Trading Love For The Devil’s Ring

My parents made Veronica and me decide with a coin toss. The loser had to marry the heir to the Volkov family—Julian Volkov, the man they called "the Monster."

I won. And then, I tore up the script.

"I'll marry Julian," I declared. "Veronica can have the family business."

In my last life, I'd been besotted with Nico—my father's Underboss. I chose to stay and inherit the business, forcing the political marriage—and the "monster"—onto Veronica.

A fatal mistake.

In just six months, Veronica was dead—executed for betraying the family.

Just before she died, she called Nico and pinned everything on me. She spun a lie: that I had lost the coin toss but went back on my word, forcing her to marry the monster.

Nico shattered. He lost his mind.

It turned out he and Veronica had been in a secret relationship for years.

He dragged me to an abandoned warehouse and ordered his men to have their way with me.

"If it weren't for you, Veronica would still be alive! You'll pay for every ounce of her suffering—twice over!"

I was eight months pregnant at the time.

I begged him to stop, begged him to spare my child.

He ignored my pleas, simply ordering his men to continue. Even as my water broke, he just watched, his eyes cold and vacant.

That night, I died along with my unborn child.

Now, I'm back.

This time, I will rewrite my destiny.

Step one: Marry Julian.

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1

When I announced I would marry Julian Volkov in Veronica’s place, my parents shared a look of pure, unadulterated relief.

"Are you certain, Scarlett? There's no going back," my father—Don Russell—said, his voice taut with finality.

The phantom sensation of suffocation still burned in my throat. I nodded. "I'm sure."

They didn't object, just nodded in silent, swift agreement.

A bitter laugh escaped me. Of course.

It was the same scene as my last life. They’d claimed a coin toss was the "fairest" way to decide our fates.

Ridiculous. Had they never noticed that I had intentionally lost to Veronica every single time before?

But for Nico, that one time, I was serious.

When I finally beat her, they panicked, even trying to change the rules to a best-of-three.

It was useless—I won ten rounds in a row. They had no choice but to accept the result.

And now, I had won, yet I chose Julian of my own accord.

My parents couldn't have been more pleased, terrified I would change my mind the next second.

My father made it official. "Then it's settled. Scarlett will marry Julian Volkov. Veronica will inherit the family business."

Just then, a figure burst into the room, sweeping Veronica into a desperate, theatrical embrace.

"Veronica, this time, no one will ever tear us apart."

I froze. This time?

Nico… was he reborn, too?

Relief flashed in his eyes—the look of a man who'd just recovered something precious.

"Sir, Donna Russell," he began, turning to my parents with feigned sincerity. "Scarlett is just trying to back out of the deal. She's the one who doesn't want to marry into the Volkov family. Veronica and I are in love. Please, grant us your blessing."

Then, his gaze, sharp and venomous, locked onto me.

"Give it up, Scarlett. No matter what tricks you pull, I will not marry you."

Watching them cling to each other, I almost laughed out loud.

If you were so in love, why did you agree to marry me in our last life?

Oh, right—for power. So cliché.

My father cleared his throat, his discomfort with the public display palpable.

"Nico, Scarlett has already agreed to marry into the Volkov family. Since you love Veronica, we can begin preparing for your wedding as well."

Nico froze for a heartbeat, then pure ecstasy lit up his face. He swept Veronica off her feet, spinning her around in exhilaration.