Chapter 3

"Mr. and Mrs. Gambino, please understand," I said, my voice soft but firm. "This isn't a whim. I had a dream—so vivid it felt like a memory. In it, after Tony married me, he was miserable. Elma died in an accident, and he blamed me. He grew to hate me. No matter what I did, it only pushed him further away. He told me the greatest regret of his life was our marriage."

I paused, steadying myself. "I can't bear to see him live that life. I won't make that mistake again."

Mrs. Gambino reached for my hands, her expression deeply troubled. "Scarlett, it was just a dream. To throw away your future because of it... it's such a waste."

I swallowed hard, fighting back the tears. "It didn't feel like just a dream."

Mr. Gambino let out a long, weary sigh. "Very well. If your mind is made up, we will respect your decision. If you do not wish to marry him, you will not be forced."

I stepped forward and gently embraced Mrs. Gambino.

"Tony doesn't love me," I whispered. "He saved me because that's who he is—a good, selfless man. But in my dream, he died at thirty, saving me one last time. I'm terrified that future is real. I don't care who he marries; I just want him to live a long, happy life."

I managed a faint, sad smile. "Even if I can't be your daughter-in-law, I can still be like a daughter to you. I'll study hard overseas, and when I return, I'll stand by Tony's side as his ally. I will still help him build the family's legacy. That part hasn't changed."

Mrs. Gambino's eyes welled up. She pulled me into a tight hug, her voice thick with emotion. "Oh, my dear girl... you have such a good heart."

Perhaps this was enough to free Tony from the burden of me. Once he married Elma, the debt between us would be settled. The ledger would finally be clear.

That night, I stood alone on the balcony, gazing at the stars. I wondered if the sky over Paris looked the same. Two lifetimes, and I'd never made it there. When this was all over, I would go. I would see it for myself. No more regrets.

The sound of the door crashing open shattered the silence. I turned, a reflexive, hopeful smile touching my lips. "Tony? You're back?"

His voice was a lash of pure venom. "Scarlett! Elma called you for help! Why did you ignore her? She's been taken by Nico, the arms dealer! Are you satisfied now?"

I stood frozen, my blood running cold.

In my past life, Elma and I were kidnapped together. She took a bullet for me. But this time... she was taken alone.

The butterfly effect. My choices were already rewriting fate.

If I could save Elma now, perhaps I could erase Tony's regret forever.

I met his furious gaze. "Do you truly believe I would do that on purpose?"

"I don't care about your intentions!" he snarled. "The fact is, you didn't answer, and now she might die because of it!" His voice rose to a roar. "If anything happens to Elma, I will hate you for the rest of my life."

His words should have shattered me. The girl I was seven years ago would have screamed and wept, begging him to see the truth. But that girl was gone. He had hated me until his dying breath once before. Now, I just felt a vast, hollow emptiness.

"Tony," I said, my voice unnervingly calm. "Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to her. I will bring her back."

He let out a sharp, derisive laugh. "You? How could you possibly save her?"

Ignoring his scorn, I turned to my laptop, my fingers flying across the keys as I hacked into Elma's phone signal, triangulating her location.

A moment later, a video call window flashed on my screen. Nico's face appeared; Elma was bound and gagged behind him.

"Tony!" she sobbed. "Please, help me!"

I sent the coordinates to Tony's phone and slipped out into the night before he could stop me.

When I reached Nico's compound, I located the main power conduit and cut it. The villa plunged into darkness.

I moved like a ghost through the shadows until I found Elma. She flinched violently at my touch.

"Don't make a sound," I whispered, working at her ropes. "I'm getting you out."

But panic overtook her. She let out a piercing scream.

Shouts echoed through the house. The staccato burst of gunfire filled the air as I hauled Elma toward the nearest exit.

We stumbled into the courtyard just as Tony and his men arrived.

His eyes locked onto Elma, the raw fear in them a stark contrast to the hatred he'd shown me hours before.

"LOOK OUT!" he yelled.

I spun around. Nico stood in the doorway, his pistol aimed directly at Elma's back.

There was no time to think. I shoved her out of the way with all my strength.

And the bullet meant for her tore into me instead.