A rival family set our world on fire. They stole every child from the school, including my Angela.
My husband, Leo, promised to bring her back.
Three hours later, he emerged from the chaos... with his mistress's daughter in his arms.
"The negotiation failed. I only had time to save Crystal..."
An explosion turned my daughter to ash. A falling beam shattered my spine, and I died.
Until I woke up. Back at the beginning.
This time, when he promised to save her, I smashed a glass of whiskey in his face and seized the encrypted phone.
He failed our daughter once. I won't let him again.
This time, I'm calling my brother.
The Don of the Gallo family.
————————
1
"Julia, what the hell are you doing?!"
Leo stared at the liquor stain on his suit, his eyes cold as he snatched the phone from my hand.
"I told you I'd save Angela! What more do you want from me?!"
"At a time like this, you're making a scene?"
"Rosalie is part of our team! My plan falls apart without her!" he growled, his expression hardening.
My fingers clenched. Before I could form a reply, Rosalie glided over, her body draped in a tight silk dress.
"Julia, this is not the time for your tantrums. There are thirty-six children in that school, and they're waiting for us."
"Look at the family members outside. Do you really think now is the right time to be undermining Leo?"
With a hint of contempt in her eyes, Rosalie casually lifted her wrist, revealing the new diamond bracelet Leo had given her.
"Julia, my daughter is in there too. I need you to trust in Leo's abilities as Consigliere."
"Our methods are proven. We will save every single child."
The sight of that garish bracelet made my stomach churn.
In my last life, I’d seen the photos. Obscene pictures of her and Leo. I was already drawing up the divorce papers, but before I could take them to the family elders, the news from Angela's school broke.
Back then, I suppressed all my pain and begged Leo to save our daughter.
When the news broke that a child had been killed, I even got on my knees, begging Rosalie.
I begged her to save my daughter, telling her I was willing to let her and Leo be together.
But she just sneered, completely indifferent.
"Who needs your permission?"
"Leo was always mine. For the past few years, you were just a placeholder in his bed."
The sickening memory flooded my mind.
I took a step forward, raised my hand, and slapped her hard across the face.
"Get out!"
"I do not approve of you two going in to negotiate!"
"I demand a change in the lead negotiator!"
I shouted, then bent down to pick up my phone, only to find the call had been disconnected.
I picked it up, preparing to dial again.
But his hand clamped around my wrist in a vise-like grip.
"Julia, you've gone too far this time!"
"Apologize to Rosalie right now!"
Red welts bloomed on my wrist. I winced in pain, my eyes welling up, but I didn't back down.
In my last life, just before she was killed in the explosion, Angela had called me on her watch.
She was terrified, her voice a terrified whisper.
"Mama, the bad man lit the bomb. He said we're all going to meet God now."
"Mama, Papa had to choose one child to save... and he didn't choose me."
"Was I not a good girl? Is that why Papa doesn't like me anymore?"
My daughter's last words would haunt me, even beyond the grave.
My little girl, blaming herself because Leo didn't choose her.
This time, I won't let anything happen to Angela.
My body tensed. I held my ground.
My finger found his number again on the encrypted phone.
"Julian, I've enabled my phone's location. Have you found the address?"
