Chapter 1

At my birthday party, Grandpa asked me, Harper Levinson, who in the Zink family I would like to marry. Without hesitation, I chose the fifth and youngest son. All the elders were shocked. After all, everyone in our circle knew how I, the eldest daughter and future heiress to the Levinson Group, was deeply in love with their eldest son. I was determined to marry him and no one else. The truth was, I did marry Jonathan Zink—the apple of my eye—in my previous life. However, three months into our marriage, I found out he was cheating on me with my illegitimate younger sister, Ruth Levinson. Back then, he had knelt before me, tears brimming in his eyes. He pleaded to me, "Please forgive me. I swear it was only an accident!" I gave in but, ultimately, Grandpa discovered the affair and sent Ruth abroad. Jonathan thought I was the one behind this and, since then, he hated me to the bone. In the following years, the elders in my family would pass away one after another. Our business deals were always snatched away at the last minute, and our company's confidential files would be miraculously leaked. On the day I discovered I was pregnant, I passed away in a staged car accident. This time, having been reborn, I decided to fulfill their love instead. To my surprise, he barged into my engagement party—one that didn't involve him—and begged me to marry him. … After leaving the study, I spotted Jonathan. He was seated among the crowd in a custom-made suit, looking impeccable, yet his gaze kept drifting toward the entrance. When he saw me, one of his friends quickly bumped his shoulder. "Hey, your lapdog—I mean, loyal puppy, is here." Jonathan glanced at me, disappointment flashing across his face. "It's you? What are you doing here?" If this were my previous life, I would already be walking over to coax him. However, the image of that truck charging straight at me was still fresh in my mind. Coldly, I answered, "It's my birthday party. Why wouldn't I be here?" The stiffness in my tone set him off instantly. "What's that supposed to mean, Harper? Are you picking a fight? I made time to come to your party, and this is how you treat me? Don't think our engagement is a done deal just because you went to your grandpa." Seeing the tension rise, Jonathan's friends jumped in right away. "Yeah, what do you think you're doing, Harper? Apologize to Jon. If you weren't so shamelessly clinging to him all the time, he wouldn't even spare you a glance." I was speechless. "This is my party," I said calmly. "If anyone's not having fun, feel free to leave. As for my engagement, it'll be announced at Grandpa's 80th birthday next month. It has nothing to do with you, so don't sweat it." Although I meant to marry Maurice Zink, the youngest son, I had yet to consult his opinion. Sure, in my previous life, we… But it just wasn't the right time to recklessly announce it yet. "Engagement?" one of the guests asked in surprise, sounding delighted. "Looks like both of your grandpas are finally ready to step down, and the successor to the Zink Group is about to be decided." Our grandfathers had been close friends for the longest time. They should've been enjoying their retirement by now. Alas, I was the only child in the Levinson family. Later on, they had made an agreement that whoever I married would receive Mr. Zink Senior's 20% stake. In my previous life, on top of the 15% Jonathan already held, marrying me made him the real one in charge of Zink Group. Inevitably, the entire company was on the verge of changing hands. Jonathan's friends lit up when they heard this. "Jon, you're really about to become CEO!" His face immediately shifted to smug satisfaction. "Listen up, Harper. Just because I might marry you doesn't mean you've won. I hate that smug look on your face more than anything else. "I've learned my lesson from my previous life. I can marry you, but I'll never marry into your family. And before the wedding, I want you to arrange a decent position for Ruth, something she deserves." I was just about to say that my engagement or marriage had nothing to do with him when it hit me—he had been reborn too. In my previous life, it had been a maid who tipped me off, leading me to discover their affair. Now that we were doing this again, he still wanted to play the same cards. I parted my lips, ready to have them escorted out, when a timid voice rang out behind me. "Harper…" Ruth walked over with visible injuries on her face, looking fragile and pitiful. The sight immediately drew everyone's attention. The moment Jonathan saw her, he hurried toward her. "Hey, what's wrong? What happened? Did someone do this to you?" Before she could answer, he turned back and shot me a vicious look. "Is this the kind of dirty tricks you've resorted to now?" I was about to explain, but Ruth cut in softly. "It's really nothing. I just bumped into something on the way here. Today is Harper's birthday. As much as she never liked me, I still wanted to wish her a happy birthday." At that, Jonathan looked at me with open disdain. "Harper, if you had even half her generosity—" Ruth gently tugged at his sleeve, stopping him. "Don't be mad, Jon. I believe Harper will finally let go of her resentment toward me one day." His expression softened even more. He slipped his arm through hers and coaxed, "Come on, I'll take you to the doctor. We can't risk anything serious." Before leaving, he shot me another cold, warning glare. "You watch yourself, Harper. If you lay another finger on Ruth again, I can't promise I'll go through with the engagement." With that, he pulled Ruth away and left without looking back.