Ammie's POV 

Pain ripped through me, sharp and unforgiving, as my body convulsed on the cold marble floor. Each breath burned, dragging me closer to the void. Death. I know. Above me, the grand chandelier glimmered mockingly. It was a mockery to everything that was going on with me. The luxury of my family's estate screams cruelty.

Lizzy stood over me, her smile as venomous as the poison coursing through my veins. Behind her, stood Jamie Barrington, the man I was supposed to marry. He rushes into the room with chilling indifference.

"Ammie," Lizzy cooed, coming down to my level, her voice laced with false sweetness. "You should've learned to stay in line. But I suppose this works too."

Rage boiled beneath the agony. How did it come to this? Being betrayed by my own blood, discarded by the man I thought loved me. I wasn't just dying; I was being erased. They want my very existence gone. 

Then, everything went black.

I woke up with a jolt, my lungs gasping for air. My hands clawed at the sheets, damp with sweat. My surroundings blurred before coming into focus, the grand bed, the vanilla-scented air, the faint ticking of the clock.

This is my room, right?

I bolted upright, staring at my trembling hands. I was alive. Alive. I squirmed with excitement.

" But how?" I whispered to no one.

My mind raced. I'd felt the poison. I'd seen death coming. Yet here I was, breathing, whole. A second chance.

No. A weapon. I am going to be nothing but bile in their throats. One they can never spit out.

Swinging my legs over the bed, I steadied wobbly legs. Memories swarming my mind almost overtaken my mind. Memories of how my family had killed me, had me poisoned. I don't care why they did it but I won't let them go scot-free. I refuse to be the same naive girl who had trusted them once. This time, I would strike first.

I walked out of my room, needing the air to make me feel alive. The corridors of the estate were unusually quiet, a contrast to the chaos inside me. As I walked, my nightgown brushed against my legs.

 I look around and I see the tapestries and ornate vases that I was once so proud of mock me with their beauty. I passed the grand hall, where Lizzy's laughter echoed faintly in my mind.

I clenched my fists. Anger and pain coursing through me. They thought I was weak. Disposable.

News flash I wasn't. I never was. All I did was because of love. I had loved them and as such always let them have their way.

By the time I reached the dining room for breakfast, my mask was firmly in place. The usual players were seated around the table: my father, ever stern; my mother, her delicate smile a facade; Lizzy, basking in her own self-importance; and Jamie, as cold and distant as ever.

"Ammie," my father said, his tone clipped, devoid of emotions. "You're late."

"I wasn't aware punctuality was life-or-death," I said smoothly, taking my seat.

His gaze hardened. "Don't test me, girl. And what are you wearing? A nightgown at the table? Have you no shame?"

I smiled faintly, leaning back. "Interesting. You're bothered by my nightgown, but Lizzy's, what is that? A napkin pretending to be a dress?, doesn't raise an eyebrow."

Lizzy stiffened, her fork clinking against her plate. "You're just jealous. Not everyone can pull this off."

"True," I said coolly. "Some of us prefer dignity."

"Enough!" my father barked, slamming his hand on the table. "You will not speak to your cousin that way."

I met his glare head-on. "And she won't speak to me as if I'm beneath her. Respect goes both ways, doesn't it?"

The tension crackled like a live wire. My mother cleared her throat, her eyes narrowing as she shot me a warning look.

"Ammie," she said with forced calm, "this behavior is beneath you."

"No," I said, rising from my seat, "what's beneath me is pretending everything's fine when we all know it isn't."

I turned and left without waiting for their response.

In the solitude of my room, I paced, my mind racing. The memory of my death was vivid, Lizzy's glee, Jamie's cold stare, my parents' betrayal. They'd played their cards so carefully, confident I wouldn't see it coming.

But now I know.

I stared into the ornate mirror, my golden eyes burning with venom. My reflection looked sharper, colder. I wasn't the same girl who had once trusted blindly.

"I'll destroy you all," I whispered to the silent room.

The morning passed in a blur of observation. I moved through the estate like a shadow, listening, watching. My father's study was my first stop.

"The girl's a liability," his voice growled behind the closed door. "We can't afford loose ends."

My blood chilled, but I forced myself to stay calm. I backed away silently, filing his words away.

By midday, I'd pieced together enough to confirm what I already knew: my family had plotted my death meticulously. This time, I would be the one orchestrating their downfall.

The dinner table was no kinder that evening. The chandelier above cast a golden glow over the room, but its light felt cold.

My father eyed me from across the table. "Ammie, I trust you've calmed down?"

"Completely," I said with a faint smile. "I've been thinking about how much I appreciate this family."

Jamie's gaze flicked to me, his expression unreadable. Lizzy snorted. "You're acting strange."

"Am I?" I asked, tilting my head. "Maybe I've just realized how precious family is. You never know how much time you have left, after all."

My mother's fork paused mid-air. My father's jaw tightened. Good. Let them squirm.

After dinner, I retreated to my room, locking the door behind me. The estate felt like a battlefield in my eyes now, every corner hiding secrets, I had been too blind to

see. But I wasn't afraid.

This was my war, and I would win it. That I promise myself.