Rebirth in Silence
Darkness. Silence. Cold.
Aria's consciousness drifted in a heavy fog, the suffocating cold seeping into her bones. Her lashes fluttered weakly, the sharp sting of icy water licking her skin. She gasped—air rushing into her lungs as she jerked upright, splashing water echoing off tiled walls.
Her vision swam, the dim light above flickering. How… how am I alive?
Her last memory was crystal clear. She had been shot—shot point-blank—after sacrificing herself to buy time for her cousin. The gunshot had rung out in that filthy, abandoned warehouse, her body collapsing as the world went black. Her breath trembled. Her hand instinctively reached for her chest… but found no wound, only smooth, damp skin.
Her heart pounded violently.
"Where… where am I?" she whispered, the voice that came out was… wrong. Softer. Sweeter.
Slowly, she pushed herself out of the bathtub, water cascading down her pale skin. Her legs trembled as she stood, every movement foreign and fragile. She caught sight of a plush white robe hanging nearby and wrapped it tightly around her shivering body.
Her bare feet padded across the cold marble floor until she stood before a grand vanity mirror. The moment her eyes lifted to the reflection, she froze.
This… this wasn't her face.
Gone were the sharp, commanding features of Aria Blackwell — the ruthless, intelligent businesswoman known in every circle of power. In her place stood a delicate, doe-eyed beauty, her cheeks softer, lips fuller, with long silky hair framing an unfamiliar innocence.
Fragments of Elena Moore's life burst into her mind like shards of glass. Whispers of gossip, mocking laughter, the suffocating humiliation of being labeled a fool. The slow, agonizing death by poisoned food… eaten without suspicion… all for the sake of a man who never spared her a glance.
Aria's breath hitched, her trembling fingers brushing over the reflection.
"This… isn't a dream," she murmured, her throat tightening. "I… I died in that warehouse… and now…"
Her mind spun as realization dawned, sharp and merciless. She hadn't survived. She had died, and for some unfathomable reason, she was now inside the body of Elena Moore—the pitiful wife of billionaire Sebastian Hart.
Her eyes hardened.
"So, this is my second chance," Aria whispered to herself, a slow, bitter smile curling her lips. "Fine. Let's see what the world has in store for me now… because this time, I'll be the one pulling the strings."
And from the ashes of betrayal and death, a new, dangerous woman was born.