Killed in Our Home, Reborn to Change Fate

After dating Gabriel Lowe for three years, we finally saved up enough money to buy a villa for ourselves.

I personally designed this villa. But what I didn't expect was that the gas line in my villa would explode on the day Gabriel and I were meant to receive the keys.

Not only did the entire villa get reduced into ruins, but the explosion also killed the neighboring family of three. On top of that, the fire even destroyed their antique painting that was worth 500 million dollars.

Since I took responsibility for the explosion, I faced massive compensation claims. My mother-in-law and Gabriel had tears streaking down their faces as they promised to help me tide over this crisis, even if it meant selling everything under their name.

I was touched by their words, so I used all of my assets in compensating the victims. After that, I spent the next 20 years in prison, only to die of severe illness there.

But when I was on the verge of dying, I saw Gabriel with his arm around his first love, Jasmine Wade. Apparently, they were here to visit me.

They grinned maliciously at me outside the bars.

"The truth is, the family didn't die at all. The painting was a cheap imitation, too. I bribed them so that they could fake their deaths and leave the country. That's how I successfully got my hands on all of your assets.

"If I didn't do that, how would I be able to marry Jasmine and move her into the villa?"

It turned out that my decades of atonement was nothing but a huge scam targeted at my wealth and life staged by others.

When I open my eyes again, I've returned to the day I'm meant to receive my keys.

This time, I've personally checked all the pipes, installed seven safety valves, and taken away all the blueprints.

Let's see how the explosion will occur now that there aren't any leak points!

But at 3:00 pm, the explosion in the villa still occurs…

I shot up in bed, gasping for air.

Sweat ran down my forehead, soaking my silk pajamas. My phone screen glowed beside me, the date showing the exact day of the house handover.

I had been reborn.

Memories from my past life still churned in my mind, and the burning sensation of being scorched by flames seemed to linger on my skin.

Gabriel Lowe was still soundly asleep beside me, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth, probably dreaming of striking it rich.

I got up and went into the bathroom to splash water on my face. The woman in the mirror looked pale, but her eyes were sharp. This time, I wouldn't let the tragedy repeat itself.

I changed into a crisp work outfit, grabbed my toolbox, and headed straight to the new villa. Dawn had barely broken, and the development was so quiet I could only hear birds chirping.

After opening the front door, I quickly located all the gas line connections. I pulled out an industrial-grade leak detector and checked for leaks inch by inch.

The readings showed everything was normal. Still uneasy, I took out several cans of high-strength sealant and sealed every connection that could have been tampered with.

After that, I installed three explosion-proof safety valves on the main line. If there was even the slightest irregularity, the valves would automatically cut off the gas supply.

I also replaced the smart lock on the front door, changing the passcode to a sequence of numbers only I knew. To make sure everything was airtight, I gathered all the construction blueprints in the house and took them with me. I even grabbed the spare key from the entryway shoe cabinet.

When I finished, I stood in the center of the living room and surveyed my work. This house was the result of my hard work. Every single detail embodied my dedication.

Satisfied, I locked the door, checked the perimeter one more time, and only after making sure that nothing could get in did I head to the office.

The entire morning, I sat in my office staring at the surveillance footage. The villa entrance remained quiet. No one approached.

I picked up my coffee and took a sip, though my hands trembled slightly. If I could just make it past 3:00 pm, everything would be over.

Time crawled by. I stared at the screen at 2:50 pm, my heart pounding so hard I could feel it in my throat.

At 2:55 pm, my phone buzzed. It was a message from Gabriel. "Honey, come home early tonight. I have a surprise for you."

I let out a cold laugh and ignored it. Just then, the image on the screen shook violently. Immediately after, static filled the screen.

Before I could react, a deafening boom erupted outside the window. The ground shook, and the glass windows of my office buzzed and rattled. I rushed to the window and looked toward the south side of the city.

A thick black column of smoke shot straight into the sky, and piercing sirens wailed in the distance. The television news cut in with a breaking report.

"A massive gas explosion has occurred in the southern residential district. The entire building has been leveled. The number of casualties has not yet been confirmed."