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."

The moment I saw him, I regretted meddling in this mess.

It didn’t surprise me that he guessed I had been reborn—after all, I never intended to hide it. Only by confronting him head-on could I constantly remind myself of how foolish I had been in my previous life.

But even so, I tightened my grip on my bag, my knuckles turning white, yet I said nothing to interrupt him.

Benedict wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his face twisted in disgust.

"Lucia, I really hate you. You think you're so noble, pitying me. I don’t need your pity! How are you any different from the rest of the Page family scum? Hiding behind a mask of compassion, looking down on me from your high horse."

His words cut deep.

I pressed my lips together, my gaze hardening as it fixed on him.

Even though I had prepared myself, the ache in my chest was unavoidable.

I had stood by his side for over thirty years, giving him everything I had. When he had stomach problems, I learned how to cook for him. When he complained about not having time for lunch, I delivered meals to his office for over a decade, rain or shine.

He found it troublesome to match his clothes, so I arranged his outfits the night before. He hated socializing, so I swallowed my pride and befriended all the wives and elites, securing the information he needed.

And yet, in his eyes, I was nothing more than a hypocrite.

Swallowing the bitterness in my heart, I let out a cold laugh, anger boiling over.

"Benedict, you truly deserve to die."

He sneered. "You’re the one who—"

Before he could finish, I slapped him hard across the face.

Then, in a rage, I swung my bag wildly at him.

Already bruised and beaten, with barely any strength left, he tried to dodge while shouting curses.

"Lucia, you’ve lost your mind! Stop!"

Seizing an opening, I kicked him square in the chest, and Benedict, unable to control his body, tumbled down the stairs, rolling helplessly.

His face twisted in pain, and despite several attempts, he couldn’t manage to stand up.

I looked down at him, my voice cold and steady. "Benedict, saving you depends solely on whether I feel like it. But you— you should have died a long time ago."

Without sparing another glance at his shocked expression, I turned and walked away.

I threw myself into negotiations, securing one partnership after another.

In our circles, people were now mocking Benedict, wondering how much chaos an abandoned illegitimate child of the Page family could really cause.

I even heard from a friend that one night, he ran into Benedict and Yancy having dinner at a restaurant.

Apparently, Benedict was short on cash, and Yancy furiously berated him before storming off. My friend had to pay their bill, and Benedict’s face was livid with humiliation.

I merely treated it as a joke and moved on, focused on my work.

After all, the North Suburb land auction was fast approaching.

...

Everyone was preparing for the auction, set to take place in just two weeks.

Coincidentally, after I’d just treated the auction organizers to dinner one evening, I walked out of the restaurant and ran straight into Benedict.

I cursed inwardly at the bad luck.

I was about to brush past him when he blocked my path.

Benedict glanced at the organizers getting into their car, a hint of disdain flickering in his eyes.

"Lucia, don’t waste your time. Last life, this piece of land was mine, and it’ll be mine again this time. You spent your whole life as a housewife—don’t embarrass yourself. The only reason you were ever respected was because you carried the title of Mrs. Page."

I folded my arms and smiled, the warmth never reaching my eyes. "Go brush your teeth. Your breath stinks."

His expression darkened, teeth clenched as he glared at me with hatred before turning and storming off.

I narrowed my eyes, watching his retreating figure.

Benedict certainly had some tricks up his sleeve. I couldn’t imagine what method he had used to get some kind of guarantee from the Page family.