The night air clung to my skin as I stepped into the mansion, my heels echoing softly against the marble floor. The clock on the wall blinked 11:04 p.m.

Late. But for the first time since my rebirth, I didn’t feel guilty.

The parlor lights were off, yet I sensed him before I saw him. That heavy, suffocating presence cold, dominant, and familiar. My steps slowed.

Then his voice cut through the darkness.

“Where are you coming from?”

William sat on the single couch, his long legs stretched forward, elbows resting on his knees. His face was shadowed, but his silver eyes glinted sharply in the dim light, locked onto me like a predator who had been waiting patiently for its prey.

I stopped walking.

In my past life, my heart would have raced. I would have lowered my head, apologized, explained myself endlessly only to be ignored or misunderstood.

But this was my second life. I met his gaze calmly.

“I went out.”

Silence fell between us, thick and uncomfortable.

“With who?” he asked, his tone deceptively mild.

I almost laughed.

In my previous life, he never cared where I went. Never asked. Never waited up for me. He only noticed me when Selena cried or pointed an accusing finger.

I took off my coat slowly and placed it on the chair. “That’s not your concern,” I replied evenly.

William straightened slightly. “You’re my wife.”

I turned fully to face him now, my eyes cold and unwavering.

“And you are my husband only by name,” I said. “We agreed on boundaries.”

His brows furrowed, clearly not expecting resistance. I walked past him, heading toward the staircase, but his voice stopped me again.

“You come home smelling like alcohol, in the middle of the night, and you think I won’t ask questions?”

I paused, one hand resting on the banister.

“I met my childhood friend, Damian” I said without turning back. “Someone who knew me before I became a pawn in this family’s games.”

That caught his attention.

“You drank with a man?” His voice sharpened.

I finally looked at him then, truly looked at him, and smiled a calm, fearless smile.

“William Miller,” I said slowly, “you don’t interfere in my business, and I don’t interfere in yours.”

The words stunned him. In the dim light, I saw his jaw tighten.

“I don’t recall giving you permission—”

“I don’t need your permission,” I interrupted.

The parlor went dead silent.

I could feel it the shift in power, subtle but undeniable. In my past life, I had been obedient, quiet, desperate for his affection. Now, I stood tall, unafraid of his authority or his coldness.

“You sit here questioning me,” I continued, “yet you leave the house every night without explanation. You believe lies without proof. You choose my stepsister over me at every turn.”

His eyes darkened.

“So don’t start acting like a concerned husband now.”

For a moment, I thought he would lash out. His aura flared, the Alpha in him pressing forward instinctively. But I didn’t flinch.

Instead, something else flickered across his face.

Confusion. “You’ve changed,” he said quietly. “Yes,” I replied. “I have.”

I climbed the stairs, each step steady, my back straight. I didn’t rush. I didn’t look back.

Behind me, William remained seated in the darkness, his eyes following me until I disappeared down the hallway.

Inside my room, I closed the door and leaned against it, finally allowing myself to breathe.

My heart pounded not from fear, but from exhilaration.

This time, I would not beg for love.

This time, I would not die at the bottom of the stairs, abandoned and forgotten.

I walked to the mirror and stared at my reflection the same face, the same body, but a different soul.

“Not this time,” I whispered.

From now on, they would play by my rules.

And William Miller?

The morning air at William Group was crisp, sharp, and unforgiving just like the people inside.

I arrived early, dressed in calm confidence, my steps steady as I entered the towering building. Working here was no longer just about duty. It was about survival. About reclaiming what had once been taken from me my voice, my dignity, my truth.

I had barely settled at my desk when whispers began.

Soft at first. Then louder.

“She’s bold for someone who just married into power.” “I heard she left work early yesterday… with another man.” “Isn’t Selena the one William trusts?”

I ignored them.

I should have known better.

By mid-morning, my assistant approached me nervously. “Luna… Mr. Miller wants to see you. Now.”

The way she avoided my eyes told me everything.

I walked toward William’s office, my heart steady but alert. My wolf stirred uneasily.

The door was already open.

Selena was there.

She stood beside William’s desk, her eyes red, tears clinging delicately to her lashes. She looked fragile. Innocent. Broken.

A masterpiece of deception.

William stood behind his desk, arms crossed, his expression unreadable.

“Sit,” he said.

I didn’t.

“I’d rather stand,” I replied calmly.

Selena flinched, as if my voice alone wounded her.

“William,” she whispered shakily, “I didn’t want to say anything. Truly. But I can’t keep quiet anymore.”

I finally turned to her. “About what?”

She gasped, placing a hand over her chest. “You altered the project files. The financial proposal for the Northern Pack merger—you changed the numbers.”

That got my attention.

William’s gaze snapped to me.

“That’s a lie,” I said immediately. “I haven’t even been granted clearance to finalize that file.”

Selena shook her head slowly, tears spilling. “I saw you. You stayed late yesterday. You accessed the system. I didn’t understand why at first… but then the auditors flagged inconsistencies.”

My fingers curled.

Clever.

Too clever.

William pressed a button on his desk. “Pull up the access logs.”

The screen lit up.

And there it was.

My name.

My ID.

My access code.

Time stamped: 9:47 p.m.

The room went silent.

Even I froze.

“That’s impossible,” I said, my voice firm despite the shock coursing through me. “I wasn’t even in the building.”

Selena sobbed softly. “Why would you do this? Are you trying to ruin the company? Or… are you angry at William because he takes care of me?”

Her words were gentle.

Her intent was lethal.

William’s jaw tightened. His Alpha aura leaked into the room, heavy and suffocating. The bond between us trembled, confused, strained.

“Explain,” he said quietly.

Not accusing.

But not defending either.

That hurt more than anger.

“I left early yesterday,” I said evenly. “You know that. I met a childhood friend. I came home late. I never returned here.”

His eyes flickered.

He remembered.

But doubt crept in anyway.

Selena wiped her tears. “She has motive, William. She’s unhappy. She barely tolerates you. She said herself this marriage is nothing but a contract.”

I know you hate me Annie, but you can't keep taking it out on Williams.

I laughed once—short, bitter.

“So now honesty is a crime?”

“Enough,” William snapped.

The room fell silent again.

He looked at Selena.

Then at me.

For the first time, he looked unsure.

“Until this is resolved,” he said slowly, “you’re suspended from active projects.”

My chest tightened, but I kept my chin high.

“And Selena?” I asked.

“She stays,” he replied.

That was the moment something cracked inside me.

Not because I was suspended.

But because, once again, he chose her first.

I turned to leave.

At the door, I paused. “William, I was betrayed by the people I trusted once. It cost me my life.”

His eyes widened slightly.

“I won’t let it happen again,” I finished quietly. “Believe whoever you want and I don't want Selena coming to the mansion again. The truth doesn’t disappear just because it’s inconvenient.”

I walked out.

Behind me, Selena’s tears vanished the second the door closed, Annie you don't get to decide.

Her lips curved into a victorious smile.

But she didn’t see William’s hands shaking.

She didn’t hear his wolf growl in confusion.

And she didn’t know that somewhere deep within the system, a hidden log one she forgot to erase—was waiting to be found.