“S‑Sophie…” Freya gasped, clutching her sister’s wrists. “If you push me… I’m going to die. Why… why are you doing this?” Her voice broke, her body shivering and shaking.

Sophie grinned as she tightened her grip on Freya’s neck, trying to push her off the rooftop of their John's company.

“That’s exactly what I want,” Sophie hissed. “For you to die. I hate you, Freya. I hate looking at your face, every time I see you, I get angry. Who do you think you are?”

Freya’s heart thundered. “Sophie… after everything I’ve done for you… you can’t treat me like this. I gave up everything for you!”

Sophie let out a mockery laugh “Did I ever ask you for anything? Oh, sorry… did I ever force you to do anything?” She shoved Freya harder, forcing her closer to the edge. “Those things were mine in the first place! If you hadn’t been born, I would have been the first child. I would have had everything without wasting time on stinky sluts like you!”

Freya pressed her lips together, forcing her breath to stay even but her hands trembled. Her legs were already about the ground and her back pressed hard on the rooftop balcony “I did everything for you, Sophie! Every single thing… my shares, my position, I even gave you Chad, the one man I loved, just because you said you liked him. I gave him to you because I loved you!”

Sophie tilted her head back and sneered. “Chad? Chad never liked you in the first place. If he did, he wouldn’t have run to me like a dog. You really thought anyone would ever love you?”

Freya’s chest ached because the sister she had loved more than life had never loved her back.

Sophie’s hand tightened. “Can’t you see the problem, Freya? It's you, it has always been you”

“Please…” Freya begged, sobbing. “Please… you can’t do this! I’m your only sister! You… you cannot do this, Sophie”

But Sophie didn’t listen.

“You thought you gave me everything,” Sophie said softly, tucking a loose strand of Freya's dark brown hair behind her ears. “But there’s still one thing I want. Your life!.”

Before Freya could react, Sophie pushed her off.

Time seemed to slow as she fell, panic exploding in her chest.

“How… how could you do this to me?” she cried. “Sophie… I did everything for you! I gave you everything! I gave you my life… and now you want to take it away!”

“In my next life…I'll make you pay, I'll take every single thing until you crawl to me begging for mercy. Sophie, you are my biggest mistake.”

She closed her eyes and tears streamed down her face. A sharp pain shot through her body as she hit the ground.

Freya’s eyes snapped open, her body shivered, sweat and tears ran down her face. She looked around only to realize that she was lying on her bed.

Her heart thundered, her chest tight, she touched every part of her body, checking for bruises or broken bones “I'm alive…I'm alive”.

Her hands shook as she sat down “ But how? I …I fell seconds ago…I died.

She jumped at the sound of a loud ringing. The sound was coming from her phone on a table stand beside her bed. It was an alarm showing her that she had a meeting in the next two hours.

Freya frowned “Meeting ?” She checked the date and her pulse froze. She gasped, her hands over her mouth staring at the phone with wide eyes

“ June 15th 2023?”

This was six months before her death.

Freya quickly picked up a calendar on the table, it was the same date.

A cold shiver ran down her spine, her hands shook.

“ I've gone back in time…I thought this only happened in movies but I have really gone back time”. She laughed happily, hugging the calendar to her chest.

“Thank you, thank you” she cried

“I will never let myself get killed again, Sophie…you are going to pay for everything and I'll make sure of it” She declared.

Freya had been given a chance to take back everything that had been stolen from her.

And this time, she would not fail.

The sound of the door open jolted Freya out of her thoughts.

Sophie walked in, smiling widely, a fake and murderous smile. If not for the past life, Freya would have thought that Sophie meant well but no…she was just a wolf in a sheep's clothing.

Sophie ran up to Freya and sat on the bed beside her “Sis…”

“Didn't our parents teach you how to knock?”

Sophie's eyes narrowed “ They did but I don't need to knock before entering your room, I'm your only sister” she giggled.

Freya rolled her eyes, this act disgusted her.

“What's wrong Freya, aren't you feeling well?” Sophie asked, feeling the temperature of Freya's neck.

Immediately Sophie's hand touched her neck, Freya's body shook, she felt her lungs tighten again as memories of her death hit her hard on the chest. Freya wanted to move away but Sophie held her down by the arm.

Freya's heart pounded, she tried to stay calm to avoid raising suspicion from Sophie.

“Hmmm…Sis, there's something I need to tell you” Sophie's bottom lip jolted out.

Freya tried to free her arm “ I'm tired Sophie, I need to rest”

Sophie’s grip tightened on Freya’s hand, her eyes wide and pleading, fake pleading.

“Sis… I know it’s too much to ask for,” she began softly. “And I know you really love him, but…” Her lashes fluttered innocently. “Sis… I think I like Chad.”

Freya smirked and turned to stare directly at Sophie “He's my boyfriend, why should I give him to you?”

Sophie continued, voice trembling with manufactured guilt,

“I know. Please don’t be angry, sis. Please… please don’t be angry.”

In Freya’s past life, this moment had shattered her, she remembered crying until she couldn’t breathe, she remembered giving Chad up because Sophie said she liked him . She remembered one month of heartbreak, sleepless nights, swollen eyes and what did Chad do? Absolutely nothing.

He simply left and went straight to Sophie like a dog chasing a new owner.

She coughed lightly, then let out a small mocking laugh. Sophie blinked, startled.

Freya raised her gaze, her expression cold and unreadable.“ Okay, take him,” she said calmly. “I’m bored of him anyway.”

Sophie froze, this wasn't what she wanted.

Sophie knew Freya had loved Chad almost desperately. She’d expected tears, pain and heartbreak.

But Freya sat there, relaxed and proud

Sophie swallowed. “Sis… what? What do you mean?”

