No Time To Die

Devon menyodorkan surat cerai tepat ke depan muka Rosa. Pria itu tak terlihat main-main. Pada akhirnya pernikahan yang mereka lalui tidak berhasil meskipun Rosa sudah mencoba sebisanya. Rosa menginginkan Devon. Sangat membutuhkan kekuasaan keluarga Wijaya yang berada di genggaman Devon. Dia tak bisa pergi, tak akan mau. Ketika Rosa tengah memutar otak untuk menunda perceraian ini, tiba-tiba saja petir menyambar Devon secepat kilat! "Ja-jangan mati!!!! Ambulans! Tolong, siapa saja panggil ambulans!" jerit Rosa dengan derai air mata bercucuran. Sementara itu, Devon bergeming di tempatnya. Asap-asap hitam mengepul keluar dari sekujur tubuh dan perickan listrik seperti melompat-lompat di atasnya. Namun bukan itu yang penting. Sebuah suara melengking yang pria itu kenal jelas, merasuki kepalanya dengan kurang ajar. Devon bisa mendengar suara isi pikiran Rosa tanpa sepengetahuan wanita itu. Dan darahnya dibuat mendidih. 'Siapa bilang laki-laki ganteng di dunia ini cuma Devon? Cuih! Manusia macam dia mending bertapa di gunung jadi biksu. Percuma dikasih istri secantik aku kalo matanya nggak dipake,' ujar Rosa dalam hati. Gigi Devon bergemeletuk menahan amarah. "ROSA!!"

" How about I burst your bubble?" With that I landed my hot fists on his handsome face, causing the Billionaire Godlike man to stagger on his feet. " Let's see who lick whose shoes then.." I smirked and pulled him by the collar of his shirt. "Kiss the floor I walk on, Wesley Cooper."

I was reborn back to 1975, when the child in my womb was three months old. I did not tell anyone and quietly had an abortion. However, I still wrapped cotton around my belly every day, pretending the baby was still there. In my past life, my husband Declan Huxley's childhood sweetheart Jane Patton and I gave birth on the same day. She had a healthy, ordinary baby boy. But my child looked nothing like us—he was mixed-race, with features of the Valorian people. Declan and I were both locals, so there was no way our son could look like this. Enraged, Declan scolded me in front of everyone, accusing me of cheating on him and having a disgraceful affair with a Valorian. No matter how many times I explained, no one believed me, and I became the shameful woman everyone pointed at. Worse still, Declan reported me and handed in some foreign letters he found at home, which led to me being taken by federal agents and sentenced as a spy. I spent ten years in prison, and when I finally walked out, I was nothing but skin and bones. Meanwhile, Declan had climbed the ranks for his so-called loyalty to the country. He held Jane's hand and brought along my real son, Seth Huxley, then threw 500 dollars at me like it was charity. He said, "Back then, Jane was accidentally deceived by someone else and gave birth to that brat. Unlike you, she has a gentle nature and couldn't endure hardship, so I had no choice but to switch your children. "This money is payment for your ten years and your reputation. You have a criminal record, and I already filed for divorce long ago to be with Jane. Seth also thinks you're not worthy of me, so you better take care of yourself." Seth also looked at me with disgust. "Mommy Jane treats me very well, and she's not like you; she's never been to prison. I don't want a mother like you!" When I learned the truth, the fury was so overwhelming that I had a stroke and died in despair. In this new life, I want to see how they plan to scheme against me when the child is already gone.

I trusted her. I trusted him. Big mistake. When I caught my husband and my best friend tangled in betrayal, my world shattered. And my daughter? She chose her as her new mom. Me? Just a housewife. Just the ‘overbearing mom’ who cared too much. Done. I walked away, leaving their apologies and tears in the dust. My husband dropped to his knees, begging, “Please, come back. We can fix this.”My daughter clung to me, crying, “Mom, don’t leave me.” I laughed: “Fix it? Don’t leave? Too late. You had your chance. I don’t need either of you anymore.”

