Seven months pregnant, and I was about to be murdered by my own husband. His betrayal was the cold steel at my throat.

He and the family doctor had conspired to harvest stem cells from our unborn child—forcing a premature birth—all to save his precious sister, Cassia. My father, the Don of Chicago, had given his silent consent. To him, the long-lost daughter he’d only just found was an acceptable loss, a pawn to be sacrificed for the family’s stability.

My spirit hovered over the scene as I watched them toast to Cassia's "miraculous recovery." No one shed a tear for me; they didn't even bother to close my eyes.

But when I opened my eyes again, I had returned. I was three months in the past—on the very day the family forced me to sign my marriage annulment.

————————

1

I stared at the familiar faces in the manor’s study, the long, final wail of a heart monitor still screaming in my ears, pulsing in the silence between my own frantic heartbeats.

"Sera, please... just sign the annulment," my mother, Elena, pleaded, tears carving paths through her perfect makeup. "This is for Cassia!"

She sat in the leather armchair across from me, clutching Cassia’s pale hand, her eyes like daggers.

My father, Don Marco Vitali, stood silhouetted against the massive floor-to-ceiling window, the setting sun casting his imposing figure in cold, hard lines. He was the head of the Vitali family, and his word was absolute.

"Cassia is critically ill. She needs a ritual to purify her bloodline," he stated, his voice devoid of emotion. "Your marriage to Titus was always a tool for the family. Now, it will serve its true purpose."

I rested a hand on my swollen belly, my gaze landing on Titus, seated opposite me. "So you agree? I just sign this and watch you get engaged to Cassia?"

His hands clenched into fists, the veins on his forehead bulging. "Sera, Cassia has been sick her whole life. We grew up together... If you'd never come back—"

"Stop pressuring her!" Cassia interrupted, her voice a fragile whisper. "I know I'm not worthy of Titus... Compared to Sera, I'm nothing..."

She sagged into Titus's arms, and he instinctively pulled her closer.

"Even though Papa and Mamma raised me, even though I grew up with Titus... I'm not a true Vitali, am I?"

"Cassia, don't say that!" Elena’s voice broke as tears welled in her eyes. "You will always be our most beloved daughter."

She whirled on me, the tenderness in her eyes instantly replaced by a venomous glare. "You've always been an outsider, Sera! How can you deny a dying girl's last wish? Have you no heart?"

"This is for the good of the family," my father warned, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Don't be selfish."

"Sera, Cassia is innocent. I thought you understood that family comes first. It's just a ritual—it will keep her alive. Are you really going to be this heartless?" Titus gently stroked her long hair, his gaze then snapping to me, cold as ice.

I stared at the agreement on the table, my hands trembling. In my past life, and now in this one, they always chose Cassia. Without hesitation. Cassia and I had been switched at birth, a cruel twist of fate revealed only last year when I was finally brought into the Vitali family.

At first, I thought I had found a home, a family bound by blood. But from the moment I set foot in this manor, I knew. I would always be the outsider. They blamed me for taking what should have been Cassia's—their affection, and Titus's heart.

But they were the ones who had searched for me, and it was Titus who had knelt and begged me to be his wife.

In my last life, I had fought desperately to win their love. It was a fool's errand. In the end, my child and I were just sacrifices for their twisted ritual.

I remembered pleading outside the private clinic, begging them to spare my child. They forced me onto the operating table anyway.

The memory sent a phantom ache slicing through my chest. They didn't want me then. Fine. This time, I'd give them exactly what they wanted.

"Fine. I'll sign."

The room fell silent. After my furious protests, no one had expected me to cave so easily. In my past life, I had threatened to kill myself, only for my father to forcibly pin my hand down and make me sign.

Titus and Cassia had thrown a lavish engagement party, live-streaming the entire event while I was locked away. I’d clicked on the stream for just a second. The sight of their embrace sent a shard of ice through my heart, and I slammed my laptop shut.

The world celebrated their joy, while I was left in the dark.

This time, I already knew what signing meant. Why cling to foolish hope? It was pointless.

"Sera..." Titus looked at me, a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes. "Are you sure?"

I picked up the pen and scrawled my name without a second thought. The black ink bled across the paper, a final, severing mark.

A small, bitter laugh escaped my lips. "Of course. You all seem to think I've stolen something that wasn't mine. I'm just returning it to its rightful owner. We all know how much you cherish Cassia."

After the life I’d already lived and lost, I finally understood: blood means nothing without love. The scales would always tip in Cassia's favor, even though she was the usurper.

My father and Elena exchanged an uneasy glance.

A shadow of guilt crossed Titus's face. But before he could speak, Cassia stepped forward.

