THE CEO WHO CRAVED FOR MY MERCY

Lilah Hart snapped awake from a harsh slap.

Her left cheek burned like fire, and her ears buzzed painfully. She instinctively covered her face with one hand.

"Sign it. Then get the hell out of the Wallace house. From now on, you're no longer Aiden's mother."

Gabriel Wallace's cold, emotionless voice cut through the air like a knife, the divorce papers hitting the floor with a loud thud right next to her.

Lilah blinked hard, her vision struggling to focus. Then she saw him-his face was devastatingly handsome, but all sharp edges, not a shred of warmth.

He stood above her, looking down like she disgusted him. Pure contempt flared in his eyes.

She opened her mouth to speak, but before a word came out, a tidal wave of chaotic memories crashed into her mind.

No way.

She had just been the CEO of a listed company, dominating the financial world with ruthless strategy, and now she'd died in a car crash... only to transmigrate into some cliché CEO romance novel?

The book's title? *After the Divorce, the Tycoon Spoiled Me Silly*.

Gabriel was the male lead, and Verity Nolan, the female lead. And her? She'd landed in the body of his soon-to-be ex-wife-the most hated, irredeemable villainess of the entire damn story.

And this scene now? It was the turning point.

Verity had framed the original Lilah for pushing her down the stairs, and Gabriel had lost all faith in her, demanding a divorce.

Back then, the original Lilah had actually been dying to split up, so she signed the papers without hesitation.

But right after that? Verity sued her for assault.

She went straight to prison and ended up hanging herself in despair.

Her son, Aiden, didn't make it either.

The poor kid was timid to begin with. After she died, he was bullied to death by thugs that Verity *paid*.

Hell no.

She, Lilah, wasn't about to walk the same tragic path.

Pushing the pain in her face aside, she forced herself upright and grabbed Gabriel's arm.

"Wait!" Her voice was raw, but her tone was firm. "I didn't push her. There's security footage. Go check it."

Gabriel paused mid-step and turned his eyes on her-unreadable, heavy.

"Footage?" His lips curled with scorn. "Really, Lilah? Always with the excuses."

She stiffened.

Right... the original version of her had used up every last bit of Gabriel's patience.

Even if she was innocent this time, no one would believe her.

Still, she couldn't just let him go. Not like this. There had to be a way to fix it.

"Sign the papers, and I'll give you half of what I own. That's as generous as I'll be."

With that, Gabriel didn't spare her another look and walked off.

Just as Lilah made a move to go after him, someone stepped out from the shadows at the stairwell.

"Lily! Are you okay? Does it hurt?"

Verity rushed toward her, face full of concern. She looked delicate in her off-white cashmere sweater-like a fragile porcelain doll.

She glanced at the papers on the floor, a flash of satisfaction quickly masked by her teary expression.

"I know you didn't mean to," she said, voice soft but a little too eager. "Don't worry, I forgive you. Gabriel's just still angry..."

She picked up the divorce papers and shoved them back into Lilah's hands.

"Just sign them, Lily. Walk away cleanly and let it go, okay?"

Lilah stared at Verity's flawless, well-manicured hands.

Those hands had framed the original Lilah, ruined her life...

Those same hands had caused Aiden's death.

"Walk away cleanly?"

Lilah slowly lifted her head, eyes icy cold.

The look knocked the innocence right off Verity's face.