During the ten years since I was found and brought to my biological family, Sonia Baxter, the girl who took my place, and I have been as close as real sisters. Even Mom says that Sonia cares more about me than a real sister would. I once swore I'd give my life to protect our special family of four. When Sonia is rushed into emergency surgery with a ruptured cerebral aneurysm, I am in my office, calmly practicing a basic suturing technique on a surgical simulator. On the screen, the robotic arm threads the needle with such precision that it looks like a work of art. A few minutes later, my boyfriend, Oliver Lyons, slams open the office door and shouts at me, "Amelia Baxter! Sonia's in critical condition. Only your micro-dissection skills can save her! Every expert in the hospital is waiting for you! We've got less than an hour before the window closes!" He looks at me with hopeful eyes. I'm the only person in the country capable of performing a surgery this complex. My hands are even known as the "Hands of God". However, I simply reply with a hum and continue fiddling with the model. Suddenly, my parents rush in. Mom grabs my arm and cries out, "Amelia! That's your sister in there! How could you just stand by and watch her die?" I gently pull away from her and hold my right hand out in front of them. This hand, which had once created countless medical miracles, is now trembling slightly. "Unfortunately, since yesterday, I've been showing symptoms of essential tremor. Dad, Mom… this hand is ruined."

Seven years after getting engaged to Leander Beaumont, he inherits everything that once belonged to his late brother—including his brother's wife, Dinah Fowler. Every time Leander sleeps with Dinah, he holds me afterward and whispers, "Jenny, just wait a little longer. We can finally have our wedding once Dinah gets pregnant." It's the only condition the Beaumont family, Westrael’s most powerful mafia clan, sets for Leander to become the next Don. In just half a year after returning home, Leander visits Dinah's room 59 times. He starts from once a month... to nearly every single day. Finally, after the 60th time I watch him leave Dinah's room, the "good news" comes. Dinah is pregnant. And along with it, an announcement—the Beaumont family declares Leander and Dinah are getting married. "Mamma, is someone getting married?" my young son asks, staring at the house now lavishly decorated by a wedding company. I quietly gather him into my arms, my voice cold as I say, "Yes, sweetheart. Your father is marrying the woman he loves. It's time for us to leave." What Leander doesn't know is that the Bellini family, my family, has risen to become a mafia power strong enough to rival the Beaumonts. And me? I'm Jenny Bellini, the most beloved daughter of the Bellini family. I will never be trapped by marriage again.

Elena Shaw is the wife of Henry Leone, the current head of the Monraven-based Mafia family in Newshire. She has been married to him for two years, but he has never once slept with her. Late one night, she inadvertently sees Henry relieving his desires while listening to a woman's voice. The voice belonged to Irene Shaw, her adopted younger sister and Henry's ex-fiancee. The year Elena turned 18, a DNA report changed both hers and Irene's fates. Elena is the real heir of the Shaw family, who had been taken at a young age and discarded abroad in Etolia. Meanwhile, Irene is the one who has taken her place in the Shaw family, receiving all of the love and glory that should've belonged to Elena. When Elena is brought back to the Shaw family, she replaces Irene as Henry's fiancee. However, Henry only marries her to take revenge against her for "ruining Irene's life". Even the fact that he had once saved her life turns out to be part of an elaborate lie. After learning the truth, Elena doesn't hesitate to leave. Once she disappears from Henry's world, the usually calm and collected Henry loses his mind.

Im Endstadium meines Nierenversagens wurde die für mich passende Spenderniere – auf Entscheidung meines Mannes – meiner Schwester gegeben. Ich lehnte den Vorschlag der Ärzte ab, weiter auf ein passendes Organ zu warten, und ließ mich frühzeitig aus dem Krankenhaus entlassen. Wenn die Enttäuschung lange genug andauert, hört man auf zu kämpfen. All mein angespartes Vermögen übergab ich meiner Schwester – endlich lächelten mich meine Eltern wieder an. Mein Mann kümmerte sich Tag und Nacht um sie. Ich war nicht wütend – im Gegenteil, ich ermahnte ihn, besonders fürsorglich zu sein. Sogar als mein Sohn sagte, er wolle, dass sie seine Mama sei, lächelte ich und stimmte zu. Jetzt ist alles so, wie sie es wollten. Warum bereuen sie es auf einmal?

