My father was the don of the Moretti family and the godfather ruling the entire mafia empire. My mother was the head of the Carter family and the chairwoman of Carter Multinational Corporation.

They selected two fiances for me.

One was Damian, the globally renowned CEO of Aegis Corporation.

The other was Caesar, a formidable figure who controlled the entire underground arms trade.

On the day of my twentieth birthday banquet, the one I chose to marry would become the godfather ruling the entire mafia empire.

Everyone was shocked when I chose Caesar without hesitation.

I had loved Damian deeply since childhood and once swore to only marry him.

But little did they know I had regressed from the future. In the past, I married Damian as I wished. However, on our wedding night, he had an affair with my maid.

Later, my family found out and dismissed the maid. They chased her out of the house.

Damian resented me for it. After I became pregnant, he brought different women home every night and slept with them right in front of me.

Even on the day I struggled through a difficult labor, he diverted all medical resources away. Ignoring my pleas, he caused me and my unborn child to suffer and die in agony.

Having returned to the past, I decided to grant him his freedom. Without thinking twice, I chose my other fiance, Caesar.

But I never expected that Damian was also reborn...

“Your twentieth birthday banquet is tomorrow. Have you decided on who to marry?

“Whoever you pick, we’ll make sure he inherits both families and becomes the godfather of the entire mafia empire.”

When I opened my eyes again, two photographs lay before me.

They were the two fiances my parents had groomed for me since childhood.

One was Damian. The other was Caesar.

In the past, I loved Damian deeply and chose to marry him without hesitation, only to be tortured to death by him.

After returning to the past, without missing a beat, I pointed to the other photograph, which was Caesar.

Since Damian did not wish to marry me, I would grant him his desire.

...

I went to a bar under the family’s name to celebrate the new chapter of my life.

Unexpectedly, I ran into Damian and his men there.

Seeing me there, Damian’s men started hollering, “Damian, look! It’s your little shadow. What’s she doing here?

“She couldn’t stay away from you for a second, could she? She just had to show up the moment she found out you were throwing a party.”

Damian immediately frowned when he saw me.

“This party’s for Alice. You’re not wanted here. Did you come to cause trouble for Alice? Get lost!”

That was exactly how he treated me in the past. He was very impatient with me, as if I were some lowlife.

It was laughable that I only saw his true colors when I died.

I ignored him and said coldly, “This bar belongs to my family. What makes you think I need permission to be here?”

Everyone was shocked.

After all, everyone knew I had loved Damian deeply since childhood and would obey every word he said.

It was the first time I dared to defy him publicly.

Damian was also stunned. He could not believe I had just disobeyed him.

At that moment, Alice appeared.

She wore a faded, washed-out shirt and looked unassuming.

When she saw me, a wave of panic and fear washed over her.

“Oh, Ms. Moretti, I wasn’t expecting you. It’s my birthday, and Damian was just trying to be nice by throwing me a little party. If it bothers you, I’ll go. I don’t want to cause any trouble between you two.”

She then turned to leave, but accidentally twisted her ankle and cried out.

Damian immediately caught Alice in his arms. He asked her worriedly, “You were just a maid in her household, not her slave. There’s no need to be afraid of her!”

He glared at me fiercely and said with disdain, “See what you did? Because you showed your face here, she was too scared to even enjoy her own birthday party! She even almost sprained her ankle! Do you expect me to believe you’re not here to cause trouble?”

When I saw how close they were, I felt nothing.

“Starting something is the last thing on my mind. I’m here for a personal celebration. It’s my last night as a single woman.”

“Your last night as a single woman?” He sounded skeptical.

I explained calmly, “Tomorrow is my twentieth birthday banquet. My parents will announce the man I’m going to marry.”

The atmosphere went silent as everyone gasped. They remembered exactly who I was.

My father was the Don of the Moretti family. My mother was the head of the Carter family.

