Five years ago, the Jennings family's finances were in disarray, and I used this to force him to marry me. He disagreed, so I asked my parents to step in and threaten him using the entire Jennings family.

The day he had to get engaged to me, he gritted his teeth and said he wished I would die. Now that he knew I was dead, would he feel that he had avenged himself?

I gazed over, only to find that he was trembling and stretching out his hand, as if in disbelief.

'Is he afraid? What is he afraid of?' I wondered.

However, before that hand touched the newspaper, the phone rang.

Nicholas subtly exhaled in relief. When he picked up the call, Madison was crying, "Nicholas, won't Astrid clear things up for me? So many people online are criticizing me!"

His earlier fear vanished, and Nicholas now seemed heartbroken. "Maddie, stop crying. I will find Astrid and won't let anyone ruin things for you."

After hanging up, he stopped looking at the newspapers and shouted, "Astrid, I know you're right here!"

"I'm warning you, this is what you owe Maddie. Besides, you took my money. You can't get away with this! You have two days to upload a clarification video or none of the children in that orphanage will live!"

That said, he turned around and strode off, his frame slicing through my soul as he went. Rushing over here was all for Madison, and rushing away now? Same reason.

I shook my head with a wry smile.

The orphanage had long been burned down to ashes. How could children who had already reincarnated be killed again?

The landlord cursed a few times and left. Death's voice echoed in my ears. "Astrid, you have 24 hours left before your soul is annihilated."

When I followed Nicholas home, Madison was live-streaming, crying, and pleading her innocence. "The person in the video is Astrid! She hates me for ruining her life of luxury and refuses to come out and clarify things..."

Nicholas entered and hugged her. "Why are you crying again?"

Madison looked up, tears streaming down her face. "Astrid still won't forgive me? But she's the person in the video..."

I sat on the bed I used to sleep on, resting my chin on my hand as I watched the tears roll down Madison's delicate face.

In the short year she had been back with the Rhode family, she cried almost every day.

She cried because I locked her in the orphanage's storeroom while I pretended to be the Rhode family's daughter and went home with my adoptive parents. She cried about the hardships she endured as she lived on the streets, starving, suffering from the cold, and almost being sexually assaulted. She cried again about how I beat and verbally abused her, pushed her down the stairs, and threatened to kill her.

My adoptive mother felt sorry for her, while my adoptive father whipped me, calling me a heinous sinner.

I protested that I had never done those things, so she cried again. She cried until Nicholas made me kneel before her and beg for forgiveness, but that only made her cry even more sadly.

"Astrid, I know I ruined your life of luxury, but it was all originally mine!"

Due to her remark, I was kicked out of the Rhode family, and she naturally became the one engaged to Nicholas.

I still remembered the smug smile she gave me when I left, but I never imagined I would see her crying again four years later.

Hearing Madison's words, Nicholas hesitated for a moment before silently turning off the camera.

"Maddie, I'll have Astrid take the blame for this, and the clarification video will be uploaded within two days. Once this crisis is over, I'll hire several investigative firms to find out who uploaded the sex tape. Once we find out... We'll clear Astrid's name and send her abroad; she won't bother you anymore."

Madison's crying came to an abrupt halt.

I was also stunned. I floated over to look at his solemn expression. Nicholas actually wanted to clear my name?

Ever since Madison came back, his attention had been entirely on her. She argued with me countless times and said all sorts of nasty things.

Even when he asked me to record a clarification video four years ago, he was still filled with anger. "You stole Maddie's life, but you're not even willing to take the blame for her? Have you ever thought about how much Maddie has suffered all these years? All of this is your doing! You’re still unwilling? Okay. Is five million dollars enough for you?"

The orphanage was almost on the verge of closing down. Madison had secretly reported the orphanage for operating illegally, so I had to get that money and take the children away.

Thus, I had no choice but to nod, but he became even more disappointed in me." You really do only care about money after all. How could someone as greedy and vicious like you exist?"

I sighed and heard Madison sniffle."Nicholas, do you think she's not the person in this video?"

He shook his head without hesitation." Although what Astrid has done is unforgivable, she values her innocence the most and would never do such a thing."

I looked over in shock, only to find Madison's fingers, which were under the table, grasping the hem of her dress. "But… a private investigator said that the upload address for the video was from Astrid's rental house… Nicholas, does Astrid want money? Should I transfer some more to her..."

I gasped and shouted, "Impossible! Nicholas, I didn't upload those videos! Nicholas, it really wasn't me!"

I forgot I was already dead. No one could hear my voice, and only Nicholas's shocking raging voice filled the air. "So that's how it is… Astrid really won't change!"

