Chapter 6

The opportunity arrived sooner than Isabel expected. She wasn't attending school that day, having already taken leave. She planned to meet the man and see what he was truly like. Just before leaving, her phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, her heart skipped a beat.

“Master,” Isabel whispered, her eyes misting. Her master was Baxter Harper. Having lived a second life, the sound of a voice that truly cared for her resonated deeply.

“Isabel, are you alright?” her master asked gently.

“I’m fine,” Isabel replied, confused. “Why do you ask?”

“I need you to do something for me,” Baxter said, his tone serious.

“Of course,” Isabel answered immediately. “What do you need?”

“I need you to find someone—Blake Yates. Locate him and help him,” her master instructed.

“Blake?” Isabel repeated, frowning. The name was unfamiliar. “Who is he?”

Her master’s voice held a note of mystery. “You’ll find out when you meet him. This man has done something significant for you.”

Isabel’s confusion deepened. No one named Blake came to mind, let alone someone who had helped her.

Sensing her doubt, Baxter added, “Isabel, I know you’ve been reborn, that you’ve experienced life and death. Your rebirth is connected to him. Isn’t that enough reason to help?”

Isabel froze in shock. Baxter knew about her rebirth.

“What… what is this all about?” she stammered.

Her master remained cryptic. “In time, all will be revealed. For now, just complete this task for me.”

Isabel bit her lip and nodded. “Alright, I understand.”

After ending the call, her thoughts swirled with unanswered questions. She had believed her rebirth was her secret. The realization that Baxter was aware left her deeply unsettled. What had happened after my death? she wondered, pondering for a long while but unable to piece it together. Determined to visit Baxter in person when she could, Isabel pushed aside her need to leave immediately to meet her fiancé.

“Get ready,” Hannah said, entering the room.

“Alright,” Isabel replied, following her foster mother out the door.

As they walked, Hannah couldn’t stop talking. “Poor Blake,” she began, “he’s completely paralyzed, far worse than your father. It’s such a tragedy. He used to be a young master from a wealthy family, and now he’s ended up like this…”

“Wait, Mom! What did you just say? Blake? What’s his full name?” Isabel interrupted, suddenly alert.

“Blake Yates,” Hannah answered. “He’s the child of the Yates family.”

The name struck Isabel like lightning. It was the same name her master had mentioned. Her thoughts raced: Blake. Baxter had asked her to help someone named Blake. Her master had said Blake was connected to her rebirth, but in her past life, she had never met anyone by that name. This can’t be real, Isabel thought. Her fiancé was also named Blake. Are they really the same person? she wondered. This didn’t feel like coincidence—it felt like fate.

“Isabel, are you alright?” Hannah asked, noticing her daughter’s silence.

Isabel shook her head, pushing her thoughts aside. “I’m fine, Mom. Let’s keep moving. How far is it?”

Hannah chuckled. “Not far. Our village isn’t that big. It’s just from one end to the other.”

Inside a dilapidated house, a hoarse voice called out weakly, “Water… water… Stacy, get me some water.”

A middle-aged woman with a scowl glanced at the bedridden man before grudgingly fetching water. Her grumbling continued. “Unbelievable,” she rolled her eyes. “What did I do to deserve this? All you do is lie there, messing the bed. Can’t you eat or drink less? The smell in here is disgusting.”

Stacy returned with a cup of water but made no effort to help him drink. She sloppily poured it in the air, forcing him to catch what he could. Blake managed only a few sips before the water spilled over his face and soaked the blanket. “How dare you treat me like this!” Blake growled, his anger rising. He tried to clench his fists but found his hands too weak. Trapped in his useless body, he felt like nothing more than a corpse.

Stacy sneered. “Dare? What are you going to do about it? Be grateful you even get water. You think you’re still some young master? You’re worse than a stray dog now. Don’t even try to act tough with me.”

“Get out! Get out of here!” Blake screamed, his voice trembling with fury.

Stacy snorted. “If I weren’t being paid, do you think I’d waste a second in this room! You’re pathetic, a worthless cripple.”

She turned to leave, nearly colliding with Isabel and Hannah at the doorway.

“Who are you looking for?” Stacy asked, suspicious.

Hannah stepped forward politely. “Ma’am, we’re here to see Mr. Yates.”

Stacy narrowed her eyes, giving them a once-over. Visitors for Blake? The idea seemed ridiculous. He had been there a whole year, and few people had come. “Who are you, and why are you here?” she asked sharply.

Hannah responded calmly. “He’s my daughter’s fiancé. We came to check on him.”

Stacy vaguely remembered hearing about this engagement but couldn’t suppress her pity as she glanced at Isabel—a young girl tied to a man in such a pitiful state. What a misfortune, she thought.

“Fine, go ahead,” Stacy said indifferently, waving them inside.

As Isabel and Hannah stepped in, the stench of decay and neglect hit them like a wall. They instinctively covered their noses.

“Why does it smell so awful?” Hannah asked, horrified. Her husband, Samuel, was paralyzed, but she always made sure his room was clean.

“Get out! I told you to get out!” Blake’s angry voice roared, assuming it was Stacy again.

Hannah flinched, hesitating at the doorway. “Goodness, what a temper! He sounds… unpleasant,” she muttered nervously.

But Isabel didn’t falter. Calmly, she stepped further into the room to face the man on the bed. Blake was a pitiful sight: skeletal frame, sunken cheeks, and greasy, unkempt hair made him look more ghost than man. Years of neglect clung to him like a shroud. Even so, his voice still carried strength, a sign that something within him refused to give up.

As Isabel entered his view, Blake’s vision blurred. The light from the setting sun framed her figure. It was like she was descending from heaven. For a moment, he was stunned. Am I hallucinating? he thought. Is someone other than Stacy really standing in front of me?

“Are you Blake?” Isabel’s soft voice cut through the silence.

Blake blinked, realizing she was real. His gaze sharpened, suspicion creeping into his expression. “Who are you? What do you want?” he demanded.

Hannah stepped in, trying to ease the tension. “Mr. Yates, this is my daughter, Isabel. She’s the one you’re engaged to.”

Blake’s eyes narrowed further, his voice rising in defiance. “Don’t try to fool me. Your daughter’s been here before, and she doesn’t look like…”

A year ago, Amelia had secretly visited Blake; seeing his paralyzed state, her words had been laced with cruelty. She had cursed him, wished for his death, and mocked him relentlessly. Blake would never forget that day. The venomous woman he had met was nothing like the calm, composed girl standing before him now.

Hannah quickly interjected, “Mr. Yates, the girl you met before wasn’t our biological daughter. There was a mix-up at the hospital when she returned to her real family. This is Isabel, our true daughter, and the one actually engaged to you.”

Blake listened with a blank expression, his interest in their melodramatic family history nonexistent.

“What do you want?” he asked coldly. “Are you here to warn me? To tell me to back off and stop having delusions about the engagement?”

Isabel met his icy gaze without flinching, her voice calm but resolute. “I’m here to save you.”

“Saving me?” Blake was caught off guard.

He hadn’t yet processed her words when Isabel suddenly reached forward and lifted the blanket covering him.

“What are you doing?” he bellowed, his anger erupting.

But Isabel remained calm and unfazed. “Saving you,” she said matter-of-factly. “How can I help you if I don’t take a look?”