บททั้งหมดของ My Second Chance at Life: บทที่ 1 - บทที่ 8

I snapped my eyes open.The ceiling drifted into view.Soft, muted pink.Beneath me was a plush, luxurious bed.The air conditioner hummed quietly.Seventy-nine degrees.I sat up.I swung my feet out and walked barefoot to the window.Bright, golden sunlight showered my face.It was warm.I lowered my gaze to inspect my hands.Fair and whole.Not a single trace of charred, burnt flesh.I reached up and touched my cheeks.Silky smooth.The tears of blood I shed in the fiery abyss during my past life—not a single drop this time.My phone vibrated.It was a text from Julian.“Hazel, I’ll pick you up at six tonight. Wear the red dress. You look gorgeous in it.”The red dress.In my past life, that very dress became my shroud.I stared down at the screen.Slowly, I typed out a single word: “Sure”Then, I deleted it.I retyped my response.“Nah”I hit send.A second later, a notification from Chloe popped up.“Hazel, I made a strawberry crepe cake for you! Can I come over this afternoon?”St

My phone lit up.It was an unknown number.I picked it the call.It was Ethan.“Ms. Sterling,” a deep voice came through.“Dr. Lynch was intercepted by my people at the airport. He was trying to leave the country.”“Did he confess?”“He did. Chloe instructed him to poison your dad. It’s a chronic neurotoxin. Long-term ingestion will result in brain death.”I gripped my phone tightly.My knuckles turned white.“What about Julian?”“Dr. Lynch hasn’t seen him. But Chloe’s account has off-the-books funds from Vance Group moving through foreign exchange.”He paused for a moment.“Ms. Sterling. You’re not quite like the rumors say.”“They say I’m an idiot.”“Looks like rumors can’t be trusted.”He let out a low chuckle.“What’s next?”“Hold onto to the guy,” I said coldly.“Chloe is panicking. She’ll go to Julian. They’ll have to speed things up.”“Just what I have in mind,” he said.I hung up the phone.I looked out the window at the gloomy sky.It was about to rain.Julian, Chloe, it was t

December twenty-fourth.Christmas Eve.It was also the day of the auction.Julian booked the entire banquet hall at the Hilton Hotel.He was ready to host a celebration.Before the day of the event, he had already sent invitations to everyone in business circles.How arrogant the man was.“Eight million,” Julian called out his bid.A confident, triumphant smile hung on his face.Chloe sat beside him, wearing a red dress, preening like a proud peacock.“Ten million.”In the back row, a man wearing glasses called out.Julian’s brow furrowed slightly.He turned his head to cast a glance.It was an unfamiliar face.“Eleven million,” Julian raised the bid.“Twelve million,” the other party followed.Julian’s expression turned sour.The reserve price for this plot of land was five million.His budget was ten million.“Fifteen million!” Julian gritted his teeth.“Eighteen million,” the man wearing glasses remained composed.The entire room erupted into an uproar.The price was already grossly

Everyone’s eyes shot to Julian and Chloe.“My God! That’s attempted murder!”“How could anyone be so ruthless?”The room erupted into chaotic uproar in an instant.Julian’s face went deathly pale.“It’s fake! This is slander!”He screamed, scrambling forward in a desperate attempt to shut off the screen.But the venue’s security intercepted him.I walked onto the stage and picked up the microphone.“Your eyes are not lying. This is the true, ugly nature of Julian Vance and Chloe Mercer.”I looked down at the two of them.“For three whole years, they acted as my lover and my best friend, all the while secretly poisoning my father, in an attempt to swallow our family’s fortune whole.”“Hazel Sterling!” Chloe screeched hysterically.“You’re making stuff up! What proof do you have?”“The proof,” I smiled coldly, “has already been handed over to the police.”Just then, the heavy double doors of the hall burst open. Several uniformed police officers marched in.“Mr. Julian Vance, Ms. Chloe M