Freya tilted her head, mouth curving into a slight closed lip smile.

“I said you can have him, isn't that what you want?,” she murmured. “I don’t need trash in my life.”

Sophie’s face went blank, confusion flickering beneath her fake innocence.

“T-trash?” Sophie stammered. “Freya… you… you don’t mean that… right?”

“I do.” Freya’s voice sharpened. “Chad is trash and I don’t keep garbage around.”

Sophie’s confusion deepened, almost turning into panic. This wasn’t Freya.

Something was wrong, how was she supposed to enjoy the satisfaction when Freya doesn't even show a bit of concern.

Then Freya leaned back against her pillow, her chin out “Besides… I have someone else I like.”

“What?” Sophie blinked. Her voice cracked. “Someone else you like? That's impossible” she let go of Freya and crossed her arms smirking . “Sis I know you are sad but there's really no need to lie…it won't do you any good”.

“ I don't have a reason to lie Sophie” she claimed, wiping the part of her arm Sophie had touched with a napkin. “I'm not a pretentious backstabber”

This statement triggered a sense of uneasiness in Sophie but she quickly masked it with another smile.

Who?” She leaned in, desperate. “Tell me. Who is it?”

Freya’s gaze flicked directly into Sophie’s eyes, cold, fierce, and dangerously calm.

“You’ll know very soon,” she whispered. “At the right time.”

Sophie stiffened, her smile fading slightly. Something in Freya’s voice, something in her eyes made the hairs on Sophie’s arms rise.

For the first time in her life, Sophie didn't know what her sister was thinking and it terrified her. She would have to find a way to cut out Freya's growing confidence.

Hudson Lane sat behind his glass office desk, going through a stack of documents with his sharp eyes, a frown plastered to his face.

“Mr. Lane,” his assistant Eren said entering into the room, “there’s someone here who wants to see you.”

Hudson didn’t raise his head. “Who?”

“Ms. Freya, sir.”

He paused. Freya? Why would she want to see him now? Did it have anything to do with the engagement with Sophie, her sister. A flicker of curiosity crossed his sharp features.

“Bring her in,” he said, finally.

The door opened, and Freya stepped in calmly and confidently. She had come in to fulfill a mission and she wasn't giving up until she did it.

Hudson watched as she walked gracefully, her dark brown hair swaying to the side then she sat on a seat in front of him. Freya was a gorgeous lady with a slender figure, deep blue eyes and a light tanned skin.

“Ms. Freya,” Hudson said, raising an eyebrow. “To what do I owe this surprise?”

“Let’s skip the formalities,” she said. “I don’t want to waste your time. I can see you’re busy, so I’ll get straight to the point.”

Eren walked in and handed a glass of water to him.

Hudson’s brow furrowed. “Oh?” he brought the cup of his mouth and took a sip.

“I want to marry you,” she said, her voice calm and steady.

Hudson spit out the water in his mouth, coughing violently. Eren raised his brows, shock clearly written on his face, he didn't need an instruction, he quietly left the office smiling.

Hudson leaned back, momentarily taken aback. “Excuse me?”

“I want to marry you,” she repeated. “No, I will marry you.”

He studied her, a mixture of surprise and curiosity crossing his face. “And why would you do that? I'm already engaged to your sister… that’s a very bold request.”

Hudson's and Freya's parents were very close friends and because of this, her and her sister were given a chance for one of them to marry Hudson. By terms of rights, Freya was supposed to marry Hudson but Sophie had cried and locked herself up saying that she'd die if she couldn't have him. Freya didn't like seeing her sister in pain so she gave him up, moreso she didn't like Hudson and was in love with Chad.

Freya’s lips curved into a faint, confident smile. “ Mr Lane, I was the one who gave this marriage proposal to Sophie, I'm only taking back what was mine from the start. don't think there's anything wrong with that”

Hudson’s eyes narrowed slightly, intrigued. “You’re very direct, I like that. But tell me… what do I stand to gain in all this? You already rejected me once, it's only right that I get compensated”

“I can offer you part of my shares in the company and future collaboration on multi dollar projects”.

Hudson shook his head “ I am the only successor to the Lane company, I don't need your shares miss John. I doubt if I'll ever be in search of collaborations either, this company is the best construction company in the country…you already know that”

Freya sighed, she knew it wouldn't be easy satisfying the assiduous CEO “What can I do to make you marry me”

Hudson leaned forward, hands locked and chin tucked slightly inwards. “I will marry you on the condition that you fulfill three requests of mine…I'm sure you can do that.”

She swallowed hard “What are your requests?”

“I don't have any for now” he grinned “ Will you do it?”.

Freya’s lips curled into a faint, dangerous smile. “I will”.

Her main priority was getting back at Sophie, she would deal with other problems in the future.

Hudson’s sharp eyes studied her, as though she was food to be eaten . Then he rose from his seat, Slow and commanding, he crossed the space between them in a few long strides. He reached her, his hand lifting under her chin, tilting her face up so that their eyes met. She stared intently at his light green eyes that looked exactly like the the shade of a newly growing plant.

“Are you sure you want to do this? With me?... everyone knows of my ruthless means” His voice was low, almost a challenge.

Freya’s chest tightened for a brief moment

“I’ve never been so sure… or more sure about anything in my life,” she replied.

Hudson’s eyes glinted with a mixture of pride, curiosity, and amusement. He let out a soft laugh, shaking his head slightly. “Very well,” he said, a slow smirk spreading across his face. “We’ll see where this goes.”

Freya’s mind, however, was already racing. First Sophie, everything else can wait.

The first step was now complete, she should have felt happy but why did it feel like she was walking straight into the Lion's den.