When I dropped dead on the street, my boyfriend, Benedict Abbott, was in bed with his first love—and no one even bothered to claim my body.

Passersby just stood around, gossiping over my corpse.

"Everyone knows Ava is the apple of Benedict's eye, and her son is the Abbott family's treasure. Did Juliet touch that kid? She was asking to die."

"I heard she has lost all of her value. Benedict married her out of pity, and she turned that kindness into resentment. She got what she deserved."

My soul just stood off to the side, like I was watching someone else's tragedy. I didn't feel love, or hate anymore.

After the crowd had scattered, a tall figure walked up and gently laid a colorful brocade over me.

"Juliet, everyone gets another shot at life. I asked for this brocade for you. Next time, don't be so stubborn."

His voice was hoarse and low, oddly familiar yet distant.

When I opened my eyes again, I swore I'd stay far, far away from Benedict.

***

A famous heiress in Los Angeles's elite circle, Juliet Wiley, died at just 30.

The day she died, she lay naked on the street for 18 hours, and yet, no one came to collect her body.

Everyone who knew her could only sigh.

"Everyone in Los Angeles knows Ava is the apple of Benedict's eye, and her son is the Abbott family's treasure. Isn't Juliet asking for trouble for touching that kid?"

"No, I heard the child's death had nothing to do with Juliet."

"You clearly don't know the full story. Benedict was enraged and even revealed Juliet had been held hostage overseas five years ago."

"I heard she has lost all of her value. Benedict married her out of pity, and she turned that kindness into resentment."

"Juliet's always been a walking disaster. If not for her, the entire Wiley family wouldn't have gone under. Now they're gone—her father and brother are dead. Honestly, she got what was coming."

Juliet Wiley's soul stood quietly on the side as if listening to someone else's story.

Her mind had gone blank. Her heart, once overflowing with love and hate, was now hollow.

After the onlookers left, her faint soul sat beside her own body, unsure what to do.

Then, a tall figure appeared and gently laid a colorful brocade over her.

"Juliet, an eminent priest from the Western Regions told me that everyone gets another life.

"I asked for this brocade for you. Next time, don't be so stubborn."

The man's voice was hoarse and low, yet it carried a strange familiarity.

The moment she saw his face clearly, a storm seemed to sweep her soul away.

When she opened her eyes again, her head was spinning, and a sharp pain burned in her palm.

With her eyes still glazed, Juliet looked at Ava Keller, who was also being held hostage. Then she glanced at her own fingers—already severed by the captor.

The pain was excruciating—sweat poured down her forehead, but her heart pounded so violently that it might burst out of her chest.

Blood pooled beneath her feet, painting the ground red, while the bloodied blade hovered dangerously close to her face.

The man holding her hostage was negotiating with Benedict in a foreign language.

"Benedict, let my boys go, and your woman lives."

That icy blade pressing against her skin triggered a flood of buried memories. She lifted her gaze and locked eyes with Benedict's sharp, familiar face.

She had been reborn.

She found herself back in Brazil, ten years in the past—marking her fifth year by Benedict's side.

The day his beloved first love married his older brother, Benedict had left everything behind and headed abroad, throwing himself into the underworld of Brazil without a second thought.

On the very first day, he crossed the border, Juliet—who had secretly loved him for years—chased after him without hesitation. And she made it.

Five years. Over 1,900 days and nights in the shadows.

She stayed by his side through bloodshed, ambushes, and countless brushes with death.

Just yesterday, Juliet turned 25. That night, she spent a wild, passionate evening tangled in bed with Benedict. However, the next morning, as she stepped out of the bedroom, she saw Ava—with her luggage in tow.

The moment Ava saw Benedict, she fainted into his arms.

Before Juliet could even react, Benedict had already carried Ava inside and was tending to her carefully.

When Juliet saw him again that afternoon, his words shattered her world. He was going back home.

He planned to assume the identity of his deceased twin brother, and return to care for Ava and her son—and he asked Juliet to give him time.

Juliet could not accept it. She was furious, hurt, and betrayed.

Then the next day, as they stepped out, both she and Ava were abducted by terrorists and dragged back to Benedict's base by force.

This hostage situation became a nightmare Juliet could never erase.

The memories cut through her like a blade, pain piercing every inch of her.

Just then, Ava's shrill scream snapped her back to reality.

"Ben, I'm scared! Save me!"

Juliet stared at Benedict's cold eyes. She had cried like this in her past life too, but in the end, he still chose Ava.

Seeing her remain silent, the captor kicked her to the ground and stomped hard on her severed fingers.

"Speak! Beg Benedict! Or I'll take you with me!"

Juliet broke into a cold sweat from the pain but clenched her teeth and stayed quiet.

Tears welled in her eyes as she whispered, "Ben, it hurts so much."

Benedict frowned, clearly conflicted.

Then, just like in her previous life, he said in that same calm tone, "Juliet, Ava isn't like you. She can't protect herself. You're stronger. Go with them and stall for time. I'll find you soon."

