Rod Weiss was the only son of the wealthiest family in Pinecrest, and Grace Cobb's husband.
At that moment, news of his coma hadn't reached the outside world. But I'd been reborn, and I knew the truth: he didn't have long to live.
In the future, everything the Weiss family owned would pass to Grace and her son. No wonder she had the audacity to act the way she did.
That's right.
A memory surfaced, sharp and sudden. Something I'd overheard Lambert say in my previous life. I broke into a run toward the hospital without a second thought.
No matter what it took, the debts of my past life would be repaid.
And Grace Cobb would be first.
But things didn't go as smoothly as I'd hoped. The Weiss family had locked down the entire floor where the hospital room was located, terrified of a leak. Ordinary people couldn't get anywhere near it.
I didn't give up. I crouched in the corridor and waited for an opening.
Before I could come up with a plan, a group of bodyguards in black surrounded me.
"Name your price. Finding this place means you've got some skill."
"But if a single word of this gets out, the Weiss family will make sure you regret it."
Phyllis Weiss fixed me with an icy stare, her gaze cutting like a blade.
They'd mistaken me for a reporter sniffing around for a story. The frustration surging through my chest nearly boiled over, but it dissolved the instant I noticed the silver streaking through the old woman's temples.
She was a mother. Just like me, sick with worry over a child whose future hung in the balance.
I clenched my jaw. No more hesitation. The words I'd been turning over in my mind for so long finally spilled out.
"Rory Abbott is Grace Cobb's illegitimate child. He has no blood relation to the Weiss family whatsoever. And he has severe autism."
"I understand that news of having no heir would be devastating for the family right now. But are you truly willing to hand over everything the Weiss family has built to an outsider whose origins you can't even verify?"
"The Weiss family didn't hold on to the top of Pinecrest by making foolish choices. I trust you'll know what to do."
The color drained from Phyllis's face. Storm clouds gathered behind her eyes, and the jade bangle on her wrist caught the light, its hairline fracture suddenly visible.
But she hadn't survived decades in the business world for nothing. Within moments, she reined in her composure.
"I'll investigate whether this is true. But until the Weiss family reaches a final decision, I expect not a whisper of this to reach anyone outside these walls."
If I hadn't been desperate to bring Grace down, I never would have exposed another family's secrets. Phyllis's condition was more than reasonable.
I agreed without hesitation.
If the Weiss family cut Grace loose, the childhood betrothal would collapse on its own.
After all these years with Lambert Perry, I'd finally learned one bitter truth: feelings meant nothing when real money was on the table.
Confirming the truth would take time. In the meantime, I needed to survive.
At Phyllis's suggestion, I stayed on at the hospital as a caregiver to make ends meet. In my spare hours, I picked up my old craft again, sketching fashion designs.
After all, this was a fresh start. I'd need to earn my own living from here on out.
But Lambert had always sneered at my work. Confidence wasn't exactly something I had in abundance.
On top of that, after Mia was born, I'd rarely had the chance to throw myself fully into anything of my own. I'd barely kept up with trends in the industry.
Forget it. Overthinking won't help.
I'd raised my daughter with my own two hands. We'd never been apart, not once.
Phyllis was desperate for answers. Within days, she had the paternity test results in hand.
The moment I heard, I couldn't hold back any longer. I slipped away to the school gates, just to catch a glimpse of my girl.
What I saw made my blood run cold.
"Mia Perry! I've told you eight hundred times to look after Rory at school. What have you been doing?!"
"Useless little brat. Just like your mother."
Grace had Mia's ear twisted between her fingers, spitting venom, all because her precious son had wet his pants and no one had changed him fast enough.
My daughter's face was flushed scarlet. She flinched and cowered, unable to get away, stammering apology after apology through trembling lips.
