Chapter 1

Gigi Hart was reborn, and the first thing she did was drop 50 million dollars on a secluded private island. The salesperson handling the paperwork couldn't believe it. The island was a total mystery, cut off from the rest of the world, and wasn't even on the map. It seemed to have vanished from civilization entirely. "Are you sure about buying this island, Ms. Hart? Living here means it'll be tough to reach the outside world." Gigi nodded, as if a weight had been lifted off her chest. "Perfect. That means no one can disturb me." The salesperson paused, seemingly thrown by her request. But he kept it professional and didn't pry any further. Instead, he walked her through the purchase procedure and informed her of the move-in date. When she found out that the paperwork would only take a few days, she breathed a sigh of relief, swiped her card, and headed out. Gazing up at the perfect blue expanse of sky, Gigi finally breathed easy. The island was funded by the wedding gift Rylan Bowen had given her. He was the richest man in Veritas and never one to hold back. When it came to her wedding gift, he didn't blink before handing over 50 million dollars to her. But she didn't get to spend any of it before she died in her last life. Luckily, she received a second chance and was reborn right after their engagement. This time around, she made herself a promise not to settle for less than she deserved. The moment Gigi set foot on the street, a black Maybach came to a sudden stop in front of her. The car door flew open, and Rylan came straight at her. He had always kept his cool, but now he looked rattled. Behind those icy eyes was a hint of worry he couldn't quite mask. It was the first time she had laid eyes on him in her new life. She called out to him without even pausing to think. "Rylan." He barely glanced her way before grabbing her wrist and yanking her toward the car. "Come with me right now, Gigi." Gigi tumbled into the back seat, hitting her head with a dull thump. Rylan kept his eyes on his phone, as if she were invisible. The car flew down the road and screeched to a halt outside the hospital. Before the car had even come to a full stop, he was already pulling her out and dragging her toward the transfusion ward. He didn't give her an explanation until she was already sitting across from the nurse, watching her stick a needle in her arm. "Catherine took a bad fall down the stairs, and she's bleeding a lot. They won't be drawing much blood from you, so don't worry about it." She didn't even get the chance to speak before a slap landed hard across her face. "Where did you run off to, you brat? Didn't I tell you to stay with your sister at all times? Why did you leave her side?" The slap stung like hell, and the pain brought tears to her eyes right away. She looked up at her furious mother, Meredith Durham, and she was unable to say a word. Donovan Hart, her father, pulled Meredith into his arms—his eyes were no less angry. "Are you trying to give us all heart attacks? If anything happens to Catherine, I'll skin you alive." Kenny Hart, her brother, didn't even spare her a glance. "I say we tie her down so she doesn't keep sneaking off." They were Gigi's so-called family. They were more than ready to rip her apart for her sister, Catherine Hart, over something as small as being gone an hour. Rylan was the only one who didn't completely turn on Gigi, but he was still all about Catherine. "Knock it off. Don't mess up Catherine's transfusion." Who would care about her? She was just here to keep Catherine alive. Gigi was brought into this world because Catherine had hemophilia and needed constant blood transfusions because of her clotting disorder. Gigi was never Donovan and Meredith's daughter, but Catherine's living blood supply. The difference in their names said everything. Catherine's name was graceful and elegant, while Gigi had been two random syllables slapped together. Growing up as Catherine's blood reserves left her arms looking like a pincushion. Love was a luxury she never got. Donovan and Meredith saw her as a tool, and Kenny regarded only Catherine as his younger sister. Gigi was always the one who didn't belong, and only Rylan cared about her. The Bowens and the Harts went way back. Rylan was six years older than Catherine, but despite the age gap, she still called him "Rylan." Gigi was raised in a family that didn't care about her. It was no surprise she fell for Rylan—the only one who made her feel seen. He had been caught off guard and didn't exactly look thrilled when she had confessed to him, but he said yes anyway and promised to marry her. She had been on cloud nine as her crush liked her back. It seemed all the luck she had in that life went into getting him to love her back. So even if her family didn't love her, she could live with it. It wasn't until later that she found out that Rylan's heart had always belonged to Catherine. Rylan only married Gigi because he was afraid she might marry someone else and stop donating blood to Catherine, leaving Catherine's survival in jeopardy. He loved Catherine so much that he was willing to sacrifice everything if it meant she would be safe. Gigi had been played like a fool, blindly happy that she was going to marry Rylan. Everything had been so laughable. The emergency room doors swung open, and the nurses wheeled Catherine out. Donovan, Meredith, Kenny, and Rylan darted toward Catherine, leaving Gigi behind like she was nothing. Gigi couldn't help but feel sick watching them shower Catherine with affection and care. She bitterly chuckled as she shook off the dizziness. Then, she rolled down her sleeve and walked out. After leaving the room, she took one last look at the dazzling engagement ring on her finger. Without a second thought, she yanked it off and tossed it into the trash. In this life, she wasn't going to beg for her parents' affection anymore, and she definitely wouldn't cling to Rylan like he was her lifeline. She didn't need anyone. If the world made Catherine the princess and Gigi the afterthought, she would give that love to herself.