Chapter 1
The operating room was shrouded in an almost suffocating sterility, the sharp tang of disinfectant lingering in the air. A blinding sea of white walls and fluorescent surgical lights blurred the line between reality and a surreal nightmare.
“Ms. Edwards, the surgery is about to begin. Please relax and don’t worry.” A calm, reassuring voice floated close to Amelia Edwards’ ear.
Her eyelids flew open, her pulse spiking. Staring back at her was the kind and professional smile of the lead surgeon, Jacob Green. She gasped, her red lips trembling as she spoke his name, “Dr. Green?”
Her mind raced. ‘Wasn’t I already dead? How am I lying here on an operating table?’
“Mr. Foster has arranged for the best medical team to ensure your safety,” Jacob explained, his voice steady and soothing beneath his surgical mask. “I’ll lead the procedure, so you’re in good hands.”
But Amelia’s heart thundered in her chest, her shock rendering her momentarily speechless. Her hand moved instinctively to her left breast, her fingers trembling as they pressed against the soft, unscarred flesh. It was still there.
A wave of overwhelming relief hit her like a tidal surge, leaving her trembling from head to toe. Tears pooled in her wide, disbelieving eyes.
She pinched herself hard, the sharp sting confirming what seemed impossible – she was alive. This wasn’t a dream born of desperation on the brink of death.
She had been reborn, returning to the very moment when all her nightmares had begun.
In her last life, Amelia had met Zachary Foster through an arranged date orchestrated by her parents. Zachary’s courtship had been nothing short of relentless, showering her with affection and treating her like a princess. She’d been swept off her feet.
But just before their wedding, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and forced to undergo a mastectomy, losing her left breast. Zachary, ever the devoted fiancé, hadn’t flinched. He married her the moment she was discharged, a gesture that had moved her to tears.
Blinded by love, she had handed over her entire fortune to Zachary to save his failing company.
And then she’d fallen for his lies. Claiming a pursuit of “platonic love”, Zachary had convinced her to endure three years of a sexless marriage.
But the day she saw him with her stepsister Sandra Edwards—and their three-year-old son—was the day the truth shattered her world. The “platonic love” was nothing but a cruel joke and the “DINK lifestyle” was just a convenient excuse. Zachary hadn’t wanted her—not from the beginning.
Even the breast cancer diagnosis and this surgery had been a meticulously crafted sham, and she wasn’t really sick.
Her scheming stepsister, Sandra—who had already been secretly involved with Zachary—worried that once they were married, he wouldn’t be able to control himself and would actually sleep with Amelia. So, Sandra cunningly bribed Jacob to set a trap and deliberately maim Amelia’s body.
Also, Amelia’s supposedly doting “mother” was not her biological parent at all, but a conniving stepmother whose endless adoration was nothing more than a facade to isolate and control her.
Behind closed doors, she was quietly destroying Amelia. To the outside world, she carefully crafted the image of a devoted, selfless mother, all while secretly plotting against Amelia.
Together, they’d orchestrated her downfall, robbing her of her health, wealth, and dignity. They sweet-talked her into agreeing to a blind date with Zachary, persuading her to undergo the mastectomy, and even getting her to marry him.
They deceived her into transferring all her assets to Zachary, including the priceless jewelry her late mother had left her.
When her usefulness and fortune had dried up, she’d been discarded—a broken, penniless divorcee. The devastating revelation had driven her to the edge. Unable to bear the weight of betrayal, she had thrown herself into the sea and died.
Yet now, against all odds, fate had given her a second chance, and Amelia found herself inexplicably returned to the moment just before the surgery.
“Ms. Edwards, don’t be nervous,” Jacob said with a warm smile, his tone steady but strangely unsettling. “Mr. Foster insisted I ensure you come through this surgery safely.” His words only amplified Amelia’s dread.
Since her rebirth, she knew she couldn’t allow herself to be tricked into having her left breast removed as she had in her last life.
Yet, every person present was part of Zachary’s arrangement. She couldn’t just declare that she wasn’t sick and didn’t need the surgery—it would raise suspicion. She had to find a way to escape this.
“Dr. Green, wait.” Amelia’s voice quivered with urgency, though she struggled to conceal her panic.
Jacob paused, his gentle eyes narrowing with curiosity. “Is there something else you’re concerned about?”
“I… I need to use the restroom,” she blurted, clutching the disposable surgical pad beneath her with clammy hands. Her heart raced as if it might break free from her chest.
“Why so much trouble? Didn’t you just go to the restroom before entering the operating room?” a female assistant behind Jacob asked impatiently.
The voice was intentionally lowered, but its familiarity struck Amelia like a bolt of lightning, sending a chill down her spine. Her heart froze. ‘Sandra? She’s here too?’
Cold sweat dampened Amelia’s palms as a mix of fury and fear coursed through her veins. Her unease grew with every second.
