TANGLED HEART

"Mr. Stanley, I can assure you—both my daughters are extraordinary. They'd make the perfect wives for your grandsons. You'll see—once the marriages are settled, you'll realize this is the best decision you've ever made!"

A voice Gracie Sullivan knew all too well echoed in her mind—warm, eager, and shamelessly proud.

Her eyes flew open, her breath hitching sharply in her throat.

She was supposed to have died—she remembered the dizzying fall from the eighteenth floor, the rush of wind, and the crushing impact. So how on earth was she here again, inside her family's estate?

The living room spread out before her, immaculate as ever. Sunlight streamed through the high skylight, scattering golden warmth over gleaming floors. A delicate fragrance—jasmine, maybe lilies—drifted faintly in the air.

It suddenly all came flooding back to her.

Today marked the arrival of Kevin Stanley, who came with a bold proposal: to weave their families together through two marriages.

She'd chosen his younger grandson, Theo Stanley—a decision that opened the door to a darkness that would one day claim her life.

Yet now, as she awoke into the familiarity of the scene, a chilling thought struck her—had she been reborn?

If fate was offering a second chance, she'd rewrite every choice. No longer would she play the fool; every person who had hurt her would pay their price in full.

The Stanley family stood unchallenged at the summit, their empire woven through the very fabric of the city.

To marry into their family was a dream many dared to chase.

Still, the Stanleys had chosen the Sullivans because decades earlier, Gracie's grandfather, Danny Sullivan, had served alongside Kevin in the army. Danny had once saved Kevin's life, and in gratitude, Kevin had sworn a debt of honor: their lines would be joined one day by marriage.

When the grandchildren came of age, the Stanleys were honor-bound to make a formal proposal, regardless of the outcome.

By then, the Sullivan family's fortunes had dwindled, so the proposal felt like a blessing they couldn't afford to reject.

A shadow crossed Gracie's eyes. In her previous life, her younger half-sister, Ellie Sullivan, had made her choice first—snaring Brayden Stanley, heir to the family's powerful conglomerate.

Becoming Brayden's wife had meant stepping straight into a world of luxury and influence.

However, his heart already belonged elsewhere, and marrying a Sullivan daughter was nothing more than a dutiful nod to his families' wishes.

Once the vows were exchanged, he kept Ellie at arm's length. In public, they played the part of a perfect couple, but behind closed doors, their lives barely touched.

Too proud to accept being second to anyone, Ellie lashed out in secret at the woman he truly loved—scheming, striking, and pushing him step by step toward tragedy. Her cruelty eventually shattered him, both physically and spiritually. and her own end came soon after, dying in childbirth.

Gracie slowly lifted her chin, her eyes meeting Theo's with quiet resolve.

He blinked in mild surprise before curving his lips into a gentle smile. Every inch of him exuded poise and cultivated grace—the very picture of a man impossible not to admire.

Even so, a chill swept through Gracie as dread clawed at her spine; she knew too well the ruthlessness concealed behind his polished demeanor.

Fragments of her previous life came rushing back, draining the color from her face. She instinctively lowered her eyes, unwilling to meet his.

"What would you say to this, Mr. Sullivan: we let the girls choose whom they wish to marry?" Kevin let out a hearty laugh.

Alan Sullivan, Gracie's father, joined in with an easy chuckle. "Great idea."

Gracie kept her head bowed, digging her fingernails deep into her palms to keep herself focused.

Her father would never turn down a union with the Stanleys; neither she nor Ellie had any say in it.

"Dad!" Ellie's voice broke the moment's silence. "I choose Theo."