Als mich der Verbrecher zu Tode folterte, war ich im dritten Monat schwanger. Doch mein Ehemann Mark – der bekannteste Detektiv der Stadt – war im Krankenhaus bei seiner ersten Liebe Emma und begleitete sie zu ihrer medizinischen Untersuchung. Vor drei Tagen hatte er von mir verlangt, Emma eine Niere zu spenden. Als ich mich weigerte und sagte, ich sei im zweiten Monat schwanger von unserem Kind, wurde sein Blick eisig. „Hör auf zu lügen“, fauchte er. „Du bist einfach nur egoistisch und willst Emma sterben lassen.“ Er hielt auf der dunklen Landstraße an. „Steig aus“, befahl er. „Lauf nach Hause, wenn du schon so herzlos bist.“ Ich blieb in der Dunkelheit zurück und wurde von dem rachsüchtigen Verbrecher entführt, den Mark einst ins Gefängnis gebracht hatte. Er schnitt mir die Zunge heraus. Mit grausamer Genugtuung benutzte er mein Handy, um meinen Mann anzurufen. Marks Antwort war kurz und kalt: „Ganz egal, was es ist, Emmas ärztliche Untersuchung ist wichtiger! Sie braucht mich jetzt.“ Der Verbrecher ließ ein finsteres Lachen hören. "Na, na... Anscheinend schätzt der großartige Detektiv das Leben seiner Ex-Partnerin höher als das seiner Ehefrau. Als Mark Stunden später am Tatort eintraf, war er entsetzt über die Grausamkeit, die dem Leichnam angetan worden war. Er verurteilte wütend den Mörder, weil er eine Schwangere so grausam behandelt hatte. Doch er erkannte nicht, dass die verstümmelte Leiche vor ihm seine eigene Frau war – mich.

Der Arzt sagte, ohne die neueste experimentelle Therapie hätte ich nur noch 72 Stunden zu leben. Aber der einzige Behandlungsplatz war von Lukas Berger an Verena Lindner vergeben worden. „Ihre Niereninsuffizienz ist schlimmer“, sagte er. Ich nickte und schluckte die weißen Tabletten, die meinen Tod beschleunigen würden. In der verbleibenden Zeit tat ich viele Dinge. Als ich unterschrieb, zitterte die Hand des Anwalts: „Anteile im Wert von 270 Millionen Euro, wollen Sie sie wirklich alle übertragen?“ Ich sagte: „Ja, an Verena Lindner.“ Meine Tochter Lilli lachte fröhlich in Verenas Armen: „Mama Verena hat mir ein neues Kleid gekauft!“ Ich sagte: „Es sieht wunderschön aus. Hör in Zukunft auf Mama Verena.“ Die Galerie, die ich mit eigenen Händen gegründet hatte, trug nun Verenas Namen. „Jana, du bist zu gut.“ Sie weinte, als sie es sagte. Ich antwortete: „Du wirst sie besser führen können als ich.“ Sogar auf das Treuhandvermögen meiner Eltern verzichtete ich mit meiner Unterschrift. Endlich zeigte Lukas zum ersten Mal seit vielen Jahren ein aufrichtiges Lächeln: „Jana, du hast dich verändert. Du bist nicht mehr so aggressiv – so bist du schön.“ Ja, im Sterben war ich endlich die „perfekte Jana Hoffmann“ in ihren Augen – fügsam, großzügig, ohne Widerspruch. Der Countdown von 72 Stunden hatte begonnen. Und ich fragte mich neugierig: Wenn mein Herzschlag auf null fällt, woran werden sie sich erinnern? An die „gute Ehefrau“, die endlich loslassen gelernt hatte? Oder an eine Frau, die mit ihrem Tod Rache vollendete?