From childhood, they had selected two fiances for me. They declared that on my twentieth birthday banquet, whoever I chose to marry would inherit the properties of both families and become the ruling godfather of the entire mafia empire.

Without missing a beat, they all began congratulating Damian.

“Looks like you’ll be taking over the Moretti and Carter families soon, Damian. Congratulations.”

“Don’t forget about us once you’re running the entire mafia empire.”

Damian instantly perked up. But when he saw how pitiful Alice looked in his arms, he shot me a glare and warned me, “Listen, even if you do end up marrying me, don’t get any ideas about bullying Alice. Try it, and I’ll make sure history repeats itself.”

History? Repeating itself?

My heart clenched. I had not expected Damian to say such a thing.

Had he returned from the future as well?

After speaking, Damian ignored me. He left while carrying Alice in his arms.

I watched him leave and smiled coldly.

Rest assured, Damian.

I would absolutely not let history repeat itself.

I would not be marrying you.

My twentieth birthday banquet proceeded as planned.

However, even after the banquet began, not many people came over to congratulate me.

Instead, a considerable number of social elites sidled up to Damian to win his favor.

“After tonight, you’ll be taking over the Moretti and Carter empires. Should I start calling you godfather now?”

“When you’re in charge, we hope you’ll keep our partnership in mind.”

“I’ve heard that you have a soft spot for Miss Alice. I specially prepared a gift for her. I hope she likes it.”

These people were not only currying favor with Damian. They were also flattering Alice as an indirect measure.

Alice opened the gift from the guest and covered her mouth in apparent surprise.

Inside the gift box lay an exceptionally dazzling pink diamond ring.

She promptly said, “My goodness, this is such an expensive ring! I cannot accept this. Besides, it’s Ms. Moretti’s birthday banquet. I’m just her maid. This should be for her, not me. She wouldn’t allow it.”

Damian just said matter-of-factly, “Her approval won’t matter. Once I marry her, the Moretti and Carter families are mine. I’ll be the one making the rules. Here, let me put it on you.”

Damian placed the ring on Alice’s finger. She bashfully accepted it.

From a distance, I watched with amusement.

In the past, I was truly blind not to have seen their illicit affair.

Fortunately, heaven had granted me a second chance.

I was not going to repeat the same mistakes.

Damian looked toward me. He probably sensed my gaze.

He frowned and instinctively shielded Alice behind him. He seemed worried I would charge over and tear them apart.

I ignored them and simply turned to socialize with the other guests.

Not long after, Damian approached me. He spoke with a hint of smugness in his voice. “Look at you, finally acting like an adult and leaving Alice alone. Tell me, how would you like to be rewarded?”

I looked at his condescending attitude and replied coldly, “A reward? I don’t need one.”

Damian did not believe me.

“Cut the act. You’re putting on this whole gracious show tonight because you’re terrified I’ll refuse to marry you, aren’t you?

“Don’t worry. You’ll get what you want.”

As he said that, he looked at me from head to toe suggestively.

“Come to my room tonight. If you manage to please me, I might even be generous enough to let you bear my child.”

A dull ache seized my heart as I remembered my deceased unborn child.

I would not marry him again, and there would not be any so-called child!

He moved closer to me as he spoke. He began to reach out to wrap his arm around my waist.

I caught a strong scent of women’s perfume on him.

His suit collar was disheveled and retained a distinct stain of lipstick.

It was obvious that in some hidden corner, Damian and Alice had partaken in some disgusting act.

I took a step back and snapped at him, “That’s enough, Damian! Show some respect!”

Damian was taken aback. He did not expect me to avoid him.

He sneered, “You would do anything to marry me. Everyone knows you’re obsessed with me. You threw your dignity away a long time ago. What ‘respect’ are you talking about?

I felt sick to my stomach seeing him so full of himself. “Who says that I’m marrying you?”

“Who else would marry you but me?”

Damian found this amusing. “Is it Caesar? Are you truly unaware of his reputation with women? For years now, any woman who gets near him ends up dead. You actually want to be the devil’s bride?”

