Serena's POV

I woke up gasping for air.

My chest heaved violently as if I had just been dragged out of deep water. For a few seconds I couldn't move. My heart pounded so hard it felt like it might burst out of my ribs.

I was alive.

But that didn't make sense.

The last thing I remembered was collapsing on the balcony floor, poison burning through my body while Lily smiled down at me. I remembered the cold marble under my hands, the sound of footsteps rushing toward us, and the darkness swallowing my vision.

I had died.

I was certain of it.

So why was I breathing?

Slowly, I forced my eyes open.

The first thing I noticed was the ceiling.

It wasn't the elegant white ceiling of my penthouse bedroom in the city. This one was painted pale blue, with a faint crack running along one corner that I remembered far too well.

My breath caught.

No... that couldn't be right.

I pushed myself upright, my hands gripping the bedsheets tightly.

The room around me looked painfully familiar.

The wooden study desk beside the window.

The small bookshelf filled with old textbooks.

The faded floral curtains I had always hated but never bothered to replace.

My heart began beating faster.

I knew this room.

Not from recently.

From ten years ago.

"This... isn't possible," I whispered.

My voice sounded younger.

Softer.

My stomach twisted.

I quickly threw the blankets aside and stumbled out of bed, nearly tripping over my own feet as I rushed toward the mirror across the room.

For a moment, I was afraid to look.

But I forced myself to raise my head.

The girl staring back at me wasn't the twenty-eight-year-old woman who had died on that balcony.

She looked eighteen.

My hair was longer, my face softer, untouched by the stress and exhaustion that had marked my later years. My skin was smooth, my eyes clear.

I lifted a trembling hand and touched my face.

The reflection copied the movement perfectly.

My fingers felt warm skin.

Real skin.

Not a dream.

Not a hallucination.

My legs weakened and I grabbed the edge of the dresser for support.

"I... went back?" I whispered.

Memories flooded my mind all at once.

Lily's smile.

The poisoned champagne.

Her voice whispering that everything would become hers.

A sharp wave of anger surged through my chest.

I had trusted her.

Protected her.

Given up so much for her.

And she had killed me without hesitation.

My nails dug into my palms.

"If this is a dream..." I murmured.

Then I noticed something on the desk beside the bed.

A white envelope.

My heart skipped.

I walked toward it slowly, my stomach tightening with every step.

I already knew what it was.

I didn't even need to open it.

But I did anyway.

Inside was a letter with the official seal of Westbridge University.

My acceptance letter.

The same letter I had received ten years ago.

The same letter I had given away.

My hands began to shake.

"This is the day..."

I remembered it perfectly now.

The day I gave up my university admission so Lily could attend instead.

She had cried and begged, saying she didn't get accepted anywhere else. My father had asked me to sacrifice just this once for the family.

And I had agreed.

Because I believed being a good sister meant putting her first.

That single decision had changed everything.

Without that education, I had spent years depending on my family.

Years being manipulated.

Years becoming the perfect, obedient daughter they expected.

Until Lily decided she didn't need me anymore.

A sharp knock on the door suddenly broke the silence.

"Serena."

My father's voice came from the hallway.

My entire body stiffened.

Even after dying once, hearing that voice still made me tense.

"Are you awake?" he asked impatiently.

I swallowed.

"Yes."

"Good," he said. "Come downstairs. We need to discuss the transfer papers."

My heart dropped.

Transfer papers.

The document that would give my university admission to Lily.

The exact moment my future was stolen.

I stared at the acceptance letter in my hand.

In my previous life, I had happily signed those papers.

I thought I was doing the right thing.

But this time...

A slow, cold anger spread through my chest.

I folded the letter carefully and placed it back inside the envelope.

"Serena?" my father called again.

"I'm coming," I replied.

My voice sounded calm.

But inside, something had changed.

I opened the door and stepped into the hallway.

The house looked exactly the same as it had ten years ago.

Bright.

Elegant.

And completely suffocating.

I walked down the stairs slowly, memories flashing through my mind with every step.

When I reached the dining room, everyone was already there.

My father sat at the head of the table, his usual stern expression fixed in place.

Beside him was my stepmother, Margaret, dressed elegantly as always.

And sitting across from them...

Was Lily.

My chest tightened the moment I saw her.

She looked exactly the way I remembered.

Soft blonde hair.

Delicate features.

Wide blue eyes that made her look innocent and fragile.

The same girl who had knelt beside my dying body and smiled.

When Lily saw me enter, her face brightened.

