"Let's see how you manage this time, Benedict, without me pulling strings. How will you, a mere bastard, claw your way to billions? How will you escape that madman, Miles? This life, I'll personally drag you to hell to atone for my past mistakes," I vowed silently.

---

Despite all the broken contracts from various parties, Benedict somehow managed to secure two deals, quickly stabilizing his company.

It was just as I expected.

Otherwise, living two lifetimes would have been a waste.

I thought that with this second chance, he wouldn’t have anything more to do with me. Turns out, I underestimated just how shameless he could be.

When Benedict barged into my office with Yancy in tow, I frowned.

"Lucia, I know you’ve recently invested in two of Mr. Thomas’ films and a variety show. Replace the female lead with Yancy."

His entitled attitude made me laugh out of sheer anger.

I tossed my pen aside, stood up, and gave him a mocking look.

"What did you just say?"

There was a flicker of irritation in Benedict's eyes, but he repeated himself.

"Replace the female lead in Mr. Thomas’ films with—"

Before he could finish, I grabbed a handful of dirt from the flowerpot on my desk, yanked him by the hair, and shoved it into his mouth.

"Ah! Benedict!" Yancy screamed in terror, rushing forward to shield him, glaring at me angrily.

"What are you doing, Ms. Howard?! I know you don’t like me, but there’s no need to take it out on Benedict! Hasn’t he tolerated you enough?"

Her eyes welled up with tears, a few drops falling as if I were the one bullying her.

That trick of hers never failed.

Sure enough, Benedict, spitting out dirt and leaning against the wall, looked at me furiously, his face twisted in rage.

"Lucia! You've gone too far! Enough is enough!"

I rolled my eyes and shrugged innocently.

"I thought you were possessed or something, just trying to exorcise the stupidity out of you. How else could you say something so ridiculous?"

"You!" Benedict's face turned red, the veins in his forehead bulging with anger.

The door and curtains of the office were wide open, and with such a commotion, the employees couldn’t help but sneak glances every now and then.

Benedict, whom I had propped up for decades, had never endured such humiliation, much less been embarrassed by me in front of others. His face darkened instantly as he gritted his teeth and warned me.

"Lucia, even if you’re throwing a tantrum, you need to know when to stop! If you keep this up, our engagement really won’t happen!"

I smirked, a mocking curl to my lips.

He still thought I was the same Lucia who once tried to save him.

From the start, he was wrong.

My task wasn’t to save him.

It was to kill him.

In my past life, I was too foolish, pitying him and wanting to help.

I reached into the flowerpot and grabbed another handful of dirt. Benedict’s eyes widened in fear, and he pulled Yancy back a step, watching me warily.

I laughed, tossing the dirt aside, and stepped forward, gently patting his face with an amused expression.

"Benedict, you're nothing but a bastard, hidden in the shadows. What right do you have to be engaged to me? Remember this—you’ll always be a bastard who belongs in the dirt."

With that, I pointed to the door.

"Get out!"

Benedict’s eyes were filled with malice as he glared at me, grinding his teeth.

"Think carefully, Lucia!"

I calmly pulled out my phone.

“Send security up to escort these two out. And next time, make sure there’s a sign at the entrance that says ‘No dogs or bitches allowed.’"

Benedict and Yancy were practically dragged out by security, both looking more humiliated than ever. Benedict had never been so thoroughly disgraced in his life.

It seemed that after getting humiliated, Benedict hadn’t shown up again.

Still, high society was a small world, and whispers of Benedict and Yancy kept reaching my ears.

After Benedict fled the engagement, Benjamin initially wanted to give up on him. But Benedict seized the opportunities from his previous life, developing several new tech products that sparked a trend in the business world.

Many companies scrambled to invest.

He thrived in the corporate world, and with the production of these new products, Page Corporation's stocks skyrocketed.

Benjamin reinstated him in the company.

Benedict even spent millions to push Yancy into the entertainment industry. The two were frequently trending on social media.

For example:

"The CEO of Page Corporation splurges on a luxury yacht for rising star Yancy Shepherd."

"CEO treats the entire film crew to dinner at Blue Sky Hotel for Yancy."

"Yancy receives a limited-edition sports car for her birthday."

The two were the talk of the town for a while.

I sat comfortably under the sun, squinting my eyes, calculating how much money he still had left.

Benedict seemed to have forgotten that, in our previous life, I was the one who controlled all the production steps and details of those products. All he did was make decisions. He was merely imitating what I had done.

A dream too long must eventually end.

But what I hadn’t expected was that before Benedict’s downfall, I would encounter an unexpected visitor—Miles.

I had always kept my distance from him because, in my last life, I knew he was a complete madman.

If Benedict was a madman who played by society's rules, Miles was the type who followed only the laws of the underworld.

"Ms. Howard, let’s work together. I want Benedict. What do you want?"

On the outside, I appeared calm, but inside, I couldn’t help but sigh—what a lunatic.

