A sudden noise broke out from the living room.

Without thinking, Eliana moved toward it.

The moment she stepped inside, her eyes met a man's—Jeremy. There was something dark in the way he looked at her.

Everything had already been set in motion, just as she had feared. Both the Ward family and the Shaw family had sent representatives the day she walked out of prison, exactly like before.

A chill crept up her spine. For a second, panic took hold, and she nearly turned to run. Her hands tightened into fists as they trembled.

She forced herself to stay still, repeating over and over that she wasn't Jeremy's wife anymore. She wasn't the woman trapped in that gilded cage, not someone who had lost control of her own life. That reminder was the only thing that kept her grounded.

This time, though, things didn't unfold the way she remembered. Jeremy didn't come to her. Instead, his attention shifted past her, landing on Iris.

Noticing the marks on Iris' face, he moved forward immediately, concern written all over him. He held her steady and frowned. "What happened to you?"

John's face darkened, but with members of the Shaw family present, he held back his temper. "It's nothing serious. Just a small argument between the sisters. We've always been a bit too lenient with Eliana. She was upset and took it out on Iris. I apologize for that. Mr. Ward, please look after Iris. We've already accepted the gifts. Iris will marry into your family properly, with all the respect she deserves."

A faint, mocking smile appeared on Eliana's lips. What a devoted father John was. In front of the Shaw family's people, he twisted every word to make her look difficult and out of control, as if he feared she might actually end up living well under their name.

Jeremy gave a small nod, but his eyes never left her. There was something unsettling in the way he looked at her, cold and lingering.

A tightness settled in Eliana's chest. For a brief moment, memories flooded back so vividly it felt real. She could almost see him again, that same look in his eyes, the way he would approach her with a calm voice that hid everything beneath it. "Ellie, you've been careless again. Why haven't you made progress in the research today? Were you wasting time?"

What he had done to her back then went far beyond anything she had faced in prison.

Good. Let it all come back.

In her previous life, they had forced her into that marriage, pushing her into Jeremy's world while Iris walked away untouched.

To everyone else, he appeared flawless. She became the admired Mrs. Ward, living in luxury, surrounded by everything others envied. When he rose to the top, he even built a grand residence for her.

But behind closed doors, nothing was as it seemed. The man people praised was nothing more than a monster. He took everything from her, including her research work, and never showed restraint. Day after day, he broke her down, leaving her hanging by a thread, only to pretend to be remorseful afterward. She lived in a cycle she couldn't escape, pulled between moments that felt like heaven and others that dragged her into darkness, until there was nothing left of her.

At the same time, Iris had stepped into a different fate. After marrying into the Shaw family, she learned the truth too late. Her husband had been bound to a wheelchair since he got injured in an accident long ago. He kept his distance, cold and indifferent, never showing her the attention she expected. Their marriage remained empty, and within half a year, everything collapsed. He was killed, and the power he once held vanished overnight. With it, the Shaw family fell apart.

Iris was cast aside without hesitation. Branded as a bad omen, she became someone people avoided. No one dared to associate with her, much less marry her. In the end, she died alone on the streets, long before Eliana met her own fate.

So this time, Iris must have believed that changing her husband would change her fate. If she wanted Jeremy, that monster, so badly, then she could have him.

As for Eliana, she was determined to take back everything that had been stolen from her in this life.

With that thought in mind, her eyes moved across the room, only to stop abruptly. On the other side, a man sat in a wheelchair.

Even without standing, his presence filled the space. There was a quiet strength about him that no one could ignore.

It was him. Evan Shaw. The heir of the Shaw family. The man who had been Iris' husband in her previous life.

His features were sharp, his expression unreadable. When John finished speaking, Evan didn't react much. He simply glanced toward the butler at his side. Understanding the signal, the butler stepped forward. "Mr. Shaw has come today to formally request Miss Eliana Marshall's hand in marriage. These are the wedding gifts."

He lifted his hand slightly.

At once, six men dressed in black moved forward and opened the boxes they carried.

The sight inside made everyone in the room fall silent in shock.

Properties and wealth filled the boxes one after another—the property deed to a mansion worth hundreds of millions, car keys for luxury cars at the highest level, rare jewelry collected from across the world, a thirty-million-dollar check, the deeds to six commercial properties, and even a loose 20-carat purple diamond.

Everything laid out before them went far beyond what anyone would call generous.

Next to that display, what Jeremy had brought looked insignificant, almost laughable.

Color rose to his face as the tension set in, and the smile he forced no longer looked natural.

Standing beside him, Iris pressed her lips together, unable to hide the jealousy flickering in her eyes.