My parents had selected two fiances for me from childhood.

One was Damian, the globally renowned CEO of Aegis Corporation.

The other was Caesar, a formidable figure who controlled the entire underground arms trade.

Everyone knew of Caesar’s brutal nature. He was not only ruthless in his dealings with men but also showed no mercy to women.

It was said that those who provoked him would either be thrown into the sea as shark food or buried in his backyard garden.

No one in the upper-class circles of the entire Northern City wanted their daughter to marry such a ruthless monster.

I replied with utter indifference, “I’d rather marry the devil than marry you.”

After I said that, I turned and left.

Seeing my resolute attitude, Damian was in disbelief. A sense of panic washed over him.

He instinctively blocked my path and demanded, “What’s that supposed to mean?!

“Are you still hung up on Alice and me? I already told you I’d marry you! What’s with the attitude?”

Damian frowned and said irritably, “Annie, my patience has its limits. If you keep being this willful, don’t blame me for publicly rejecting you when the time comes.”

Even at that point, he still thought I was throwing a fit.

He remained in denial that I was the one rejecting him.

I scoffed and was about to speak when Alice suddenly stepped in.

“Damian, Ms. Moretti, what’s going on? Are you two fighting because of me?”

She looked at me guiltily and continued, “This is all my fault. I never should have accepted this ring. Here, I’ll give it back to you right now, Ms. Moretti.”

As she spoke, she took off the pink diamond ring from her finger.

Damian looked at her heartbreakingly and stopped her. “Someone gifted that to you. Why should you give it to her? Besides, you love that ring. Alice, you’re just too nice for your own good. That’s why she walks all over you like this.”

“It’s okay,” Alice said in a pitiful voice. “I’m just a maid in Ms. Moretti’s house. I’m used to doing what she says since I was a kid. And it’s her birthday party. I don’t want to ruin her night.”

Alice walked towards me with the ring. “Let me help you put it on, Ms. Moretti.”

Out of Damian’s line of sight, her face lit up with a gloating smile. She leaned in and whispered in a low, taunting murmur.

“See that, Annie? What does it matter that you’re the heiress of the Moretti and Carter families? Your precious Damian only wants me. He’s the one who put this ring on my finger. And you? You’ll just be wearing the things that I discarded!”

The next second, she gripped my wrist. Her sharp nails almost dug into my flesh.

I gasped and instinctively pushed Alice away.

A triumphant flash of cunning crossed her eyes. She then let out a sharp cry and collapsed to the floor.

“Ah!” she cried out in feigned shock. “Ms. Moretti, I was just trying to put the ring on for you. Why would you push me? Do you really despise me that much?”

Damian immediately rushed forward and held Alice in his arms.

He glared at me angrily and rebuked me, “Annie, you’ve gone too far! I know you’re spoiled and enjoyed bullying your maids, but I never thought you’d dare lay a hand on Alice in front of all these people! Apologize to her. Now.”

“I didn’t push her,” I stated coldly. “She hurt me first.”

I raised my hand to reveal the distinct red mark circling my wrist.

Damian saw the mark on my wrist and was momentarily stunned.

Before he got suspicious, Alice spoke up pitifully, “Ms. Moretti, are you saying I framed you on purpose? I’m just a lowly maid. I wouldn’t dare.”

“Really?” I replied sarcastically. “It seems to me you’ve forgotten you’re a maid. You act like you own the place. Maybe we should call off my party and just hold your wedding right here instead.”

Damian grew increasingly enraged. “That’s enough, Annie! Stop insulting her!”

As he spoke, he raised his hand as if to slap me.

However, the slap did not land on my face.

A tall, imposing figure stepped in front of me and intercepted Damian’s hand.

I looked at the figure standing in front of me. It felt eerily familiar. My heart began to pound.

In the next moment, I heard the people around us gasp in surprise. “It’s Caesar! What’s he doing here?!”