A sudden noise broke out from the living room.
Without thinking, Eliana moved toward it.
The moment she stepped inside, her eyes met a man's—Jeremy. There was something dark in the way he looked at her.
Everything had already been set in motion, just as she had feared. Both the Ward family and the Shaw family had sent representatives the day she walked out of prison, exactly like before.
A chill crept up her spine. For a second, panic took hold, and she nearly turned to run. Her hands tightened into fists as they trembled.
She forced herself to stay still, repeating over and over that she wasn't Jeremy's wife anymore. She wasn't the woman trapped in that gilded cage, not someone who had lost control of her own life. That reminder was the only thing that kept her grounded.
This time, though, things didn't unfold the way she remembered. Jeremy didn't come to her. Instead, his attention shifted past her, landing on Iris.
Noticing the marks on Iris' face, he moved forward immediately, concern written all over him. He held her steady and frowned. "What happened to you?"
John's face darkened, but with members of the Shaw family present, he held back his temper. "It's nothing serious. Just a small argument between the sisters. We've always been a bit too lenient with Eliana. She was upset and took it out on Iris. I apologize for that. Mr. Ward, please look after Iris. We've already accepted the gifts. Iris will marry into your family properly, with all the respect she deserves."
A faint, mocking smile appeared on Eliana's lips. What a devoted father John was. In front of the Shaw family's people, he twisted every word to make her look difficult and out of control, as if he feared she might actually end up living well under their name.
Jeremy gave a small nod, but his eyes never left her. There was something unsettling in the way he looked at her, cold and lingering.
A tightness settled in Eliana's chest. For a brief moment, memories flooded back so vividly it felt real. She could almost see him again, that same look in his eyes, the way he would approach her with a calm voice that hid everything beneath it. "Ellie, you've been careless again. Why haven't you made progress in the research today? Were you wasting time?"
What he had done to her back then went far beyond anything she had faced in prison.
Good. Let it all come back.
In her previous life, they had forced her into that marriage, pushing her into Jeremy's world while Iris walked away untouched.
To everyone else, he appeared flawless. She became the admired Mrs. Ward, living in luxury, surrounded by everything others envied. When he rose to the top, he even built a grand residence for her.
But behind closed doors, nothing was as it seemed. The man people praised was nothing more than a monster. He took everything from her, including her research work, and never showed restraint. Day after day, he broke her down, leaving her hanging by a thread, only to pretend to be remorseful afterward. She lived in a cycle she couldn't escape, pulled between moments that felt like heaven and others that dragged her into darkness, until there was nothing left of her.
At the same time, Iris had stepped into a different fate. After marrying into the Shaw family, she learned the truth too late. Her husband had been bound to a wheelchair since he got injured in an accident long ago. He kept his distance, cold and indifferent, never showing her the attention she expected. Their marriage remained empty, and within half a year, everything collapsed. He was killed, and the power he once held vanished overnight. With it, the Shaw family fell apart.
Iris was cast aside without hesitation. Branded as a bad omen, she became someone people avoided. No one dared to associate with her, much less marry her. In the end, she died alone on the streets, long before Eliana met her own fate.
So this time, Iris must have believed that changing her husband would change her fate. If she wanted Jeremy, that monster, so badly, then she could have him.
As for Eliana, she was determined to take back everything that had been stolen from her in this life.
With that thought in mind, her eyes moved across the room, only to stop abruptly. On the other side, a man sat in a wheelchair.
Even without standing, his presence filled the space. There was a quiet strength about him that no one could ignore.
It was him. Evan Shaw. The heir of the Shaw family. The man who had been Iris' husband in her previous life.
His features were sharp, his expression unreadable. When John finished speaking, Evan didn't react much. He simply glanced toward the butler at his side. Understanding the signal, the butler stepped forward. "Mr. Shaw has come today to formally request Miss Eliana Marshall's hand in marriage. These are the wedding gifts."
He lifted his hand slightly.
At once, six men dressed in black moved forward and opened the boxes they carried.
The sight inside made everyone in the room fall silent in shock.
