Early in the morning, Emma Smith suddenly awoke from a dream, her chest rising and falling rapidly, her forehead covered in cold sweat. The silence in the room allowed her to hear her own heartbeat. The familiar ceiling, the morning light streaming in through the window, and the sound of birds chirping outside made her momentarily dizzy—was she still alive? Trembling, she raised her hand and touched the smooth wooden surface of the nightstand. Her fingers slowly slid over the familiar old-fashioned alarm clock. The clock's hands pointed to a day she could never forget—the morning of her seventeenth birthday. Tears suddenly slid down her cheeks as she slowly closed her eyes, feeling both shocked and relieved.
"Fate... has actually given me a second chance," Emma choked out. Memories flooded her mind like a tide: the pain of her past life tore at her heart like a nightmare. Her father, William Brown's conspiracy, the sudden death of her grandfather, James Smith, her mother, Sophia, unable to bear the blow and falling to her death, and then herself, isolated and pushed into the depths of despair, ultimately dying in a collision with a speeding truck. Emma gritted her teeth, clenching her fists so tightly that her nails dug deep into her palms. Her tears blurred her vision. Through gritted teeth, she managed to say, "This time, I won't let you succeed."
The morning sunlight filled the room. Emma stood in front of the mirror, carefully studying her face. The girl in the mirror had clear, bright eyes, but now there was an uncharacteristic calm and steadiness in them. In her previous life, after the death of her grandfather and mother, she had grown up quickly. She reached out, gently touching her still youthful face, silently vowing to herself: I will protect all of this, no matter the cost.
Taking a deep breath, Emma gathered her emotions, pushed open the door, and walked toward the dining room. In the Smith family dining room, the warm atmosphere was just as it always had been. Her mother, Sophia, was wearing a white morning robe, holding a cup of coffee, chatting softly with her grandfather, James. Her grandfather's smile was kind and warm, a scene Emma had once known well but now felt an indescribable bittersweetness.
"Emma, did you sleep well?" her grandfather asked gently, his eyes full of affection.
"Yes, grandfather," Emma smiled, but immense sadness welled up inside her. This beloved family member, whom she cherished above all, would soon be taken from her because of her father's conspiracy, and in her past life, she had been powerless to do anything.
"It's a nice day today. How about I take you to the racetrack to ride horses later?" Her grandfather said, his voice light and cheerful. Emma nodded, struggling to hold back her tears. She lowered her head to hide the moisture in her eyes and quickly took a bite of bread.
"Emma, how's your schoolwork going?" her mother, Sophia, asked softly, her voice full of concern.
"Everything's fine, Mom." Emma lifted her head and tried to make her voice sound casual, but deep down, she knew she could no longer rely on her mother's protection. She had to become stronger, to protect her mother, her grandfather, and the Smith family.
After breakfast, Emma found an excuse to quickly return to her room. She closed the door, took a deep breath, and quickly opened her laptop to organize the memories from her past life into notes: her father William's conspiracy would fully unfold in six months; the Williams family would secretly acquire the core businesses of the Smith family; her grandfather would die a year later, as a result of William's plotting, and her mother Sophia's tragedy would happen shortly after her grandfather's death.
Now, she needed to thoroughly investigate the Smith family's assets in B City, reliable shareholders, and her grandfather's hidden private financial channels. But before anything else, the most important task was to ensure her grandfather's safety, kick that damned Mia Armstrong—William's mistress—out of her grandfather's medical team, replace all the treacherous servants in the house, and find trustworthy partners her grandfather had relied on. She also needed to strengthen her mother's mental resilience and prevent the Williams family's invasion.
As she wrote down these points, she quickly mapped out her next steps. This time, she had to act first and strike hard.