Chapter 1 Reborn as a Stand-In Bride

Bang!

The woman was seized by her hair and slammed against the wall. Blood streamed from her mouth and nose, leaving a shocking crimson smear across the prison stone.

Her eyes locked onto the figure before her. "I will never sign!"

"Look at her, Alistair!" Seraphina Titan's affected voice rang out, followed by Alistair Vance's cold reply:

"Keep beating her."

Several female inmates in grey uniforms surged forward and dragged the woman to the ground. The sound of kicking and muffled screams intertwined once more.

Crack!

As the bone snapped, Josephine Titan convulsed in agony and lost consciousness.

Then a bucket of ice water was thrown over her head. Seraphina shouted impatiently, "Will you sign it or not?"

"No... I won't sign!" Josephine trembled, forcing the words through clenched teeth.

This stepsister of hers had not only taken everything from her, but had framed her for murder and sent her to prison. She had even bribed the inmates to humiliate and torture her. And now they wanted to force her to donate her heart to Seraphina.

Dream on.

She would rather die than give her heart to that venomous snake Seraphina. Let that wicked woman suffer from heart disease for the rest of her life—that was exactly what she deserved.

"Josephine, don't you understand? Even if you die, as long as your heart is removed within the designated time, it can still be transplanted," Alistair said coldly, without a shred of mercy.

"Sister, why make this difficult? If you sign, at least we can ensure you won't die in too much pain."

"I! Won't! Sign!"

Enraged by her stubbornness, Alistair pulled out a dagger and pressed its edge viciously against Josephine's face.

"If you don't sign, I'll flay the skin from your body inch by inch."

Beside him, Seraphina clapped gleefully. "Alistair is so amazing! Dying inch by inch just imagining it is so thrilling!"

Josephine gritted her teeth and locked eyes with Alistair. This was the man she had schemed to marry at any cost. She had loved him for so long, given him everything, yet all along he had been sleeping with her stepsister Seraphina. And now he was willing to carve out her heart for Seraphina.

Tears and blood mingled uncontrollably down her face.

"Alistair, let's take her eyes first. I can't stand the way she looks at you."

Josephine shuddered. Would he really gouge out her eyes?

In the next moment, his actions shattered the last shred of hope in her heart. Just as the dagger was about to touch her eyeball, she suddenly surrendered.

"I'll sign."

Alistair stared at her for a long moment, making sure all fight had drained from her, before finally releasing his grip on her arm.

It was in that instant that Josephine suddenly lunged, snatched the dagger from his hand, and without hesitation plunged it into her own heart.

She lifted her head, bared her bloodied teeth, and stared at the pair like a vengeful demon. "Even if I die... I will never submit to you!"

"The Veyron Dynasty is the most powerful house in Eryndor. How many women in this world long to marry Lord Veyron but have no chance? Don't forget though Lord Karl Veyron is currently confined to a wheelchair, he remains the true ruler of the Veyron Dynasty. Once you marry him, you will be mistress of the dynasty, with everything you could ever want..."

A voice buzzed in her ear like an annoying fly.

It hurts so much.

Josephine pressed a hand over her heart. In that moment when the dagger pierced through, she had seemed to glimpse her own heart's struggle and unwillingness. But it wasn't her heart that was unwilling it was her.

"Honestly, Josephine, if your sister hadn't suddenly fallen ill, such a good fortune would never have fallen on you."

"Isn't it simply because Seraphina didn't want to marry a paralyzed man and deliberately hid herself away in the hospital?" Josephine murmured.

Then she froze.

This conversation... it was too familiar. This was exactly the scene when her stepmother, Odette Titan, had coaxed her into marrying Lord Veyron.

Josephine's eyes, which had been tightly shut, snapped open.

The cramped room, the narrow bed, the old desk, the bulky computer on it, and the neatly stacked books on the floor. This was her room from years ago. Ever since Odette had entered the family, Josephine had been relegated to this tiny space originally meant for storage.

Everything here was old, discarded, unwanted by Seraphina. Though she was the true young lady of the Titan household, she lived worse than a servant.

In her memory, Odette had only entered this room once before to persuade her to marry Lord Veyron, the man who was supposed to wed Seraphina.

So... had she been reborn? Had the heavens heard her discontent and granted her a second chance?

Her heart suddenly raced with excitement, bounding with fierce joy.

When Josephine opened her eyes, Odette quickly plastered on a false smile. "Josephine, how can you think of your sister that way? You know she has a weak heart. If she hadn't suddenly fallen ill and been hospitalized, do you think such an opportunity would ever have come to you..."

Josephine silently studied Odette's face, still youthful and radiant despite being in her forties.

Words flowed automatically from her mouth. "Seraphina is in the hospital, and you, her mother, didn't stay with her instead you called my fiancé to keep her company. You're giving your biological daughter and Alistair Vance an opportunity while forcing me to marry a paralyzed man. After I marry him, I'll discover that Lord Veyron is already beyond saving, and within days I'll become a widow. Then the Veyron Dynasty will cast me out, and the Vance family will have no desire to marry a widow. My life will be utterly ruined."

She had said the very same thing in her previous life. Then Odette had cursed her and threatened to throw her out if she refused the marriage.

"Josephine, once you're cast out of the Titan family, do you think the Vance family will still allow Alistair to marry you? Don't you understand that the engagement between you and Alistair was nothing more than a union of family interests? I'm telling you, there is only one path before you now marry Lord Veyron for your sister's sake," Odette declared firmly.

Then Josephine produced her mother's will. In it, her mother had clearly stipulated that everything belonging to the Titan legacy would go to Josephine alone and no one else. That meant even her father, Reginald Titan, would not receive a single coin unless Josephine consented.

Odette's expression twisted. Something seemed to flicker behind her eyes as she stared at Josephine with a burning gaze. "Josephine, if you agree to renounce your inheritance, perhaps I can help you avoid marrying Lord Veyron. What do you say? Are you willing?"