"Sera," she whispered, hiding behind him, sobbing. "I'm so sorry..."

The moment she cried, Titus swept her into his arms. I didn't wait to watch the pathetic display; I simply turned and walked away.

At their engagement party, I was granted the "honor" of attending—my reward for being so cooperative.

Giant crystal chandeliers cast a warm glow on the marble floor. Staff moved deftly through the room, every detail polished with an air of effortless luxury.

A sea of white and pink roses, the backdrop for the new couple's love, was meticulously arranged, each bloom a silent witness.

Titus stood before me in a crisp white suit. The finger where our wedding ring once sat was bare, ready for a new one.

He looked deeply conflicted. "Sera, you have to understand," he murmured, his voice low. "Cassia and I... we grew up together. She's dying. I couldn't say no. When this is all over... I promise, I'll make it up to you."

His eyes softened with a sorrow I no longer believed. "I'm still in love with you, Sera. Deeply."

Love? I had once been foolish enough to believe him, to tell myself he must have his reasons.

The light in his eyes when we first met, the depth of our love after we married, his tears of joy when he found out I was pregnant—it had all felt so real.

But then I remembered how he had personally overseen the ritual that killed our child for Cassia. There was no excuse I could make for him now.

I looked at him calmly. "We've already signed the annulment. Save those words for your future wife, Mr. Costello."

His body stiffened, but I continued with a cold smile. "Congratulations."

Ignoring the tight line of his jaw and his furrowed brow, I turned and strode away.

Leaving the banquet hall, my decision was made. This time, I would protect my child and myself, no matter the cost.

I didn't go back to my downtown apartment. I went straight to the airport.

Staying in this city had cost me my life once. This time, I had to get out before they could touch my child. They were ruthless, and I had nothing left to lose.

But I had underestimated Titus's reach. The moment he realized I was gone, my bank accounts were frozen. My phone was tracked. The flight I'd booked was canceled without explanation.

I was a prisoner in a city-sized cage.

In the end, I had no choice but to hide in a small rental in the suburbs. The landlady, seeing my advanced pregnancy, took pity on me and charged half the rent. But I knew the peace was temporary.

Sure enough, two days later, Titus appeared at my door.

"Sera, what are you doing here?" he asked, his tone gentle as he stood in the doorway. His perfectly tailored suit was a jarring beacon of wealth in this rundown building.

I looked at him coldly. "Is there something you need, Mr. Costello?"

"What are you talking about, Sera? We were all worried sick."

A flash of sorrow crossed his eyes. "I want to take you home. We can be a family again."

A treacherous flicker of hope ignited in my chest. A family? Had my compliance in this new life finally earned me a place?

But just as I wavered, his next words plunged me into an icy abyss.

"Actually..." An uneasy look crossed his face. "It's about Cassia. We need your help. She… she found an old ritual. It requires the sacrifice of a 'new bloodline' to purify her own. The baby…"

A violent tremor ran through me as the memories flooded back: blinding surgical lights, the sterile sting of disinfectant, the frantic shouts of doctors, and then… nothing.

"Get out!" I screamed, shoving him away. "You're not touching my child!"

Why did I ever let myself hope? It was laughable.

"What is wrong with you?" Titus frowned, his voice hardening. "We just need to induce labor early for the ritual. It won't hurt you. Why are you being so selfish?"

"Selfish?" I burst into hysterical laughter, tears streaming down my face. "Titus, this is your child too! How could you—"

Before I could finish, my father and Elena stormed up the stairs.

"Sera!" Elena threw herself at my legs, sobbing. "Please, save Cassia! She's your sister!"

I shook her off. "My sister? When have you ever treated me like your daughter?"

"You ungrateful wretch!" My father's face was flushed with rage. "We gave you everything—this life of luxury! How can you be so heartless?"

"You're the cruel ones!" I screamed, my heart shattering.

I had already removed myself from their lives, leaving them to their perfect family. Why did they have to corner me like this, demanding the life of my unborn child?

"Sera..." Cassia appeared at the top of the stairs, her voice a faint whisper. "I'm sorry... It's all my fault for being sick..."

Her face was ghostly white, and she trembled so violently she looked as if a stiff breeze could knock her over. Seeing her like this, my father and Elena were heartbroken, rushing to support her.

"Don't say that!" Elena hugged her, tears streaming down her face, while glaring fiercely at me. "It's our fault for ever bringing her back! She brought you nothing but bad luck! She stole everything that was yours! It's only right that she makes a sacrifice to fix what she broke!"

I could only sneer. My own parents, cursing me. Despising me. And for what? What had I done wrong? Compared to them, who was the real monster here?

"That's enough, Sera. Stop this nonsense," Titus said, grabbing my arm.