Even Eliana felt a brief moment of surprise. In her previous life, Evan hadn't even come in person. He had only sent his butler, and the gifts back then had been far less impressive. This time, everything had changed.

Still, none of that shook her resolve. The Marshall and Ward families would pay, no matter what.

Her gaze settled on Evan as she studied him carefully. Since he had shown up himself, it made things easier for her. His reputation worked in her favor. He was known for keeping his distance from women and for his cold nature, which suited her plans.

In her past life, she had only uncovered the truth later. His condition had been an act. He had used it to expose someone within his own family.

That truth only came out after Iris was gone. Evan had been close to turning everything around, but at the last moment, he had changed course and gone somewhere he shouldn't have. That single decision had exposed him and led to his death.

Eliana still didn't know why he had changed his plan. But this time, things were different. If he was willing to work with her, she could help him avoid that fate. In return, she would secure something far more valuable for herself. If not, she would make sure she had a way out before everything collapsed again.

As she looked between both sides, a faint, mocking smile appeared on her lips. "So this was all decided already. Then why even pretend to ask me?"

John hesitated, his expression tightening for a brief moment. "We've done everything we could to arrange this marriage for you with the Shaw family. As long as you have someone like them supporting you in the future, that's enough for us."

A cold, mocking curve touched Eliana's lips. Supporting her?

Before she could respond, Iris quickly slipped her arm through Jeremy's and turned toward Eliana, her concern carefully put on display. "He's right, Eliana. We're only thinking about what's best for you. But you don't look well. Is it because you've been in prison for too long? Maybe you're not used to being home anymore."

Behind that soft tone, something else flickered. Satisfaction.

It didn't matter to Iris how grand Evan's arrival looked. In her eyes, he was still a man with no future. She had already experienced that life once. Even with everything she had brought into that family, she had never truly belonged. This time, she believed Eliana would fall even harder.

Eliana's smile deepened slightly. Her eyes shifted toward Iris, cold and sharp. "So what you're saying is that the Shaw family, the most powerful in the city, is willing to marry someone who's been to prison... and that's something to look down on?"

With just one sentence, she twisted Iris' words, turning them into something far more dangerous—an implication that Iris was insulting the Shaw family.

The atmosphere changed immediately.

Since the Shaw family had come here with the wedding gifts, surely Evan already knew her past.

As expected, he reacted. Evan raised his gaze slightly and looked straight at Iris. His face remained calm, but the weight behind that glance made it hard to breathe.

A cold tension spread through the room, leaving everyone uneasy.

John shot Iris a sharp look before quickly stepping forward, eager to fix the situation. Evan's condition didn't make him any less dangerous, and offending him wasn't an option.

"Mr. Shaw, please don't take it to heart," John said, forcing a polite smile. "Iris tends to speak without thinking. She's only concerned about Eliana. I hope you can overlook any offense."

His eyes flicked toward Iris, silently warning her to stay in line.

Iris clenched her teeth, irritation flashing across her face, but she swallowed it down. She knew she had gone too far.

Letting out a stiff laugh, she tried to recover. "John, Eliana is about to marry into the most powerful family in the city. Whether she misunderstands me or not doesn't matter. As long as she doesn't disappoint you after everything you've done for her, that's enough."

On the surface, her words sounded supportive. But beneath that tone, she had struck right at John's weakest point.

Just as she expected, his expression darkened immediately.

Eliana recognized that look all too well. It was the same one he used whenever she refused to obey. What followed had always been the same, pressure, control, and carefully calculated manipulation. But things were different now. She wasn't that woman anymore. Ever since she had been brought back into the Marshall family at fourteen, they had taken advantage of her without pause. Now, she had no intention of letting that continue.

A faint scoff echoed in her thoughts as her expression turned colder.

"I'll agree to marry into the Shaw family," she replied, her tone calm. "But I have one condition."

"Are you serious? We've offered you such a good opportunity, and you're making demands now? Don't get ahead of yourself," Phyllis snapped, her temper slipping.

Eliana didn't react to the outburst. She simply looked at her, her gaze cold and steady. "If it's such a great opportunity, why not let Iris take it instead?"

"You!" Phyllis exclaimed, but the words got stuck as anger took over.

Did Eliana really think she hadn't considered it? The arrangement with the Shaw family had been meant for Iris from the very beginning. Then out of nowhere, Iris woke up one day and refused outright. She said she would rather die than marry Evan. She claimed he was disabled and had no interest in women, and she called the whole thing a sham marriage.

