Chapter 2

Seeing her movements, the cold edge in Wilson's dark eyes faded a little. He wiped the blood off his fingers and effortlessly picked up Liliana in his arms. Narrowing his eyes, he called over a maid and instructed, "Clean up the blood on the floor." Wilson:[She doesn't like it.] Liliana caught the second half of his unspoken sentence, and something stirred inside her. Last time around, Wilson had tried to keep her by his side by force. She spent half her life fearing and hating him, and in the end, he lost his mind because of her. And Ethan Brooks, the man she once loved so much, destroyed everything she once had. Looking back, she'd really been blind. Her head leaned against Wilson's chest. She thought, maybe... maybe it's time to give herself a shot—not run from him this time. As she got lost in her thoughts, Wilson carried her to the bedroom and gently set her down on the bed, wrapping an arm around her. He looked down at her, his voice low: "You know who I am?" Liliana froze slightly. "Wilson?" He leaned in closer, a dark intensity in his eyes. "Remember what happened last night?" She coughed lightly and nodded. He grabbed her chin between his fingers, staring her down with narrowed eyes. "Still planning on calling the cops?" Seriously holding a grudge! Liliana awkwardly said, "It—it was a misunderstanding." His gaze grew colder, making her scalp tingle. "I wasn't thinking straight after what happened last night... I'm sorry, okay?" In her last life, she'd really called the police after being egged on by Marsha. That move completely trashed her reputation. Wilson's dark eyes bore into her as he sneered, "Oh? And how else were you gonna defend your beloved Ethan if not by tossing me into jail?" Liliana stiffened. Just hearing the name Ethan made her feel like the air turned cold. Back then, Wilson couldn't stand to hear her mention Ethan. Every single time ended in disaster. Quickly, she raised her small hand and swore angrily, "He means nothing to me now, I must've lost my mind to fall for him. Can't I see clearly now?" Wilson eyed her, as if weighing whether she meant it. He already knew all about her and Ethan's history. Back before she'd come back to the Johnson family, she'd met Ethan at an art exhibit. He was sweet to her, and she'd crushed on him for years. After she returned to her family home, with the Brooks and Johnsons being close, they naturally got closer. She'd even tried to break off the engagement a few times—just for Ethan. And now, somehow, his little fiancée seemed like a different person overnight. Wilson:[She's got the act down] Glancing back at her, he said, "You better mean what you say." Liliana: This is too much! I'm being real this time! But Wilson didn't even give her the chance to talk back. His eyes pinned her in place as he said, "I'll have Lucas check if you got hurt last night." Her face turned bright red. She stammered, "N-no need, really. I felt totally fine last night." The second the words left her mouth, she wished she could stuff them back in. Totally fine, really? Wilson's eyes clearly shifted at that. Actually, it worked out. He didn't like other men touching her anyway. "Shower and come eat after." With that, he shot her one last look and closed the door behind him. Liliana finally breathed out, crawling out of the blankets and heading for the bathroom to clean up.Liliana stared at her reflection, frozen for a second—wait, was she really that out of style back then? The girl in the mirror had pretty delicate features, but her skin looked rough from years of farm work. Her full bangs covered up those bright eyes, and she was wearing—yikes—some seriously cringe-worthy underwear. She slowly drifted into old memories. When she first returned to the Johnsons, she'd always thought her parents didn't love her enough because of the broken engagement. That, plus being constantly praised by Marsha and Ethan for being "simple and pure," made her stick to this whole country-girl look—cheap clothes, no makeup—and she actually believed Ethan liked her that way. It wasn't until Wilson brought her to live with him and hired stylists for her that things started to change. Back then, she honestly thought Wilson saw her as some pretty bird in a gilded cage, only into her looks. Now, unpacking the high-end skincare products Wilson had set up for her, she couldn't help but scoff. "Seriously, was I brain-dead or what?" she muttered. With how she looked at the time, if Wilson had really only liked her face, then he must've been blind. But... why did he like me, really? She sighed, ditching the thought altogether. After washing up, putting on light makeup, and slipping into the outfit Wilson had prepped for her, she headed downstairs. Downstairs. Wilson sat at the dining table, casually sipping coffee. The rich aroma drifted through the air as steam curled from the dark ceramic mug. His pale, usually sharp features looked noticeably softer today. There was a lazy ease in his posture and a flicker of quiet satisfaction in his eyes—he looked stunning, almost unreal. Lucas Dayton, sitting nearby, felt a chill crawl down his spine. The last time Wilson had looked this relaxed was right after he threw his uncle's entire family in jail. Recalling the butler's earlier call—something about "checking up on a girl"—Lucas's eyes suddenly lit up. He slapped his thigh, grinning. "Hey, Wilson—don't tell me you finally got lucky last night or something? You're way too chill today!" Wilson shot him a sidelong glance—cool, but not nearly as cold or annoyed as usual. Lucas, now twice as hyped, kept going. "Now that's what I'm talking about! I mean, come on—look at you: the status, the money, the face. Women should be throwing themselves at you. But nooo, you've been hung up on that countryside girl from the Johnsons. Even hired people to keep tabs on her, like she's some national treasure..." At that moment, Liliana had just reached the bottom of the stairs when she heard Lucas's voice. Her steps faltered, and her face went blank. She and Lucas had never gotten along. In her last life, when she couldn't stand Wilson, Lucas had been downright nasty to her. And clearly, nothing had changed in this one—here he was again, badmouthing her behind her back without a hint of shame. "I'm just saying," Lucas continued, oblivious, "that Johnson girl? Plain as toast, totally out of touch, and let's be honest—kinda dumb. Blind, too, if you ask me. Just a basic face, nothing special. I never understood why you'd agree to marry her just because your granddad wanted it. But hey, glad you came to your senses now!" He was still going when Wilson, still sipping his coffee with infuriating calm, tilted his head slightly and glanced over his shoulder. Lucas blinked in confusion—then froze. Standing at the foot of the stairs was a girl so stunning it felt like the air shifted around her. She was dressed in a luxury BRE outfit worth tens of thousands, her features delicate, a perfect blend of cool elegance and soft innocence. Her long hair cascaded down her back in smooth waves. She had the kind of figure that made heads turn, and an aloof, icy presence that somehow made her even more magnetic. But those soft, rose-tinted lips, and the warmth that flickered in her gaze? That tenderness made you want to draw closer. Protect her. Be chosen by her. Lucas's jaw dropped. Wait—this was the girl Wilson had been hiding all this time? Damn. She wasn't just beautiful—she was on a whole other level. And she looked nothing like that "countryside girl" he'd just been trashing.