I leaned back in my chair, glancing casually at Miles, who remained as composed as ever.

I smiled and asked, "And what makes you think I'd want to work with you, Mr. Page?"

"Because you want Benedict dead."

My hands, resting on my lap, tightened involuntarily.

I met Miles' gaze and smiled slowly. "Alright, my new partner."

It wasn't until Miles left the room that I exhaled a long breath, my forehead breaking out in a thin layer of cold sweat.

A memory from childhood resurfaced.

Back then, under my protection, Benedict, despite his awkward position, never faced any real hardship. Except for one time—when I searched for him all morning and couldn't find a trace of him.

A servant from the Page family eventually whispered to me, "I saw Mr. Miles take Mr. Benedict away.”

When I asked the servant to take me to find Miles, she reacted as if she'd seen a ghost and ran off in a panic.

The scene I walked into when I reached Miles' room was something I’d never forget for the rest of my life.

The walls were covered with eerie, grotesque paintings. The room was dimly lit by a few flickering lamps, and the floor was littered with the bodies of dead animals. Even the carpet was stained with blood.

Benedict was tied to a cross in the center of the room, his body covered by nothing but a few scraps of cloth to hide his modesty.

The overwhelming stench of blood made me nauseous.

That was the first time I felt true, deep fear.

But my concern for Benedict outweighed my terror.

As I approached, I noticed the whip marks covering his body. His face was deathly pale, his hair a mess, and his lips cracked as if he were clinging to life by a thread.

It took him more than three months to recover enough to even stand.

After much pressure and coercion, the Page family finally forced Miles to apologize to Benedict.

That day was also the first time I saw the all-consuming hatred and terror in Benedict's eyes.

After that day, I never mentioned the name “Miles” in front of him again. But it didn’t change the fact that Miles remained a demon haunting Benedict’s mind.

Before long, the first batch of Page Corporation's products hit the market, and it was a disaster. Over half the buyers demanded refunds. Some even sent the products to quality control agencies, where tests proved they didn’t meet Benedict's claims.

Investors began pressing the Page family for an explanation of where their money had gone. Facing public outrage and media scrutiny, the family wasted no time in pushing Benedict into the spotlight to take the blame.

Benedict had no defense.

He hadn’t managed the product budget properly, but he couldn’t very well admit that he had spent the investors' money trying to fulfill the romantic regrets of his previous life.

When I arrived at the Page family estate, I witnessed the scene firsthand.

Benedict stood outside, watching as the servants tossed his belongings onto the ground with disdain.

"Get lost! Mr. Page said you’re no longer part of this family."

With that, the servant slammed the door shut with force.

Benedict stood there, fists clenched tightly, his face dark and brooding.

He heard footsteps behind him and turned around. When he saw me, a flash of resentment and embarrassment crossed his eyes, his gaze icy.

"Lucia, are you satisfied with what I’ve become?"

I smiled casually.

"How is your stupidity any of my concern? Besides, this is the life of a bastard. What makes you think you’re above it?"

I watched as his face darkened further, and I couldn’t help but laugh, covering my mouth.

"I just wonder, now that you’ve fallen so low, will Yancy still want to stay with you?"

Benedict immediately snapped back, "Yancy isn’t like you, a woman who approaches others with ulterior motives! You’re not even worthy to say her name."

I scoffed, rolling my eyes, and nodded mockingly.

"Ah, yes, of course. Only you’re worthy. Sure."

Seeing me arrive, the servant who had thrown out Benedict’s things quickly ushered me inside and, with a disgusted look, kicked Benedict’s luggage.

"Why are you still here? Get lost already!"

Benedict’s expression was frighteningly dark.

I smiled as I brushed past him, whispering softly, "How does it feel to fall from heaven to hell?"

Without another glance at Benedict’s shocked eyes, I strode into the Page family estate.

In his last life, this was the life he should’ve had.

---

With Benedict out of the picture, I agreed to resume the collaboration with the Page family.

I heard that Benedict had used what little money he had left to start a small company, promising both his customers and investors that he’d pay them back within two months.

The moment I heard that, I knew he was betting everything on the upcoming land auction in North Suburb, scheduled for two weeks from now.

In our previous life, it was this very auction that catapulted Benedict into the top three of the billionaire rankings.

Now, with his back against the wall, I was certain he wouldn’t let this opportunity slip away.

That weekend, I had my usual appointment with the doctor for insomnia. As I approached the office, I heard the sound of a fight coming from the emergency stairwell nearby.

I hesitated for a moment, but eventually opened the door and shouted, "The police are here!"

At the sound of my voice, the group scattered like startled animals, leaving behind a single man lying on the ground, his back turned to me.

Out of courtesy, I asked, "Are you alright?"

The man’s body stiffened, and he staggered to his feet. When he turned around, his eyes were filled with mockery as he looked at me.

"Lucia. I knew it. Just like in our past life, you’re here, pretending to save me with that fake kindness of yours."