Chapter 1

Ethan Parker, the heir to the Parker empire, was hopelessly in love with the innocent girl from a remote mountain village.

But she wasn’t nearly as innocent as she seemed.

For the sake of her love story, she used other people as stepping stones.

This time, I found Ethan first after he went missing during a skydiving trip.

Later, I realized that sweet little innocent seemed to remember our previous lives, too.

So what?

Ethan leaned his warm body against mine, pulled me onto his lap, and wrapped his arms around my waist.

His breath brushed my neck, making me shiver.

“Emma, once I’m better, I promise I’ll give you a better life.”

While he was recovering, I did everything I could to take care of him. Then I did even more.

I slept slumped beside his bed all night, kept him company all day, talked him through his worries, and gave him the best food we had.

And I really had nursed him well. Aside from his memory loss and inability to stand, he was perfectly healthy.

Whether he loved me out of gratitude or had genuinely fallen for me over time didn’t matter.

As long as he loved me, I’d accomplished my goal.

I stroked his face. His stubble scratched my palm.

“It’s okay, Ethan. As long as you’re happy. Ryan and I will take care of you.”

“A man shouldn’t have to live off a woman…”

As usual, I took Ethan out in his wheelchair for some fresh air.

When I saw our elderly neighbor, Mrs. Miller, struggling with a pile of bags, I hurried over to help. Ethan took them and held them on his lap.

Well… seeing a powerful heir buried under a pile of colorful shopping bags was pretty funny.

“You two…” Mrs. Miller smiled. “Ethan, Emma’s practically my granddaughter. I watched her grow up. She has a kind heart. You take good care of each other, and don’t you go breaking hers.”

“As long as I’m alive, I’ll stay with Emma.”

In my previous life, my best friend and I had rescued Ethan together.

I brought him soup every day, but she took all the credit.

The two of them fell in love and lived happily ever after.

This time, I’d carried Ethan home myself and showered him with care and affection.

With government grants helping local tourism grow, I poured everything I had into opening a bed-and-breakfast with Ethan.

Thanks to my brother’s cooking, business kept getting better.

I saved money for Ethan’s treatment. Once he recovered, I wanted him to find his parents. They had to be worried, didn’t they?

Maybe he felt he owed me. He insisted there was no rush and was happy to stay, promising me a future together.

I watched Ethan laughing with my brother.

Honestly…

Ethan Parker, the pampered heir, lowering himself to love a pretty little innocent with no money and no status?

My brother, my best friend, and I had grown up together. We’d been incredibly close.

Ryan had always treated Sophie Reed like another little sister.

And I’d been delighted to have her as the sister I’d never had.

I never imagined she would sacrifice my brother just to win Ethan’s sympathy and love.

She used all those years of trust to get Ryan drunk, then took compromising photographs.

With her clothes disheveled and tears falling, Sophie found Ethan and threw herself into his arms. “Ethan, I’m dirty now. I don’t deserve you…”

“Ryan… he tried to force himself on me. But you’re the only one I love. I fought him off and escaped.”

Ethan flew into a rage. He stormed into our house and beat my brother until he nearly lost consciousness.

No matter how desperately I tried to stop him, I couldn’t.

The commotion drew too much attention. Before long, everyone in the village was gossiping about it.

Eventually, Ryan could barely hold his head up.

Our parents had died young. Before they passed, they’d made him promise to look after me.

“Emma, I’ll find work somewhere else. Once I’ve saved enough, I’ll take you to the city. How does that sound?”

I knew I couldn’t make him stay.

“Ryan, I know you’d never do anything like that.”

As he turned to leave, I caught the tears in his eyes.

When I found Sophie, she and Ethan were wrapped around each other. I asked her to speak with me alone. “Why?”

“Emma, wake up. How long are you going to stay trapped in a place like this? Once I make it, I’ll compensate your brother, okay?”

“For the sake of our friendship.”

I hesitated. With money, Ryan wouldn’t have to work himself to death anymore.

But after Ethan’s family found him and took him home, my brother died in a car crash.

I couldn’t take it anymore. I sent Ethan the recording of my conversation with Sophie.

They had a huge fight, and Sophie came slinking back to the village.

Furious, she asked me to meet her. When I wasn’t looking, she shoved me into the river.

“You love running your mouth, don’t you? Why aren’t you talking now?”

She stood on the bank, watching coldly as I thrashed in the water, no matter how desperately I begged for help…

I’d underestimated her place in Ethan’s heart. In the end, they got back together anyway. The only price was two lives they considered as worthless as ants.

I thought it was time to begin.