Ava burst into tears on cue and said, "Ben, I knew you wouldn't leave me!"

Juliet just looked at them with a bitter smile, watching as Benedict negotiated with the terrorists—same as before.

In her last life, she was taken away like this for a week.

When Benedict finally found her, she had been tortured beyond recognition.

He had knelt beside her, begging her to hold on.

He stroked what little hair she had left and whispered with guilt, "Juliet, don't be afraid. I got you out. Didn't you want to marry me? I'll send you back to the States and we'll get married as soon as we return."

However, after a few years of marriage, that same man had coldly said, "Juliet, it would've been better if you had died back there."

The captor was losing patience and dragged Juliet up roughly.

Pain wrapped around her like chains, but she did not think about her past anymore.

In this brutal situation, where someone had to be sacrificed, she already knew she would be the one.

Juliet's silence made Benedict frown.

As she was being pulled away, he called out again, "Trust me. Wait for me."

Juliet's expression turned icy.

Five years. Over 1,900 days and nights. She had fought beside him and trusted him blindly.

That trust? That love? It led to her downfall.

Wait for him? Never again.

If she lived through this, the first thing she would do was cut ties with Benedict completely.

Without so much as a glance back, Juliet was dragged into the terrorist's vehicle, vanishing from his sight.

As soon as the vehicle pulled up at the terrorist base, Juliet was tossed out like a sack of grain.

They shoved her around and dragged her straight to the leader, Kieran Shipman.

The trauma from her last life was etched deep into her bones—being back in this nightmare made her limbs tremble uncontrollably. However, she forced herself to stay upright as she could not go through it all again.

In a flash, her mind latched onto the only lifeline she could think of—the man who had once covered her with the brocade, Pedro Casetta.

Her voice came out hoarse but steady. "If you dare touch me, Pedro Casetta from Italy will burn this place to the ground."

She stared straight at Kieran. "If you don't believe me, call him. Tell him Juliet Wiley from the States is here."

That name made the leader pause. A glint flashed in his eyes as he studied this beautiful, defiant girl from the West.

A wicked grin tugged at his lips. The urge to grind her pride into dust surged in him.

"If you're lying," he said, "you'll wish you died on the way here."

Juliet's hands trembled slightly, and the men around her jeered louder, feeding off her fear.

To be honest, she was bluffing. She had not seen Pedro in years, but right now, he was her last hope—her only shot at getting out of this alive.

Less than ten minutes later, Kieran handed her a phone.

On the other end, Pedro's deep, raspy voice came through.

"Juliet, Kieran's asking for something outrageous. If I give in, a lot of people will suffer. But if you were my wife, no one would dare lay a hand on you."

She hung up the phone in a daze, only to look up and see Kieran grinning.

Without warning, he slapped the subordinate who had tied Juliet up, then kicked him down and had him dragged out.

He turned to Juliet and politely apologized, then had someone escort her out of the base in a truck.

As the vehicle headed back toward Benedict's territory, Juliet was still trembling.

She had walked through hell again, but this time, she came out alive.

Juliet wiped her tears with the back of her sleeve, steeling herself before stepping inside—only to be greeted by the sight of Benedict mid-rage and Ava crying quietly by his side.

"Ben, did I cause you trouble by coming here?" Ava's voice was soft, but her tone was laced with just enough vulnerability. "Is that why Ms. Wiley sent people to provoke you? She just doesn't want you to go back with me...

"But I had no choice. Your brother died in a car crash, Brodie cries every day for his dad. I just wanted you to pretend to be him—for a year, or even half. Ben, I'm begging you. I may have married your brother, but the one I've always loved is you."

Benedict looked visibly irritated, his expression clouded.

"Those people couldn't have been sent by Juliet. She's in danger right now. We'll talk about going home later. I have to save her first."

However, Ava would not let go of his hand. Her voice was sweet, but her eyes concealed something cold. "Ben, I really don't know those people. But before I was taken, I saw Ms. Wiley talking to them. Maybe they knew each other."

Benedict paused. "She knew them?"

"You know how bold she is—maybe it was just a scare tactic. A way to threaten you. If we wait, she might come back on her own."

Benedict was silent. It was true that Juliet had firmly refused to let him return home back then, even going so far as to say she would rather die than agree. However, her fingers were cut off, so could she really have been faking it?

Before he could think more, Ava suddenly clutched her chest and gasped for air.

He immediately supported her, gently patting her back. "Why is your asthma acting up again? Where's your inhaler? I'll get it."

At the doorway, Juliet stood frozen, listening to every word. A bitter smile crept onto her pale lips.

She thought she had given up on him long ago, but right now, the pain still stabbed so deep she had to hunch over.

Every bit of suffering in her past life had been because of Benedict.

Was this why she had been tortured for seven days before anyone came for her?

While she was trapped in hell, waiting for someone who never showed...

He had been here, frowning with worry over Ava's asthma.

Seven days. She waited for him for seven whole days.

