched her quietly, paying attention to every subtle change in her expression.

"Lucien recommended it. He said there might be pregnant guests attending, and liquor-filled chocolates wouldn't be appropriate…"

Her eyelashes fluttered. Her index finger rubbed lightly against the tip of her nose.

I stared at the familiar gesture in silence. Whenever Luna felt nervous, she did that.

"Julian, the wedding gown you designed for me is finally finished," she said quickly. "Weren't you excited to see how it would look on me?"

Only then did I realize the car had already stopped outside Lucien's workplace.

Luna stepped out first and held a hand over the doorframe so I would not bump my head. Then she reached for my hand and intertwined our fingers.

I instinctively tried to pull away, but she tightened her grip instead.

"We're supposed to hold hands for the rest of our lives. That way, I'll never lose you."

Luna lifted our joined hands and gave them a playful swing as she smiled. But she was the one who had deliberately lost me ninety-nine times.

This time, she would never find me again.

The moment we entered the boutique, a young employee hurried over to greet us.

"Ms. Sterling and Mr. Prescott, your relationship is wonderful. It's so enviable. Mr. Prescott, marrying someone as remarkable as Ms. Sterling must make you very happy."

Luna smiled politely. "Please take good care of my fiance."

Then she turned to me, her face full of apology. "I need to try on the gown upstairs by myself. We need to preserve the surprise for the wedding day. Julian, just wait for me in the lounge, okay?"

I had personally sketched every design draft for that gown. Every diamond sewn into it and every strand of white lace carried my hopes for a happy future.

Unfortunately, those hopes shattered the moment I saw it.

Several employees huddled together, whispering anxiously while holding the gown.

I walked over and immediately noticed that the sheer sleeves were wrinkled and twisted. Large stains marked the hem, and many of the diamonds around the neckline were missing.

The instant the gown was unfolded, a pungent odor hit my nose.

The employee holding it apologized repeatedly.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Prescott. Someone on staff may not have realized this was a custom gown and rented it out by mistake. We promise we'll have it professionally cleaned and restored before your wedding date. Your future wife will receive it in perfect condition."

I shook my head. "That's not necessary."

Since it was ruined, it should be thrown away.

Just like Luna. Since she had betrayed me, I decided to stay away from her for good.

I stood and headed toward the fitting room to find Luna. But before I reached it, I saw Lucien walk into the room as well.