She struggled to sit up, her body trembling. “I… I must be too nervous. Just give me a moment…”
“No need for that. We can use a catheter,” Sandra interrupted with a long face. At her silent cue, an assistant stepped forward with a catheter in hand.
The anesthesiologist was already poised, syringe ready to administer the sedative at a moment’s notice.
Amelia knew that the second she lost consciousness, she’d be as helpless as a turtle on its back, completely at their mercy.
“Dr. Green, I just remembered,” Amelia blurted out, her voice frantic, “I forgot to give my fiancé the combination to one of the safes. Where’s Zachary? I need to see him.”
Sandra’s expression shifted slightly at the mention of the safe, the greed in her eyes flickering to life.
Though they were stepsisters, Amelia had been born with a silver spoon, holding a 30% share of the family business. Meanwhile, Sandra had nothing to her name.
But Sandra forced herself to calm down, suppressing her envy and frustration. ‘It doesn’t matter. Everything Amelia has will be mine soon.’
“Mr. Foster is just outside,” Jacob said smoothly, feigning a kind demeanor. “I’ll have him change and come in.”
Amelia shook her head, her voice growing firmer. “This place is too crowded. It’s not convenient. I’ll go out and talk to him. We’ll need to delay the surgery anyway, so please make the necessary adjustments and prepare everything again.”
Without waiting for a response, she swung her legs off the bed and darted toward the door. She was so light-headed from the 12-hour fasting for the surgery that her vision blurred, and her steps were unsteady, but she pressed on.
The door to the operating room slid open, revealing a tall, young man in a perfectly tailored suit. His gold-rimmed glasses reflected the harsh hallway light, and his face carried its usual mask of authority. He was in the middle of giving instructions to his subordinates, his expression dark and brooding.
It was none other than her fiancé, Zachary.
The moment he saw Amelia step out of the operating room, his face soured. But he quickly recovered, a practiced smile curving his lips as he walked toward her. “Amelia, what are you doing out here?” Zachary asked, his tone warm and composed.
Leaning against the doorframe for support, Amelia didn’t miss the brief flicker of panic in his eyes. ‘Look at him. He’s rattled. Guilty.’
She bit back her fury, keeping her act flawless. Feigning fear, she whispered, “Zachary, I’m scared…”
Adjusting his glasses, Zachary softened his voice, his facade of tenderness perfectly intact. “It’s gonna be alright. I’ve arranged for the best—Dr. Green will take great care of you. You’ll be fine.”
Amelia shook her head, her wide eyes shimmering with faux terror. “I… I need some time to calm down. This is too frightening.” Inside, her thoughts churned. ‘Will he agree to delay the surgery? Will this buy me the time I need to escape?’
But Zachary’s smile faltered. His face hardened as he snapped, “This isn’t a game, Amelia. Do you know how much effort I’ve put into arranging all this? And now you want to back out? Get back in there.”
“Zachary, I’m just so anxious. My stomach hurts and I need to use the restroom. Besides, I’ll need to change clothes again anyway. Please, let me go to the bathroom to calm my nerves.” Her voice trembled as she scrambled to string together excuses.
Zachary’s brows furrowed in irritation, but he relented. “Fine. Go ahead. I’ll wait for you.”
Waving for a nurse to accompany Amelia, he suppressed his impatience and dismissed the matter with a smug thought. ‘She’s as foolish as ever. She’d never suspect that today’s surgery was a carefully laid trap. Let her use the restroom first. A short delay won’t hurt.’
The thought of tying the knot with Amelia in just a few days, followed by claiming the inheritance left by her biological mother, Debra Hughes, filled Zachary with a sense of smug satisfaction. With that fortune in his grasp, he could acquire the property at Stonefield and instantly elevate himself to multi-billionaire status.
But his daydream shattered when the nurse came rushing back, her face ghastly. “Mr. Foster, Ms. Edwards is missing!”
“What?” Zachary’s voice rose an octave, his face twisting with shock.
Sandra, who had stepped out of the operating room after waiting too long, also froze. “What the hell? She said she needed to tell you the combination to the safe. That’s why I let her go. Zachary, you don’t think she’s… run off, do you?”
“Relax, we’ve covered all our tracks perfectly,” Zachary said, though his clenched jaw betrayed his frustration. “She’s terrified of pain. She’s probably just hiding somewhere out of fear. Once we find her, I’ll calm her down and bring her back.”
But even as he reassured Sandra, he glanced around and his sharp eyes caught a glimpse of a slim figure disappearing around the bend to the left ahead. It was Amelia.
They hadn’t expected her to actually try to run.
Zachary exchanged a tense look with Sandra, a dark premonition creeping into his gut. A gnawing sense of dread curled around his insides, and the question lingered, unwelcome, like a shadow in his mind. “Did she figure out our plan?” His expression hardened as he barked orders to the staff. “There she is. After her!” His words sliced through the tension, crisp and unyielding.