Chapter 1

In a matter of life and death, the kidnappers forced my husband to choose who would walk out alive: my sister or me.

Declan chose me. My sister, Valerie, was executed because of it.

But in the three years following our rescue, Valerie's death became an uncrossable chasm between Declan and me.

He spiraled into heavy drinking, violently channeling all his resentment onto me.

It culminated in that dead of night, when he held my head forcefully underwater in the bathtub. With bloodshot eyes, he roared, "If I didn't have to save you, why would Valerie be dead?! Why wasn't it you?!"

As I suffocated, the man I loved snapped my neck with his bare hands.

When I open my eyes again, I am back on the day of the kidnapping.

Watching my husband feign his agonizing struggle in front of me, I feel nothing but a dead, numbing clarity.

Since I am going to end up dead whether he saves me or not.

Declan, in this life, I'll give you exactly what you want.

......

"Make your choice."

The kidnapper's voice echoed through the cabin.

In my past life, under the exact same circumstances, Declan gritted his teeth and pointed at me. The kidnappers let me go, but right in front of us, they pulled the trigger and blew a hole straight through Valerie's skull.

Warm brain matter and blood splattered all over Declan and me.

From that moment on, my life became a living hell.

My parents blamed me entirely for Valerie's death, and Declan—the husband who once swore to love me for a lifetime—treated me like a flat-out murderer.

But now, the wheel of fate has spun back to this exact tipping point.

Valerie wept, her disheveled golden curls plastered to her pale, tear-stained cheeks. "Declan... save me. I'm so scared..."

Declan was panting heavily, his gaze darting frantically between Valerie and me. He was hesitating.

So, I made the choice for him.

"Take Valerie, Declan," I spoke up.

"What did you say?" Declan's voice was tight and dry, staring at me in absolute disbelief.

His fists clenched so hard his knuckles turned white.

He looked at me, his lips trembling, seemingly searching for an excuse to soothe his conscience. "Vivienne, listen to me. Valerie has been frail since she was a kid. She has asthma. If she stays here, she'll die. I promise you, I'll get her down the mountain and bring the police right back to save you. Just wait for me..."

I looked into his shifting eyes, my chest tightening with a suffocating ache.

In my past life, I thought choosing me meant he loved me.

It was only before he tortured me to death that I knew the truth: he saved me because abandoning his devoted wife would destroy his reputation and future.

His true love had always been Valerie.

He only chose me out of obligation. He hated me because saving his "lawful wife" meant letting his true love die.

The blizzard outside had already sealed off the mountain passes. Helicopters couldn't make it up here. Whoever stayed behind to face these ruthless thugs was looking at a dead end.

He knew it. I knew it, too.

But I didn't break down into hysterical sobs, begging him not to abandon me.

"Okay," I cut off his rambling.

A flash of shock crossed Declan's eyes, closely followed by a profound sense of relief.

He didn't even spare me a second glance as he rushed over to Valerie, untied her ropes, and scooped her up into his arms.

"Vivienne, hold on. I will absolutely come back for you." He dropped this hollow promise as he walked past me, leaving the cabin without a sliver of hesitation.

The door slammed shut, sealing off the outside world.

The leader of the kidnappers sneered. "What a stupid bitch. Letting her husband save another woman."

Another thug stepped out from the shadows.

"The employer said to act the second the man leaves. Don't let her die too quickly."

The next two hours were pure hell.

They shattered my ribs, one by one. They stripped off my clothes, letting the minus-twenty-degree cold swallow my body heat inch by inch.

Finally, a hunting knife slit my throat.

Blood spurted out, the agony peaking in an instant before everything faded into nothingness.

My body gradually grew light, and the tearing pain vanished. I opened my eyes only to find myself floating in mid-air.

Looking down, I saw my own mangled, mutilated corpse.

I was dead.

Declan, you promised you would come back. But you'll never know—the only thing left waiting for you is a corpse.