On the first day, she held back the heartbreak of being abandoned, using the last of her strength to scare Kieran—still clinging to the hope that Benedict would come. However, not only did he fail to appear, but his phone was turned off completely as well.

On the second day, Kieran snapped.

The rest of the terrorists were about to lose it, too.

In a country ravaged by war, a woman's life meant next to nothing.

They took turns torturing Juliet, doing everything in their power to break her, to force her to beg Benedict to save her.

Still, Juliet could not reach him.

On the third day, things got even worse—they started abusing her in shifts.

By the sixth day, when they had finally grown bored of the "game", they smashed her hands with a hammer. One bone at a time—all because she used to be in a gang and was skilled with firearms.

In that hellish place where even God had turned His back, they crushed her body and spirit without hesitation.

Those seven days in that nightmare, worse than death, now sounded like a passing joke from Ava's lips.

The pain Juliet had buried deep—the betrayal, the agony, the humiliation—all boiled over into rage.

Why was she the one who had to suffer?

Juliet stormed forward and stepped right in front of Benedict and Ava, blocking their path.

Her eyes were red as she raised her leg and kicked Benedict with all her might.

As he stumbled, she grabbed Ava and yanked her from his arms. Immediately after, she slapped her across the face with a loud, merciless crack.

Ava was stunned. The slap hit so hard, she forgot all about her "asthma attack".

She stared at Juliet in shock, rage flickering in her eyes. Slowly, she raised a trembling hand to cover her reddened cheek and turned to Benedict with that same soft, pitiful tone.

"Ben, I told you Ms. Wiley was just messing with you, but you didn't believe me. See? She's back now, isn't she?"

Juliet's rage flared even hotter.

She was not going to hold back anymore. She took another step toward Ava and raised her hand for two more slaps, but Benedict grabbed her wrist mid-air.

His expression was dark. "Juliet, you've really gotten bold. Did you actually stage this whole stunt just to make me stay?

"You think this kind of trick will make me care more about you?"

Juliet let out a sharp, cold laugh. "Make you care? Why would I compete with your brother's widow for your attention? Or wait, do you see yourself as your dead brother now?"

"You!"

Meanwhile, Ava burst into tears, putting on the show she had mastered long ago.

"Ms. Wiley," she said between sobs, "if you're angry, just take it out on me. Ben had nothing to do with this. He just felt sorry for me and Brodie, that's why he stayed behind to help. Even if we did love each other, that's all in the past now. And you... just because you were born into a good family, you've always looked down on me, the nanny's daughter."

Juliet's face drained of color. She stared at Benedict, heart clenching.

And at that moment, she remembered what he said in their past life when he destroyed her entire family. "Juliet, you've always used your privileged background to bully Ava. What if your family were gone? Would you still dare to act like this?"

Her chest felt so tight she could barely breathe. That foolish love from her past life did not just destroy her—it also brought harm to the family who had truly cared for her.

Benedict met her gaze coldly.

"You've become reckless. This isn't the States. Even if I protect you, something will happen sooner or later. You should take this as a wake-up call."

Juliet felt like her heart was being sliced apart by ice. Cold. Sharp. No mercy.

She wanted to scream, "You didn't protect me in my last life! You let me rot in hell for seven days."

However, she did not say anything. There was no point.

She did not want to be tied to any of them anymore.

Five years ago, she had followed Benedict into this foreign land and joined the underworld in Brazil for him.

Now that she did not want him anymore, there was no reason to stay.

She still had a mission in 5 days, and once that was done, she could finally draw the line for good.

Thinking of this, she stopped paying attention to the two people in front of her, pulled out the first aid kit, and began disinfecting and wrapping her fingers.

She was halfway through wrapping the gauze when her phone suddenly rang—it was her brother, Fred Wiley, calling from the States.

She accidentally bumped her injured hand while answering, and his voice came clearly through the speaker.

"Juliet, what's this talk about a marriage alliance?"

As soon as Benedict heard the word marriage, his expression darkened. Ava's face turned even paler like her heart had just shattered. Right now, she looked as if she was about to faint as she clutched her chest.

However, before she could hit the ground, Benedict rushed over and caught her in his arms.

Still crying, Ava pushed him away, took a few shaky steps back, and then ran off.

Benedict chased after her immediately, but not before snapping back at Juliet, "Juliet, I already told you to put the marriage on hold! And now you're dragging your brother into this to force my hand? You're unbelievable."

Once they were both gone, Juliet finally picked up the call, a sarcastic smile on her lips.

"Juliet, why aren't you saying anything? What's this about Pedro wanting to marry you?"

Fred was clearly worried. His little sister had always been strong and independent, chasing after Benedict abroad at just 20 years old.

And now, Pedro suddenly wanted to marry her. If Juliet was being forced, he would stop it no matter what it took.

"Juliet, don't be scared. If he's pressuring you... "

Before he could finish, Juliet cut in. Her voice, distorted slightly by the long-distance signal, was firm.

"Fred, I agreed to marry Pedro. I want to marry him."