Fear hit them hard, so they sent someone to look into it in secret. The results came back the same. It was all true. Even so, walking away from a chance to tie themselves to the richest family in the city wasn't something they could accept. That was when Iris came up with another plan and suggested that Eliana take her place.

Thinking back on it, Phyllis forced her anger down and pushed out a strained smile. "You've suffered a lot because of Iris, so it makes sense if you have terms. Go on, tell us what you want."

A faint smile pulled at Eliana's lips. "I want everything that was meant for Iris as wedding gifts."

"What?" Phyllis and the others froze, shock written all over their faces.

At that, something dark passed through Iris' gaze. A quick thought crossed her mind, and she spoke up without hesitation. "That's reasonable. John already said we'll take half of the gifts from the groom's side with us on the wedding day."

A quiet laugh slipped from Eliana. That was a neat way to twist it. She understood their intention very well. The Marshall family didn't want to give her any wedding gifts, and on top of that, they wanted a share of what the Shaw family had prepared.

"The gifts from the bride's side and the groom's side are meant to stay separate. These days, who still takes what belongs to the bride? Wouldn't that just make people laugh? And right now, both the Ward and Shaw families are here to see it."

As soon as she finished speaking, the color drained from every face of the Marshall family members.

A stiff look settled across Phyllis' face.

She forced out a strained smile as she spoke. "That's not what we mean. It's just... Iris isn't marrying into a family as rich as the one you're entering, so she'll need money to get by. You, on the other hand, are going into the wealthiest household. You'll have more than enough. Why would you still ask for this?"

Eliana chuckled. Back in her previous life, she hadn't learned the truth until after her wedding. By then, she realized Phyllis had already set aside a large amount of wedding gifts for Iris, while she had been given nothing at all. She still remembered what Phyllis had told her at the time.

"Iris is marrying into the top family in the city, so she needs more support to keep her standing," Phyllis had explained. "You're only going into an ordinary wealthy home, so there's no need to fuss over it."

Now everything had flipped.

Even so, Eliana didn't lose her composure. She spoke slowly, her voice steady. "You've got it wrong, Mom. Since I'm the one marrying into the wealthiest family, the gifts can't look cheap. If they do, Mr. Shaw might think you're looking down on his family. You wouldn't want to give him that impression, right?"

As she finished speaking, her gaze shifted toward Evan. "Mr. Shaw, what's your opinion?"

Everyone could hear the warning in her words, but no one could find a way to push back.

Evan's expression grew more serious, and his brows drew together. The more he watched Eliana, the more intriguing she became.

A brief nod came from Evan, his tone calm and distant. "That's right."

Phyllis couldn't find a single word to respond.

Before Eliana could open her mouth again, John stepped in at once. He was worried she might push things further if she wasn't satisfied. "They're only wedding gifts. I'll make the decision for your mother. They are yours now, Eliana. Once you marry into the Shaw family, we'll be relying on Mr. Shaw in the future. It makes sense for us to show more sincerity with the gifts."

A faint smile touched Eliana's lips.

Her father really knew how to play his part. It didn't matter. She could take her time with this.

Turning toward Evan, she spoke again. "Mr. Shaw, my mother has been putting together Iris' wedding gifts since she was young. There are property deeds, gold bars, bank certificates, jewelry, and more. She even made a full list herself. Why don't you have someone check it right here, so everything's clear in front of everyone?"

The moment those words left her mouth, Phyllis felt her chest tighten. She never thought Eliana knew about any of it.

It felt like someone had caught her off guard.

A sharp cry escaped her as she moved to stop it, but her voice died the moment she met Eliana's steady gaze. That calm look made her hesitate.

Evan kept his eyes on Eliana, watching closely. Interest flickered in his gaze, and it only grew stronger.

"Alright," he replied.

With that, the issue came to a close.

The Marshalls realized if they wanted ties with a family like the Shaws, they had to accept the cost that came with it. Under John's firm gaze, Phyllis couldn't refuse. She turned and went upstairs, and then came back with the inventory in hand. Eliana took it from her without hesitation and passed it straight to Evan.

"Mr. Shaw, I don't have any objections to this marriage. I'd prefer for the wedding to happen as soon as possible. There's also something I'd like to discuss with you alone, if you don't mind."

Her thoughts were simple. Staying in that house any longer only made her feel sick. The marriage had already been decided, but there were still things she needed to take control of.

Without much reaction, Evan handed the inventory over to the butler standing behind him. His eyes stayed on Eliana, deep and steady. Even after everything she had been through, the weight of his presence still pressed down on her.

"Fine," he responded.