"Sister!" she said softly.

The sound of her voice made my stomach churn.

In my past life, hearing her call me that had always made me happy.

Now it just made my skin crawl.

"Good," my father said when I sat down. "You're finally here."

He slid a folder across the table toward me.

Inside were the transfer papers.

"This will allow Lily to take your place at Westbridge University," he said matter-of-factly.

My stepmother nodded approvingly.

"Your sister needs this opportunity more than you do."

Lily lowered her head slightly, pretending to look guilty.

"Sister... are you sure you're okay with this?" she asked softly.

Her acting was flawless.

Anyone watching would think she truly felt bad about taking my place.

But I knew better now.

I opened the folder slowly.

The contract was exactly the same as I remembered.

All it needed was my signature.

Just one signature...

And my future would disappear again.

The room waited silently.

My father looked impatient.

My stepmother looked confident.

And Lily looked hopeful.

I closed the folder.

"I'm not signing it."

The words came out calmly.

But they hit the room like a thunderclap.

"What?" my father snapped.

I met his gaze without hesitation.

"I said I won't sign it."

The silence that followed was suffocating.

Lily's face turned pale.

"Sister...?" she whispered.

I looked directly at her.

And for the first time in my life, I allowed myself to feel the anger I had buried for years.

"You should earn your own future," I said quietly.

My father slammed his hand on the table.

"Serena! What nonsense are you talking about?!"

But I stood up.

My voice remained steady.

"I'm going to university."

My stepmother's expression twisted with anger.

"After everything this family has done for you?!"

I looked at all three of them.

And for the first time, I truly saw them clearly.

The people I had sacrificed everything for.

The people who had never once protected me.

"I'm done sacrificing," I said.

Then I turned and walked out of the dining room.

Behind me, chaos exploded.

But I didn't stop walking.

Because this time...

I wasn't going to give my life away again.

Serena's POV

The moment I closed my bedroom door behind me, the shouting from downstairs began.

My father's angry voice echoed through the house, followed by my stepmother's sharp, disapproving tone. Lily's soft crying soon joined them, perfectly timed and carefully dramatic.

I leaned against the door and closed my eyes.

Some things never changed.

Even ten years earlier, the pattern was exactly the same.

Lily cried.

My stepmother defended her.

My father demanded obedience.

And I was expected to surrender.

In my past life, I had always done exactly that.

But not anymore.

I walked toward the window and pulled the curtains open. Morning sunlight poured into the room, bright and warm, illuminating everything.

Everything looked the same.

But I wasn't the same person anymore.

My gaze drifted to the acceptance letter on my desk.

Westbridge University.

One of the best business schools in the country.

The same opportunity I had thrown away ten years ago without hesitation.

I picked up the letter again, running my fingers over the printed words.

"Congratulations, Serena Vale..."

In my previous life, this letter had meant nothing to me compared to Lily's happiness.

But now I knew better.

Education wasn't just about studying.

It was about independence.

Power.

The ability to stand on my own feet instead of depending on people who would betray me.

A slow determination settled inside my chest.

This time, I would go to Westbridge.

This time, I would build my own future.

Not the future my family wanted for me.

My future.

I sat down at my desk and opened my laptop.

If I had truly returned ten years into the past, then I possessed something incredibly valuable.

Knowledge.

Knowledge of everything that would happen over the next decade.

Stock market crashes.

Tech companies rising from nothing to billion-dollar empires.

Real estate booms.

Business mergers that would reshape entire industries.

And one name stood at the center of it all.

Adrian Kingsley.

I stared at the screen as his name appeared in a search result.

Even now, the sight of it made my heart beat faster.

In the present timeline, Adrian was only twenty-six.

He was already known as a brilliant businessman, but his company was still relatively young. Most people saw him as a rising star-someone with potential but not yet a legend.

But I knew the truth.

In ten years, Adrian Kingsley would become one of the most powerful billionaires in the world.

His tech empire would dominate global markets.

His net worth would exceed fifty billion dollars.

And I had once been engaged to him.

My fingers hovered above the keyboard.

Back then, our engagement had been arranged through family connections.

I never truly understood why Adrian agreed to it.

He had always been distant.

Polite, but cold.

I assumed he didn't particularly care about me.

After all, Lily had always been more charming, more likable, more... desirable.

Sometimes I even wondered if he would have preferred her instead.

A bitter smile touched my lips.

What a fool I had been.

I had spent years believing Lily deserved everything more than I did.

