Back to the start.

Chapter Three

Natasha

I had been away from my family for a long time. My parents had been against my marriage to Duncan from the very beginning. But because of my constant pleading and the business advantages the marriage would bring, they had eventually agreed. Back then, I believed marrying him would make me happy.

Now, I wished I had listened to them.

But fate had given me a second chance. This time, I wouldn’t waste it.

Dragging my luggage behind me, I walked toward Duncan’s study. If he was anywhere in the house, he would be there. He spent most of his time working in that room.At the very least, a farewell was necessary.

The moment I stepped inside, Duncan raised his head from his desk.

“What the hell are you doing?” he asked, his brows furrowing slightly.

“What does it look like?” I replied calmly. “I’m leaving.”

A soft laugh escaped his lips. “You just won’t stop acting up, will you?” he said, leaning back in his chair. A smug smirk spread across his face. “What do you think you’ll gain from all this? My attention?”

For a moment, I stared at him silently.

Then I nodded slightly,. “You’re right,” I admitted. “I always wanted your attention.” Duncan’s smirk widened, clearly pleased with himself but before he could say anything else, I continued.

“But not anymore, Duncan.” His smile faltered slightly. “It’s all over,” I said.

“Is that so?” he asked mockingly. “You expect me to believe that?”

“Believe it or not, I don’t care,” I replied. “When you finally sign the divorce papers, I’m sure you’ll understand.”

Duncan waved a dismissive hand. “Quit the act, Natasha. I won’t fall for it,” he said coldly. “If you’re done with your little drama, you can leave. I have work to do.” He lowered his head and continued reading the documents on his desk as if I no longer existed, For a brief moment, my chest tightened.

In my past life, his indifference had broken my heart every single time.

But now… it felt different.  I bit my lower lip before lifting my chin.

“Fine,” I said. “I’ll take my leave.”  I  paused at the doorway and  gave him one last look. “Have a nice life, Duncan.” Without waiting for a response, I walked out of the study. My luggage rolled quietly behind me as I stepped out of the house.

The cool air brushed against my face as I made my way to the parking area. I placed my luggage in the car and sat behind the wheel.

For a few seconds, I simply stared ahead.

Then I started the engine, It was finally time to go home, To my parents.

The drive felt longer than usual and Maybe it was because this time, I wasn’t running toward something… I was finally leaving something behind.

When the gates of the Berlin residence came into view, my grip on the steering wheel tightened slightly. It had been years......Years since I last stepped into this place I once called home.

I parked the car and stepped out slowly, my gaze lingering on the familiar mansion before me. Nothing had changed… yet everything felt different.

Taking a deep breath, I walked toward the entrance.

Before I could knock, the door opened.

“Miss Natasha?”. The maid’s eyes widened in shock, quickly followed by excitement.

“You’re back!” Her voice was loud enough to draw attention. Within seconds, hurried footsteps echoed from inside.

“Natasha?” My mother appeared first, her expression frozen in disbelief. Behind her, my father stood still, his sharp gaze fixed on me.

For a moment… no one moved then my mother rushed forward and pulled me into a tight embrace.

“You finally came home,” she whispered, her voice trembling slightly.

A lump formed in my throat.

In my past life, I had pushed them away for Duncan… And in the end, I lost everything.

“I’m home,” I said softly. My father cleared his throat, trying to maintain his usual stern expression, but I didn’t miss the relief in his eyes.

“Come inside,” he said. We sat in the living room shortly after.

The same place where they once tried to convince me not to marry Duncan.

The same place I had once stubbornly refused to listen. It was almost ironic… how I had come back to that very place to announce the end of everything I had once fought so hard for. We sat in the living room, my mother’s hands wrapped tightly around mine, as if she was afraid I might disappear again.

“How have you been? Have you eaten? Should I ask the maid to prepare your favorite dish?” she rambled, her voice filled with worry and relief all at once. A small, shaky smile touched my lips. “Mom, I’m fine, I just…” My voice broke before I could finish. Tears blurred my vision.

Both of them immediately stiffened. “What’s wrong, Tasha?” my mother asked, her grip tightening. I swallowed hard. “Duncan and I… are getting divorced.”

“What?!” My father’s voice thundered through the room. “Did that brat divorce you? I knew he was no good for you.”

“We warned you about him,” my mother added, her tone laced with frustration.

I shook my head. “No… he didn’t divorce me.” I lifted my gaze to meet theirs. “I did.”

Silence fell.

The kind of silence that felt heavy… disbelieving. “You… asked for a divorce?” my mother repeated slowly, as if trying to process the words.

“Yes,” I said firmly, even as my chest tightened. “I want this. No matter what it takes… I’m ending this marriage.”

My father studied me carefully. “Natasha… you were willing to do anything just to marry that man,” he said. “Are you absolutely sure about this?”

This time, there was no hesitation. “Yes, Dad.” Another silence passed between them before my father finally sighed. “If that’s what you want… then we won’t stop you.”

Relief washed over me, and a faint smile appeared on my lips.

But it didn’t last long.  “Now that you’re no longer with him,” my mother said gently, “what do you plan to do?” I paused briefly before answering. “I want to take over the company.”

That was when they exchanged a look, A look I knew too well. My heart sank slightly.

“You know the rules, Tasha,” my father said calmly. “You must be married for at least a year before you can inherit the company.”

I frowned.

“I was already married,” I said. “So why didn’t I take over the company back then?”

My father’s expression turned cold. “Because we never trusted Duncan.”

I froze.

“That marriage may have made you eligible,” he continued, “but it was never enough for us to hand over everything we built to a man like him.”

My fingers tightened in my lap.

“So… what are you saying?” I asked quietly, though I already knew the answer.

My mother sighed softly. “You’re back to the beginning, Natasha.”

My father’s voice was firm. “If you want the company… then you’ll have to meet the conditions again.”

A bitter smile formed on my lips. “Which means…” I murmured.

“You’ll have to get married again.”

A bitter smile formed on my lips as the words hung in the air like a verdict.

For a moment, no one spoke. Then I let out a soft, humorless laugh.

“Married… again?” I repeated, shaking my head slightly. “So that’s it? That’s the only way?”

My father didn’t flinch. “Those have always been the conditions, Natasha. Marriage shows stability. Commitment. It proves you’re ready to handle something as important as the company.”

“Or,” I said quietly, lifting my gaze to meet his, “it proves that I can tie myself to another man for the sake of business.”

“Watch your tone,” he warned but I didn’t back down this time.

“I already did that once,” I said, my voice steady but sharp. “And look where it got me.”

This time, it was my mother who spoke, her voice softer.

“We’re not asking you to repeat your mistakes, Tasha. We just want you to be careful this time.”

Careful.

The word echoed in my mind. In my past life, I had rushed into marriage out of love… or what I thought was love.

This time— It would be different, I slowly stood up, smoothing invisible wrinkles on my clothes. “Fine,” I said as both of them looked at me.

“If marriage is the condition,” I continued calmly, “then I’ll get married.”

My mother’s eyes widened slightly. “That's a good start then but this time we will be finding you a groom" my mom informed me. " What? Why would you do that" I spoke up " so you won't repeat your action again, you should wash up, I am sure you are tired" my mom said putting a full stop to the discussion, Her decision was final. I heaved down a sigh then walked to my room.

These might be harder than I thought.