Chapter Two: A Second Chance
"Aaaaaaaah!"
Diane struggled to breathe, as if coming up from deep, heavy water.
Her hands flew to her throat, trembling fingers searching for the wounds she had been certain were there—the gaping holes where the bullets had torn through her.
But there was nothing.
No blood, no pain, just the rapid thrum of her heartbeat and the smooth skin beneath her fingertips.
Her chest lifted as she glanced around, not sure where she was.
The cold room where she had fallen was gone.
Slowly, she turned herself forward and froze.
A mirror was before her.
And in its reflection, she saw herself.
'What is this…?' Diane blinked multiple times.
She wore a white dress with fine details.
The top fit her body shape, and the fabric shone softly.
Her golden hair was straight and flowed down her back, decorated with tiny pearl pins.
She looked like a dream—a bride.
Her breath hitched.
"No…"
Her eyes traveled across the room, searching for an explanation, for an escape.
That's when she saw him.
'Adrian?!'
He was standing just behind her in the mirror, smiling warmly as if nothing had ever gone wrong between them.
Adrian's blue eyes were sparkling brighter than Diane's dress.
"Adrian," Diane gasped, stumbling backward.
Her feet tangled in the hem of her gown, and she nearly fell, but Adrian's hands caught her, helping her composure.
"Relax," he murmured in a smooth and reassuring way. "You're fine, Diane. Everything's fine."
Her lips parted to speak, but the words died in her throat as Adrian leaned closer. His breath felt so warm against her ear.
"You're not going to be Gabriel's wife forever," his voice was gentle but had an unusual strength.
The words sent a chill through her, like icy fingers ripping through her veins, making Diane feel so disgusted that it felt like her insides were about to spill out.
But it wasn't his voice or his grip that caused her knees to weaken—it was the realization.
The memories rushed to come back.
Adrian's true character.
Evelyn's laugh.
The sound of the gunshot echoing in her mind.
The sensation of her life slipping away.
And now… now she was here.
Her knees buckled again, but she caught herself on the edge of a nearby table, gripping it so tightly her knuckles turned white.
She glanced at the mirror once more. Her reflection stared back with wide, frightened eyes.
'This can't be real,' she thought. 'This has to be a nightmare.'
But then the door opened, and a person walked in, making the room feel colder.
"Diane."
Richard Ravenwood's tone was commanding, imposing.
He was dressed in a black suit. His silver hair seemed to be combed neatly back.
His icy eyes settled on her, checking her appearance with a critical eye.
"It's time," he stated. "You need to be perfect today. No mistakes."
He approached her. Reaching out, he adjusted a stray hair that had fallen out of place.
Richard's fingers surprisingly felt gentle, but his energy was intimidating.
"This wedding," he spoke in a commanding tone, "is the result of years of planning. You will smile. You will stand tall. And you will be flawless. Do you understand me?"
Diane swallowed hard. Her throat felt dry.
She nodded, unable to find her voice.
Richard stepped back, looking at her once more before turning to Adrian.
"Make sure she's ready," he ordered. "I don't want a single thing out of place."
Adrian nodded his head in a show of respect, though the smirk formed at the corners of his mouth showed his amusement.
"Of course, Father."
Richard left the room. The door was shut.
The aura seemed to grow heavier in his absence, and Diane felt Adrian's eyes on her body.
Slowly, he stepped closer.
"Stand up straight," Adrian instructed.
Diane obeyed, straightening her spine despite the tremble in her legs.
Adrian reached out. His hands brushed against her shoulders as he adjusted her posture.
He leaned in. His lips got closer to her ear.
"Make me proud," he whispered, intimate. "I love you, darling."
Diane's skin wanted to crawl as goosebumps rose along her arms, making every fine hair stand on end as if reacting to the butterflies that were burning inside her.
The way he spoke, the way he touched her… Diane felt as if she wanted to peel her skin from her body wherever his whisper touched her.
He didn't love her.
He never had.
Adrian's words were nothing more than a performance, another trick to make her look like a clown.
Her stomach felt bombed, and she struggled not to pull away from him.
Diane forced herself to remain still. Her face turned blank.
Adrian stepped back, admiring her body.
"That's better," he said. "You'll do perfectly."
Diane stared at him, wanting to tear him apart…
But she had to remind herself to breathe, to think.
'This isn't real. This can't be real,' she told herself again.
And yet, as her trembling hands smoothed the fabric of her gown, she knew it was.
She was here, alive and breathing, with Adrian and Richard, in a reality that seemed impossibly familiar yet impossibly evil.
She glanced at the mirror once more, and a sudden clarity struck her.
This was her wedding day.
Her wedding day with Gabriel Frost.
The situation made her stomach drop, and she gripped the edge of the table for support.
This was the day it had all begun—the day she had been bound to a man that didn't love her, the day Adrian had started his plans.
Her pulse quickened as a thought went through her fear: 'I've been given a second chance.'
Everything settled heavily on her shoulders.
Diane didn't know how or why, but she had been sent back to the beginning.
Everything that had happened—Gabriel, Adrian, Evelyn, Richard, the pain, the heartbreak—none of it had happened yet.
She wasn't the broken, used woman Adrian had left behind.
Not yet.
She was fragile, but she still had the guts to fight.
She was ready for revenge. She was ready to destroy the people who had used her.
She could survive. She could learn. She could be smarter this time. Stronger.
"I can do this," she whispered to herself.
'Dad… I will reach out to him… They made me hate you, Dad… but not this time…'
Adrian turned toward her, raising an eyebrow. "Did you say something?"
Diane shook her head quickly. "No."
Adrian's twisted blue eyes remained on her for a moment before he shrugged.
"Good. You'll need all your focus today."
He moved to the door, pausing to glance back at her. "Come along, Diane. It's time."
Diane took a deep breath, smoothing her gown once more.
Her heart was racing like a mad horse, but she forced herself to walk toward him.
As she reached Adrian, he offered his arm.
She hesitated for a small moment before placing her hand on his.
"Remember, Diane, you must never allow him to touch you. You are mine."
"I know, Adrian… Don't worry."
'I won't let you break me this time,' her jaw tightened. 'Not again. I will end you all.'