Serena stood frozen in the middle of the kitchen, her mother's concerned voice fading into the background. Her mind was reeling, spinning with the weight of the impossible truth: she was alive. She had been given another chance. She touched her chest, feeling the steady beat of her heart beneath her palm, the warmth of life surging through her veins.
"I'm alive," she whispered again, as if saying it aloud would make it feel more real. The shock still pulsed in her, but it was quickly overtaken by something much stronger—determination.
No. She wasn't just alive. She had been reborn.
She wasn't the same helpless, naïve woman who had let herself be betrayed, beaten, and destroyed. The Serena who had died on that cold floor—abandoned by her husband and mutilated by her own sister—was gone.
This Serena was different. Stronger. Wiser.
"Never again," she muttered under her breath, her fists clenching at her sides.
Never again would she let them hurt her. Never again would she let Damian's lies and cruelty crush her spirit. And Elara—her sister—the thought of her sent a white-hot flame of anger scorching through Serena's chest. She would pay for what she'd done. For taking Damian, for ripping apart her body, for laughing as she lay dying.
But not yet. She had to be smart. She had to be careful.
Serena took a deep breath, steadying herself. She could feel the heat of the rising sun through the kitchen window, its warmth a stark contrast to the coldness that had defined her last days. This was her new beginning, her chance to rewrite everything. And this time, she would make sure they were the ones who suffered.
"Serena, honey, are you alright?" Her mother's voice broke through her thoughts, her tone laced with concern.
Serena blinked and turned to her mother, who was still sitting at the table, watching her with a worried frown. Her mother—alive, healthy. Seeing her like this was a balm to Serena's heart. In her previous life, her mother had fallen gravely ill, and Serena had been too trapped in her own misery to help her. But not this time.
"I'm fine, Mom." Serena forced a smile, her voice trembling slightly. "I just... I need a moment."
She couldn't tell her mother the truth—not yet. Who would believe her if she said she had died and been reborn? No, she had to figure this out on her own.
Serena walked briskly back to her room, her heart pounding in her chest. As soon as she closed the door behind her, she leaned against it, her breath coming out in ragged gasps.
"Okay," she whispered to herself, pacing the room. "Think. Think."
The days, weeks, and months ahead of her were both a blessing and a curse. She had the power to change everything, but she couldn't afford to make a single mistake. Damian was still out there, still the same cruel man who had destroyed her life. Elara was still scheming in the shadows, pretending to be her sister while plotting against her at every turn.
Serena stopped pacing and clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. The pain grounded her, sharpening her focus.
The first step: avoid Damian's trap. She knew now that his marriage proposal had never been about love, but about control and power. He had never wanted her; he had only wanted what she represented—the heiress to a vast fortune. She had been nothing but a pawn to him.
But not this time. This time, she would break free before he could ensnare her in his web of lies.
The second step: get close to Alexander.
Serena's heart skipped a beat at the thought of him. Alexander had loved her, truly loved her, in the life she had lost. He had been too late to save her then, but this time... This time, she would reach out to him. She didn't know how, but she was certain of one thing—he was the key. He was her only ally in a sea of enemies.
The third step: face Elara - her cousin sister.
The very thought of Elara made Serena's blood boil. How could someone be so vile, so twisted, as to take pleasure in another's suffering—her own sister's suffering? Elara had not only betrayed her by stealing Damian, but she had stolen her future, her child. She had watched Serena die and laughed.
Elara was the darkest shadow of Serena's past, but she wouldn't let that shadow loom over her future. No, this time she would be the one to destroy Elara. Serena didn't know how yet, but she would make sure that her sister paid for every single tear she had made her shed.
She strode over to the mirror, her reflection staring back at her with fierce determination. This time, she wouldn't wait for things to happen to her. She would act. She would fight for her happiness, for her freedom, for her life.
"I am NOT weak," she whispered, her voice low but filled with conviction. "I am not the same Serena who let you all trample over me."
She thought back to the moment Damian had ripped apart her heart with his cruelty, and her lips curled into a snarl. "Damian... you'll regret ever crossing me."
Serena knew the battles ahead of her would be long and hard. Damian's manipulation, Elara's schemes, and even her own self-doubt would try to pull her down. But she had been through worse. She had died. There was nothing they could do to her now that was worse than what they had already done.
She walked over to the small desk in her room and grabbed a notepad, writing down her new resolution in bold letters.
1. Change the Future. 2. Avoid Damian's Marriage Proposal. 3. Expose Elara's Betrayal. 4. Ally with Alexander.
The plan wasn't perfect, but it was a start. And this time, she would be the one in control. She wouldn't let anyone else dictate her fate.
As she looked at her list, a sense of calm washed over her. She was no longer the victim. She was no longer the woman who would cower in the shadows, afraid of the inevitable. She was the one who would take action, the one who would win.
"This is my life now," Serena said to herself, her voice steady. "And no one is going to take it from me again."
Suddenly, a knock came at her door. "Serena, sweetheart, are you okay?" It was her mother again, her voice soft but concerned.
Serena took a deep breath, glancing one last time at her reflection in the mirror. She could still see the pain, the sorrow of her previous life lingering in her eyes, but behind that, there was something new—strength.
"Yes, Mom," she called out, smoothing down her dress as she walked toward the door. "I'm fine. Just... thinking."
She opened the door, her heart lighter than it had been in years. Her mother smiled, her eyes filled with the love and warmth Serena had missed so much in the years before her death.
"You've been acting strange all morning," her mother said with a chuckle. "Are you sure everything's alright?"
Serena smiled, a real smile, for the first time in what felt like forever.
"Yes," she said, her voice filled with a newfound certainty. "Everything's going to be alright, Mom. I promise."
As her mother turned to walk back toward the kitchen, Serena glanced out the window, her gaze far away. She wasn't just saying it to reassure her mother—she meant it. This time, things would be alright.
Because this time, she was in control.
"I'll make sure of it."