Chapter 1
My boyfriend’s obsession was to have a kid, but he was infertile—so he tricked his identical twin into getting me pregnant. I gave myself completely to Rocco that night, fully aware he wasn’t Renzo. The next morning, I complimented my real boyfriend. “Babe, you were amazing last night. I’ve never felt that satisfied before!” His face went completely drained of color like I’d slapped him. Behind that frozen expression, I saw it—that flicker of something. Guilt? Fear? Jealousy? “Who do you like better? Your boyfriend in bed last night, or the one making you breakfast right now?” I wrapped my arms around his and smiled like a lovestruck newlywed. “I love how gentle you are in the daylight. But… last night?” I giggled. “I really liked that wild version of you!” —— At the breakfast table, Renzo looked oddly brightened up as he turned to the man sitting beside him. “Bro, Susie made this coffee herself. You should really try it.” As he spoke, he pushed a steaming cup of coffee toward his older brother, who had just returned from Norway. Across the table, I looked up at Rocco. He was dressed in a black business suit, hair still slightly damp from a morning shower. The crystal chandelier above the dining room cast a soft glow over him, making his features more defined. Handsome didn’t even begin to cover it. He didn’t say a word. His lips were pressed into a line, his blue eyes unreadable. And just like that, everything came rushing back—I had been reborn. In my previous life, Renzo had drugged his brother and tricked him into sleeping with me. He was desperate for me to get pregnant. All because he couldn’t have kids himself. He needed the baby to win his grandfather’s favor and secure his share of the inheritance. And it worked. After I got pregnant, he used the child to get sixty percent of the PWL Corp. shares. But once he had what he wanted, he locked me up in a basement and tormented me day after day like I was useless. I never understood why—until the day his mistress threw acid in my face and spat out the truth. The baby wasn’t his. It was his brother’s. To him, I was ruined. A walking stain on his perfect image. Just like me, our child was a disgrace. Renzo couldn’t stand the sight of us. In the end, I set that basement on fire, trapping him and his mistress in the flames. Renzo, his mistress, and I—none of us made it out alive. Back at the table, Renzo’s voice broke through my thoughts. “Come on, bro. Take a sip. Don’t let Susie’s effort go to waste.” I looked at his overly eager face and suddenly felt sick to my stomach. That coffee… I obviously made it for him. But here he was, acting like it was some kind of offering for another guy. In my past life, I thought the brothers were just close. Now, I could see it for what it really was. A setup. One piece in a bigger plan. “Really? If she made it herself,” Rocco said after a beat, his eyes locked on mine, “how could I say no?” He picked up the cup and took a sip. That was when another memory came flooding back. I was back in the fire. The smoke, the heat, the pain—and him, tearing through the flames to get to me. He’d held me tightly, his voice trembling as he whispered, “Susie! Susie! Hang on. I’m here. I’ll get you out!” But the fire was too strong. None of us made it. At the very end, when the smoke and heat had nearly taken everything, he was still holding me—his arms wrapped around me as he leaned in close and murmured against my cheek. “Susie… I love you.” Back in the present, I didn’t cling to Renzo like I had in my last life. Instead, I turned to Rocco with a warm smile and said softly, “If you like it, I can make one more cup for you.” As soon as I offered that, both guys turned their heads to look at me. Rocco didn’t react much, but Renzo’s expression twitched for a second, like something about my words caught him off guard. Still, he didn’t say anything. Just pressed his lips together and kept quiet. That night, as I passed by the study after my shower, I noticed a soft, soft light leaking through the cracked door. Inside, Ciara Illitch—Renzo’s childhood sweetheart—was perched on his desk, tugging playfully at his tie. “Renzo,” she said with a teasing smirk, “are you seriously gonna let your brother sleep with Susie?” She let go of the tie and tilted her head. “I mean, I remember how hard you chased after her back then. It hasn’t been that long. You really don’t mind just handing her over?” Renzo grabbed her waist and leaned in to kiss her. His lips landed right on her bright red mouth. “You gotta give something up to catch the big prize,” he said with against her mouth. “I’ve always been second to my brother. If I don’t beat him to it—get a kid first and let Grandpa hold a great-grandchild—then I’ll never matter in his eyes.”