I panicked and reached out to grab Nicholas's arm. However, my fingers passed right through him, and I watched helplessly as his expression darkened, his fist clenching as he walked away.

"In that case, I'll make her pay!"

When I followed Nicholas back to the old orphanage site, it was already the next morning.

Hope Primary School had been built on the old address.

Nicholas stood silently at the door for a long while before gritting his teeth and making a phone call. "I think I know who uploaded the video. Find out the latest address of Starry Orphanage. I suspect Astrid took the five million dollars and ran away with the orphanage kids."

The security guard at the gate was baffled when he heard Nicholas. "What are you talking about? Starry Orphanage is gone; the children are gone. What new address are you even looking for?"

Nicholas was irritated. "Even if they're gone, there's a new address. They can't have just vanished into thin air, right?"

Just then, Madison called, sobbing pitifully as usual, "Nicholas, help me!"

Nicholas's eyes widened instantly as he hurriedly got into his car.

The security guard stood at the gate, looking at Nicholas as if he were a lunatic. "The teachers and children are dead. Isn't that equivalent to vanishing into thin air?"

A jumble of emotions washed over me. If I had been faster four years ago and had gotten back to the apartment to get what she wanted before Madison threatened to set the orphanage on fire, could I have avoided that man and saved them? However, I was already dead; there was no use crying over spilt milk.

When Nicholas rushed back, Madison was being besieged by reporters.

"Ms. Rhode, are you the person in those videos?"

"You said it's that fake heiress, Astrid, who looks a lot like you, but Astrid has not shown up so far. Is it because the PR deal fell through, or..."

"Maddie!"

With a livid expression, Nicholas pushed his way through the crowd and shielded Madison behind him. "I said that the video had nothing to do with Maddie. Why are you still pestering her?"

For a moment, the journalists' flashlights were as bright as day.

"Mr. Jennings, you have clarified things several times for Ms. Madison… Is it because you're Astrid's fiancé that you can recognize Astrid as the one in the sex tape? Or is there something else going on?"

Madison was crying so hard that her eyes were red as she gripped Nicholas's sleeve. "Nicholas, what should I do..."

Nicholas gently wiped away her tears before turning around and speaking firmly to them." I believe in Maddie. She would never do such a thing! Not to mention that the Rhode family has already stated that Madison is the true heiress of the Rhode family. Therefore, my fiancée isn't Astrid, but Madison! I hereby warn you that if I ever see someone relating the sex tape to Maddie again, the Jennings family won't spare them!"

The reporters looked at each other. Knowing they could not afford to offend either the Jennings family or the Rhode family, they scattered.

Only I floated in the air, watching as the man I loved held the woman who had killed me and set fire to the orphanage in his arms, gently comforting her.

I was brought back to the Rhode family when I was four. Within two months, the Rhode family, which was burdened with a billion dollars in debt, was resurrected. Not only did they pay off their debts, but they also gradually built the massive Rhode Group. They called me a lucky charm, spoiling me rotten, indulging my arrogant and domineering personality. I jumped around every day, climbing trees and swimming in the sea.

Later, I accidentally fell from a tree, and little Nicholas caught me. I clung to him relentlessly from then on. Even if he disliked me or was annoyed by me, I did everything in my power to marry him.

I knew from a young age that I was not the Rhode family's daughter. Only after meeting Nicholas did I feel incredibly fortunate to be Astrid. However, only now did I understand that what was never meant to be mine would never be mine.

Turning away, I decided to make the most of my remaining time by returning to the old orphanage site. However, Nicholas received a message from the investigator shortly after he escorted Madison back to her room.

"Mr. Jennings, are you sure you want me to investigate Starry Orphanage? That orphanage burned down four years ago. Everything's gone."

As the sky turned dark, Nicholas arrived hurriedly, clutching a stack of photos. "What caused the fire? Was it arson or an accident?"

The person next to him shook his head. "I need more time to investigate."

I drifted over and saw the photos of the fire four years ago. Even though I was dead, seeing these still broke my heart.

The photos showed vast expanses of black ash, desks and chairs in the school building, bunk beds in the dormitory, and the bodies of children who had not been adopted.

Some of them had just been sent to the orphanage, and I had arranged the best educational environment for them.

I thought I would arrange for them to work for Rhode Group when they grew up if no one adopted them, but none of them managed to survive until that happened.

I even died on the same day four years ago.

"No, this isn't right. Maddie has been sponsoring the orphanage. Last month, she happily shared that a child named Winnie got into college," Nicholas muttered to himself before quickly dialing Madison's number.

The moment the call got through, Madison asked, "Is Astrid still nowhere to be found? Several of my collaborations have been canceled, and I've also lost my endorsements!"