But Lily had never believed that.

She believed she deserved everything I had.

Including Adrian.

I leaned back in my chair, staring at the ceiling thoughtfully.

If I wanted to survive this life...

If I wanted revenge...

Then I needed power.

And Adrian Kingsley would eventually become one of the most powerful men in the world.

The thought made my pulse quicken.

Not because of romance.

But because of strategy.

In the future, Adrian would control an empire.

If I aligned myself with him early...

The possibilities were endless.

A knock suddenly interrupted my thoughts.

"Sister?"

My entire body stiffened.

Lily.

Of course.

I slowly closed the laptop.

"Come in."

The door opened cautiously.

Lily stepped inside, her eyes slightly red as if she had been crying.

Anyone who didn't know her well would immediately feel sorry for her.

But I had seen the truth behind that innocent face.

She walked closer to me hesitantly.

"Sister... can we talk?"

I nodded calmly.

"Sure."

She sat on the edge of my bed, clasping her hands together nervously.

"I don't understand," she said softly.

Her voice trembled slightly.

"Why did you change your mind?"

I tilted my head.

"About what?"

"The university," she said quickly. "You promised it was mine."

Promised?

I almost laughed.

In my past life, maybe.

But not in this one.

"Did I?" I asked casually.

Lily blinked.

Her expression flickered with confusion.

"You always said you didn't care about school," she insisted. "You said you wanted to support the family instead."

That had been true.

Once.

Before I learned how little my sacrifice meant to them.

I stood up slowly and walked toward the window.

"You should study harder," I said calmly.

Lily stared at me.

"What?"

"If you want to attend Westbridge," I continued, "you should try getting accepted yourself."

Her face flushed.

"But I didn't get in!"

I turned back to look at her.

"Then apply somewhere else."

The shock on her face was almost amusing.

"Sister... you're being unfair," she whispered.

Unfair.

The word echoed in my mind.

Unfair was dying at twenty-eight because the person you trusted most poisoned you.

Unfair was sacrificing everything for people who never once protected you.

Unfair was living your entire life for someone else's happiness.

I walked closer to her.

Lily looked up at me nervously.

Our eyes met.

For a brief moment, I allowed the cold anger inside me to surface.

"Life isn't fair," I said quietly.

Her eyes widened slightly.

She had never seen me like this before.

In the past, I had always been gentle with her.

Always patient.

Always willing to give in.

But the girl she knew had died on that balcony.

"You'll have to get used to disappointment," I added.

Lily stood up abruptly.

"Sister, I don't know what's wrong with you today, but-"

"I'm going to Westbridge," I interrupted calmly.

Her mouth fell open.

"You're serious?"

"Yes."

"But Father will never allow it!"

I shrugged slightly.

"That's his problem."

The words seemed to hit her harder than anything else.

For the first time, Lily looked uncertain.

She stared at me for a long moment as if trying to figure out who I had become overnight.

Finally, she turned and walked toward the door.

But just before leaving, she stopped.

When she looked back at me, the sweetness had disappeared from her eyes.

Only for a second.

But I noticed.

Then she smiled again.

The innocent Lily everyone loved.

"I hope you don't regret this," she said softly.

The door closed behind her.

Silence filled the room.

I walked back to my desk and opened my laptop again.

On the screen, Adrian Kingsley's name stared back at me.

A slow smile spread across my face.

"No," I murmured.

"I definitely won't."

Because this time...

I knew exactly how the future would unfold.

And I intended to take full advantage of it.

Serena's POV

Two weeks passed quickly.

The argument about the university never truly stopped in my house. My father tried everything-anger, threats, guilt-but I refused to change my decision. My stepmother called me selfish more times than I could count, and Lily cried whenever my father was around.

But none of it worked.

For the first time in my life, I didn't bend.

And eventually, they realized they couldn't force me to sign the transfer papers.

So the matter was left unresolved, hanging in the air like a storm waiting to break.

But I had other things to focus on.

Because tonight was important.

Very important.

I stood in front of the mirror in my room, adjusting the simple black dress I had chosen for the evening. It wasn't as extravagant as the gowns my stepmother preferred, but it suited me perfectly.

Elegant.

Confident.

Different from the timid girl everyone expected me to be.

Tonight was the Kingsley Charity Gala.

A high-profile event hosted by Adrian Kingsley's company every year. In my past life, I had attended it several times with my family.

But the first time I attended...

I met him.

My fingers paused on the zipper of my dress.

Adrian Kingsley.

