My sister, Catherine Montclair, wasn’t supposed to find out.
But she did.
And the moment she realized I was the anonymous benefactor who had saved Jasper Sterling—the richest man in the country, the same man who had been searching for me for years—she lost her mind.
Before I could explain, she called a family meeting, dropped the truth like a bomb, and snatched the sapphire crest brooch Jasper had sent me.
With a flip of her hair and way too much confidence, she decided to meet him in my place.
Cathy and my parents didn’t waste a second fantasizing about a future dripping in wealth.
Clutching the brooch, Cathy’s eyes practically sparkled. “Jasper Sterling isn’t married, right? He must want to marry the person who saved his life!”
She turned to me, smug. “Let’s be real, Cassie. I’m smarter, prettier, and just way more suited to be his wife than you are.”
I didn’t argue. I didn’t flinch. I simply nodded, agreeing with every word.
They sneered, convincing me I was a failure and that I was just rolling over and accepting my fate.
I wasn’t bothered.
Because, unlike them, I knew the truth.
Jasper Sterling wasn’t looking for me to propose.
He was looking for me because he needed my organs.
——
[According to reports, Jasper Sterling, the nation’s wealthiest businessman, has been secretly searching for the life-saving benefactor who rescued him as a child in a small countryside town...]
Cathy, my twin sister, flicked off the TV with a sharp press of the remote. She turned to me, her eyes narrowing with curiosity.
"Wait a second. Didn’t he say his benefactor was from the countryside? Isn’t that exactly what you told us before?"
She leaned forward, her expression sharpening. "You came home once, all proud, claiming you’d saved someone. I remember we didn’t believe you. Then you pulled out some rock and called it your ‘token.’" She stretched out her hand expectantly. "Show me the stone now."
I froze, instinctively running my fingers over my arms and my stomach—searching for pain, for scars.
There were none.
Then it hit me—
I had been reborn.
The day Jasper Sterling announced his search for his benefactor had arrived again, just like before.
Back then, Cathy had snatched my token and, with our parents, eagerly plotted to meet him in my place.
But I had shut it down.
"He’s not looking for me to marry me," I had told them. "He’s looking for me because my blood type matches his sister’s. His sister is critically ill, and she needs an organ transplant. The only reason he’s searching for me is to use me as a donor."
Cathy had just laughed. "That’s perfect! Our bodies are a gift from our parents, right? You’re just giving your organs to help Mom and Dad live better lives. Isn’t that what family’s for?"
Before I could protest, Cathy and my parents had knocked me out cold and sent me straight to the Sterlings.
The next six months had blurred together. Technically, I had been 'married' to Jasper Sterling.
In reality, I had been nothing more than a living organ bank for his sister, Eloise.
And not long after, I had died from a post-surgery infection.
Meanwhile, my family had thrived—living in luxury, basking in the benefits Jasper had provided them, and climbing to new heights over my lifeless body.
The memory pulled me under like a tide, trapping me in a cycle of helplessness.
A sharp slap across my cheek yanked me back to the present.
“Hey, Cassandra, I’m talking to you. Are you deaf or just dumb?” Cathy sneered, eyes flashing with irritation.
At that moment, I made a decision.
I forced a smile, schooling my expression into one of blissful ignorance. "I’m just so happy," I gushed. "You’re right, Cathy. I was the one who saved Jasper back then."
I returned to my room with the token—the sapphire crest brooch Jasper had given me.
"This is the stone. He told me it was a falling star. At the time, I thought he was just being dramatic, but now I realize... he was telling the truth. I had no idea he’s been searching for me all this time..."
I remembered how Cathy had gushed over this moment in my past life, how her greed had sparkled at the thought of marrying into wealth.
I let out a dreamy sigh, plastering on my best lovestruck expression. "I guess that’s why he’s in such a rush to find me now. He must be reaching marriageable age, right? He definitely wants to marry me."
Cathy’s eyes gleamed with excitement, just as I knew they would.
Hook, line, and sinker.
