Chapter 002: Reunited with My Brother

Seraphina stepped out of her room, preparing to head downstairs, when she saw someone emerging from the bedroom next door.

It was a young man dressed in clean, comfortable loungewear. He was handsome and bright, with features that bore a striking resemblance to Seraphina’s own.

Seeing Seraphina in her nightgown, her face pale and weary, the boy hurried over. "Sera, weren't you feeling unwell? I thought you were sleeping. Why are you up? Are you feeling any better?"

Noticing Seraphina staring at him blankly, he assumed she was wondering how he knew. "Oh, Mrs. Dunn told me when I got home from school."

Mrs. Dunn was a veteran employee who had been with the Pierce family for over twenty years; she handled most of the household's culinary needs.

The young man was Seraphina’s younger brother, Leo Pierce.

Leo was seventeen and in his final year of high school. Despite being born into the top family of Seahaven and being the young heir, he was far from a pampered socialite. He was the quintessential "golden child" that other parents used as a benchmark for their own children.

Since he started school, he had consistently ranked first in his grade. He excelled in academics, sports, and the arts, all while possessing exceptional looks. At school, he was a literal idol; in the eyes of Seahaven’s elite elders, he was the gold standard.

The Pierces already held a preeminent status in the city, and with such a talented pair of children, the family was the object of universal envy and praise.

Seraphina wasn't staring at Leo because she had a question. Rather, she was haunted by the memories of her past life, her emotions sinking into a dark abyss that she couldn't easily escape.

In her previous life, only three months from now, her brother Leo would fall to his death from a high-rise building during a gala. He died on impact.

Seraphina could still remember the moment the news broke at the party. Her mother had fainted instantly. Her father’s face had turned a deathly ash-white, his hands shaking as he tried to support his unconscious wife.

The gala had dissolved into chaos.

She had been frozen in shock until a friend grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the elevator. It wasn't until she reached the ground floor that she snapped back to reality. She had fought through the crowded, frantic onlookers like a madwoman until she saw Leo lying in a pool of blood.

She couldn't remember what had given her the strength to kneel beside him and check for a pulse in that grisly scene. She only remembered the cold stillness beneath her fingertips—his heart had already stopped.

In the blurred panic, she heard someone calling an ambulance. After that, her memory went blank. She had fainted.

By the time she woke up, Leo was gone. Fearing she couldn't handle the trauma, her family hadn't even allowed her to see his body one last time. Later, all she saw was a black-and-white photograph resting on a funeral altar.

But that hadn't been the final blow. Three days after Leo’s funeral, her parents were involved in a horrific car accident. Her father died at the scene, and her mother passed away after a failed attempt at surgery.

Seraphina had been trained in music since childhood. She was proficient in various instruments, but she knew nothing of corporate management. Just like that, the family company fell into the hands of her enemies.

At the time, her parents' accident was ruled as a mere tragedy. She, too, had believed it was an accident—Leo's death had left them in a state no better than hers, making a fatal driving error seem plausible.

It wasn't until someone tried to push

her

off a high-rise building that she realized none of it had been an accident. Leo’s fall and her parents' crash were both calculated murders.

If Solas Sterling hadn't been there for a business meeting and happened to step out to take a call, he never would have caught her. She would have been another "unfortunate accident." No—given her family's recent history, people probably would have assumed she had taken her own life, unable to bear the grief.

Since Heaven had granted her a chance to start over, she would never let history repeat itself. As for those treacherous souls who destroyed her family... even if she had taken her revenge in the previous life, she would make them suffer ten times over in this one.

"Sera? What’s wrong? Are you hurting somewhere? Do we need to go to the hospital?"

Leo’s voice pulled her back to the present. He was standing directly in front of her now. Though she was nearly five-foot-seven, Leo was more than half a head taller.

He reached out to check her forehead for a fever, but Seraphina raised her hand and caught his wrist.

"I’m fine."

Leo had actually been a bit startled. He had never seen his usually poised and elegant sister look so intense. Her face was weary, yet her eyes were sharp and cold, flickering with a terrifying murderous intent. The aura of cold authority she exuded was a far cry from the ethereal, "perfect lady" vibe she usually carried.

For a split second, Leo wondered if the person standing in front of him was even his sister.

"It was just a nightmare and the fever. I’m a little disoriented," she explained.

Fortunately, Seraphina reigned in her emotions quickly. Had she not, Leo’s sharp intuition might have led him to doubt her.

"Are you sure? Should we go to the hospital? Or should I call Dr. Chen over?" Dr. Chen was the Pierce family’s private physician.

"No need. The fever has broken. It’s just the combination of the medicine and the nightmare. I’ll be fine after a little rest." Seraphina’s composure had fully returned. she was once again the graceful, refined woman everyone knew, wearing a polite, gentle smile.

If she couldn't control her emotions by now, those twenty-eight years in her previous life would have been lived in vain. The "Black Widow of the Capital"—a woman known for being decisive and cold-blooded—wasn't a title given out lightly.

Leo studied her carefully. Only after confirming she wasn't lying did he relax. "Alright. Let’s go downstairs then. I’ll pour you a glass of warm milk in a bit."

Despite his relief, Leo couldn't shake the feeling that something was off about his sister today. He just couldn't put his finger on what it was.

"Okay," Seraphina nodded.

"Uh, Sera? You can let go of my hand now."

Only then did Seraphina realize she was still gripping Leo’s wrist. Her hold was incredibly tight. She lowered her gaze to hide the flash of emotion in her eyes and slowly released him.

"Sorry. My mind is still a bit hazy. I didn't notice."

Looking at the faint red marks on his wrist, Leo felt even more perplexed. "It’s fine. But seriously, you're okay?"

Seraphina looked up and gave him a soft smile. "I really am. Let’s go."

"Where are Mom and Dad?" she asked.

Leo didn't notice the sheer effort it took for her to say those two words. Her mask was too perfect.

"They’re downstairs waiting for dinner. Mrs. Dunn said you were sleeping off the meds, and I think Mom went in to check on you earlier. She probably didn't want to wake you since you were out so cold."

"I see," Seraphina replied softly.

She fell silent. How many years had it been since she felt the warmth of family care? Her chest felt tight with suppressed emotion. Yet, at the same time, she felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude.

Gratitude that, this time, there was still time to change everything.

"Sera, why the sudden fever? You've always had such a strong constitution."

"Probably just the changing weather," she mused. In her heart, she wondered if it was a punishment from the universe for rejecting the date with Solas.

Solas didn't owe her anything. Saving her life when they had only met once was already an act of extreme kindness. Yet he had done so much more—he had taught her everything he knew, giving her the power to exact her own revenge.

After her revenge was complete, he brought her back to the Capital because he feared she might lose her will to live if left alone in Seahaven. In the end, he had given his life for hers. And as if that weren't enough, he left the entire Sterling family legacy to her, ensuring she could protect herself even without his shadow over her.

Solas Sterling was a "bad person" who appeared cold-blooded but was actually a fool for kindness. He seemed brilliant and calculating, but in reality, he was hopelessly soft-hearted.

Take his "girlfriends," for example. None of them had good intentions, yet he somehow never saw through them! If she hadn't been there in her past life, constantly keeping watch, who knows how many women would have cheated him out of his fortune.

"Sera, I heard Dad took you on a blind date today?" Leo asked suddenly as they descended the stairs.