ELEONORA POV:
After Charlize fled, a small commotion arose downstairs, but it quickly died down. Clearly, she didn't dare tell anyone what had just happened.
Penny brought me a cup of warm milk and set it carefully beside my hand, her hands trembling.
I took a sip of the milk, the warmth chasing away the chill in my fingertips. I looked at Penny. In this cold, calculating house, she was the only creature who genuinely cared for me.
I needed her complete trust.
"Are you afraid, Penny?" I asked quietly.
Penny paused, then shook her head firmly. "Not of you, Miss. I'm afraid of what they'll do to you."
A small, bitter smile touched my lips. "They've already pushed me off the cliff, Penny. The only choice I have now is where I land."
I pulled her down to sit beside me on the edge of the bed. "Do you know why my father favors Charlize so much?"
"My mother," I began, my voice flat, "came from a wealthy background. It was her fortune and her blood that built Arthur Valencia's mafia network. But after she died, he quickly installed Charlize's mother—a woman with high-ranking political connections. He erased my mother's contributions as if they never existed."
Penny squeezed her eyes shut in horror.
"To my father, everything is a transaction. My mother was. I am. He gave Julian to Charlize because Julian offers visible syndicate power. I have no more value to him, so he is 'recycling' me, selling me off to the Carlisle family to secure a silence agreement."
I took Penny's hand, looking directly into her eyes. "Following me will be dangerous, Penny. The path I'm taking is paved with thorns and blood. You can leave now. I'll give you enough money to live comfortably."
Tears streamed down Penny's face, but she shook her head fiercely. "Miss, you pulled me off the streets when I was starving. Where you go, I go!"
Warmth spread through my chest.
The cowardly, weak version of me from the past could never have protected her from the monsters in this house. But now, after surviving two distinct lifetimes, I had returned with the strength, authority, and power to shield those who were loyal to me—and destroy anyone who dared to harm us.
Yes, two lives in one soul.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, watching Penny wipe her tears.
Seven days ago, I was still a fool—blinded by a desperate, pathetic love for Julian Carlisle. I had believed his sweet lies, believing he truly cared for me. When Arthur brought Julian and Charlize to force me into giving up my rights, it had been the final straw. Overwhelmed by bitterness, despair, and grief, the previous Eleonora had swallowed a lethal dose of poison in this very room.
They thought I was in a coma for seven days.
They didn't know that during those seven days, my soul had been ripped away and cast into another world—a highly advanced civilization.
In that world, I was raised as an orphan, but through sheer intellect and fierce determination, I rose to become "Vesta"—a master of biological science and medical technology. I dedicated my life to saving thousands, mastering cellular medicine to a degree that bordered on the divine, before integrating the V-9 AI system into my consciousness.
When my time in that world came to an end, I opened my eyes expecting death—only to find my soul dragged back into this world, back into my own dying body, exactly seven days after my poison attempt.
The V-9 AI system came back with me. V-9 is a cutting-edge, fully integrated biological AI system.
It integrates a comprehensive global medical database and real-time human physiological monitoring functions. It can seamlessly analyze microscopic tissue structures, pathological toxins, and neural data—providing the most powerful support for my medical precision and the development of advanced technological equipment.
Heaven had handed me a second chance at my own life.
I had been blessed with a doctor's hand and a mind built to heal. I could be a saint to the innocent... but my mercy would never be extended to my enemies.
Those who owed me, those who betrayed my mother, and those who trampled on my dignity—I would drag every last one of them down into hell.
Marrying Damien Carlisle, the broken warlord, was forced upon me by circumstance. But it was also the precise chess move I needed to execute my retribution.
I stood up and walked to my wardrobe, opening a hidden compartment to retrieve my small travel bag.
I took out several items and handed them to Penny: a sleek encrypted communicator, a micro-GPS tracker, and a small aerosol vial.
"Keep this tracker on you at all times," I instructed softly. "And if anyone threatens you, spray this in their face. It will paralyze their nervous system in seconds."
These were simple devices I had crafted using V-9's database and available chemical compounds. Penny accepted them without a single question, securing them into her pockets with absolute trust.
The heavy rumble of a car engine echoed from the courtyard below. My ride had arrived.
I took one last look at the pristine, lifeless bedroom I had occupied for years. I felt zero attachment.
"Let's go, Penny," I said, my voice steady and cold as steel. "It's time to meet my husband."
