Chloe gripped the silk sheets. Her chest heaved. Sweat dripped down her spine. The phantom smell of burning flesh and sulfuric acid clung to the inside of her nose. She looked down at her wrists. The skin was smooth. No zip tie cuts. No blood.
She threw the covers off and lunged for the nightstand. Her fingers closed around a brand new iPhone. She tapped the screen. The date glowed in stark white numbers.
It was two years ago. The exact day Axel forced her to sign the non-disclosure agreement and locked her in this penthouse.
Experiencing all this familiarity once again.
Suddenly, an unbelievable guess popped into Chloe's mind.
—Rebirth!
Right then and there, she took a big bite on the tip of her tongue.
The excruciating pain instantly brought her to her senses.
She was reborn!
On this day in her previous life, Axel forced her to sign an agreement.
No matter how much goodwill he showed later, Chloe refused to believe his sincerity.
To be honest, aside from restricting her freedom, Axel treated her extremely well.
Her food, clothing, and daily necessities were always the best.
To keep her from getting bored, Axel hired someone to teach her all sorts of things.
Wine tasting, flower arranging, etiquette, painting, various musical instruments, and even self-defense and computer hacking techniques...
Even though he was imprisoned, she lived a very fulfilling life.
However, due to Mia's encouragement and various negative suggestions over the phone...
This made her completely blind to Axel's care and doting affection for her.
Their hatred for him grew stronger day by day, eventually leading to a complete and irreconcilable falling out.
She had been kept in the dark by that family the whole time.
Only on the verge of death did she see their selfish and vicious true colors...
Chloe made a silent vow in her heart.
In this life, she will never be blind to the truth again, and she will never be swayed by anyone again.
Heavy footsteps echoed in the hallway. The sound vibrated through the hardwood floor, traveling straight up Chloe's bare legs.
She took a deep breath. She forced her heart rate to slow. The panic in her veins turned into ice water.
The heavy oak door swung open, hitting the wall with a loud crack.
Axel strode into the room. He wore a dark grey suit. His jaw was locked tight. He threw a thick stack of legal documents onto the black walnut console table near the door.
"If you try to contact Julian again, I will cut off every cent of your trust fund," Axel said. His voice was a low rumble that rattled the windows.
He loosened his silk tie, his eyes dark and volatile. He waited for her to scream. He watched her every micro-expression, waiting for her to grab the heavy crystal lamp from the nightstand and hurl it at his head, just like she had done in her past life. His muscles were already tensed for the impact, prepared for the familiar chaos. But she wouldn't. Not this time. The endless cycle of hatred was over.
Chloe stepped off the rug. Her bare feet hit the cold hardwood. She walked across the room, moving in a straight line toward him.
She stopped six inches from his chest.
Axel's muscles instantly coiled. His right hand twitched, preparing to block a strike.
Chloe tilted her head up. She looked at his face. No acid burns. No melted skin. Just sharp jawlines and perfect, terrifying intensity.
She raised both arms and wrapped them around his waist. She pressed the side of her face against the center of his chest. She listened to the heavy, rapid thud of his heart.
Axel froze. His entire body turned into a steel beam. His pupils dilated in pure shock.
He grabbed her shoulders, his fingers digging into her collarbones. He tried to push her away.
"What kind of sick game is this?" he demanded.
Chloe tightened her grip around his waist. She buried her face deeper into his shirt.
"I am not going anywhere," she said. Her voice cracked.
Axel stared down at the top of her head. His breathing turned ragged. The violence in his eyes warred with something desperate and broken.
He shifted his grip. His long fingers clamped around her jaw. He forced her head up. His grip was entirely too rough.
"Tell me what you are planning," he ground out.
Chloe did not blink. She rose onto her toes, closing the final inch between them.
"I had a nightmare," she said. "I dreamt I lost you. I realized how stupid I have been."
Axel's thumb stopped pressing into her jawbone. He slowly stroked the soft skin under her ear.
He let out a harsh, mocking laugh. "You starved yourself yesterday because I wouldn't let you see Julian."
"Julian is garbage," Chloe said flatly. "He isn't worth a single hair on your head. I was blind."
The air pressure in the room shifted. The crushing weight of Axel's anger vanished.
He wrapped his massive arms around her back and crushed her against him. He held her so tight her ribs ached.
He buried his face in the curve of her neck. He inhaled sharply, pulling her scent into his lungs.
"You said it," Axel whispered against her skin. "You don't get to take it back. You try to run now, and I will break your legs."
Chloe wrapped her arms around his neck. She pressed her lips to his collar.
Axel pulled back slightly. He looked down at her, his eyes narrowing into dark slits. He adjusted his right cuff. He was going to find out if she was lying. Right now.