Even now, remembering his name made something tighten in my chest.

Not because of romance.

But because of the strange connection between us in my previous life.

We had been engaged for years.

Yet we had never truly been close.

At least... that's what I used to believe.

I picked up a pair of earrings from the dresser and fastened them carefully.

In my past life, I had always kept my distance from Adrian emotionally.

Part of it was shyness.

But another part was guilt.

Because Lily had liked him first.

Or at least, that's what she told me.

So I convinced myself that Adrian deserved someone better than me.

Someone more lively.

More charming.

Someone like Lily.

A bitter smile crossed my lips.

How foolish I had been.

If Lily truly loved him, she wouldn't have poisoned me to steal him.

A knock came from downstairs.

"Serena!" my father called.

"We're leaving!"

"I'm coming," I replied.

I grabbed my small evening bag and headed out of my room.

The car ride to the gala was quiet.

My father sat stiffly beside my stepmother in the front seats, while Lily sat beside me in the back. She kept glancing at me occasionally, as if trying to figure out what had changed about me.

I ignored her.

The city lights blurred past the car windows as we drove toward the Kingsley Grand Hotel.

When we finally arrived, the building looked just as impressive as I remembered.

Bright lights illuminated the entrance, and expensive cars lined the street. Photographers stood behind velvet ropes, snapping pictures of every influential guest who stepped out.

The moment our car stopped, Lily's posture changed instantly.

Her shoulders straightened.

Her smile became sweeter.

The perfect social mask.

We stepped out of the car one by one.

Flash.

Flash.

Flash.

Cameras exploded with light.

My father greeted several familiar businessmen while my stepmother waved politely at a group of socialites.

I barely paid attention.

Because my eyes were already searching the ballroom.

Looking for him.

Inside, the gala was even more dazzling than outside.

Crystal chandeliers hung from the high ceiling, casting golden light across the room. Waiters moved gracefully through the crowd carrying trays of champagne, and elegant music drifted softly through the air.

Powerful people filled every corner of the ballroom.

Politicians.

CEOs.

Investors.

But there was only one person everyone truly wanted to see.

I spotted him almost immediately.

Standing near the center of the room, surrounded by several businessmen, was Adrian Kingsley.

My breath caught for a moment.

He looked exactly the same as I remembered.

Tall.

Broad-shouldered.

Dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit that made him stand out even in a room full of wealthy elites.

His black hair was slightly messy in a way that somehow made him look even more attractive. His sharp jawline and calm expression gave him an almost intimidating presence.

But it was his eyes that always drew attention.

Cold grey eyes.

Eyes that revealed almost nothing.

In my past life, I had never been able to understand what he was thinking.

Tonight didn't seem any different.

As if sensing my gaze, Adrian suddenly turned his head.

Our eyes met across the crowded ballroom.

And the moment stretched strangely long.

For a second, everything around us seemed to fade away.

The music.

The conversations.

Even the flashing lights from the photographers.

All I could see was him.

And the strange expression that appeared on his face.

Recognition.

My heart skipped.

No...

That wasn't possible.

We hadn't met yet in this timeline.

Yet Adrian's eyes remained fixed on me.

Sharp.

Focused.

As if he were studying something extremely important.

I forced myself to remain calm.

Maybe I was imagining things.

But then something happened that made my pulse quicken.

Adrian excused himself from the businessmen he had been talking to.

And began walking directly toward me.

Each step was slow and deliberate.

The crowd parted almost automatically to let him pass.

People whispered as he moved through the ballroom.

Because Adrian Kingsley rarely approached anyone first.

Especially not someone insignificant like me.

Lily noticed it too.

Her hand suddenly gripped my arm.

"Sister... why is he coming here?" she whispered.

Her voice held a mixture of excitement and confusion.

I didn't answer.

Because I didn't know either.

Adrian stopped in front of us.

Up close, his presence felt even more overwhelming.

His gaze moved slowly over my face, as if confirming something.

Then he spoke.

"Miss Vale."

His deep voice sent a strange chill through me.

I blinked in surprise.

"You know me?"

A faint smile appeared on his lips.

But it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"How could I forget you?" he said calmly.

My heart skipped a beat.

Because something about the way he said it sounded... familiar.

Too familiar.

And suddenly a terrifying thought crossed my mind.

What if...

No.

That couldn't be possible.

Could it?

But Adrian continued looking at me as if he knew something I didn't.

And for the first time since waking up in the past...

I wondered if I wasn't the only person who remembered the future.