Chapter 1
In my past life, Xavier and I were each other’s worst nightmare.
killed the girl he loved. He murdered my unborn baby. Made me can’t pregnant anymore.
Ten years of marriage, ten years of pure hatred.
We both prayed the other would die first.
Intil one day Mom needed a kidney transplant, Xavier got hit by a car.
lis dying act? Organ donation.
Looks like you got your wish, Toni. I’m checking out first.”
Next time around… maybe we don’t have to hate each other.” With that, he was gone.
When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the day before our engagement was supposed to be announced.
his time, I squeezed Mom’s hand and said quietly:
Mom, I don’t want Xavier anymore.”
That Kane guy everyone’s scared of? I’ll marry him instead.”
You sure about this? Lucas Kane’s got a reputation for being ruthless as hell.
nd words said he’s not even into women. You’d be signing up for a nightmare.”
Besides, you’ve been crushing on Xavier since forever. What’s with the sudden one-eighty?”
studied my mom’s worried face.
1 kept overlapping with memories from my past life how pale and sick she looked during dialysis when
er kidneys were failing.
That’s when I totally lost it and started bawling.
Even though I didn’t answer her question, seeing me cry like that made Mom pull me into her arms right
away.
“Alright, baby, forget I asked. If you don’t wanna marry him, then screw it.
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My daughter’s way too good for this guy anyway.”
“If you want the Kanes, then whatever. Lucas’s dad and your father go way back in business, so I’m sure they won’t screw you over.”
Mom wasn’t wrong though I had been obsessed with Xavier since we were kids.
Like, eighteen years of pining after this guy.
We first met when I was six.
Xavier came over with his family for a barbecue, and I was hiding out in our backyard having a total meltdown because Dad had just grounded me.
Little Xavier found me there looking like a deer in headlights.
Seeing me cry clearly freaked him out.
He just stood there scowling, obviously having zero clue how to deal with a crying girl.
Finally, he stuck out his hand.
Two pieces of Starburst were sitting in his palm.
‘Stop crying, okay? Here, take these. Pretty girls shouldn’t cry – it ruins the whole vibe.”
‘But if you eat my candy, you gotta promise to marry me when we grow up.”
I was such a mess, but somehow I nodded and took those stupid candies.
From that day on, I became Xavier’s little shadow, following him everywhere.
Elementary, middle school, high school, college we were basically joined at the hip.
But here’s the thing that stupid childhood promise? Only I took it seriously.
Over those eighteen years, Xavier stopped wanting me as his bride and started getting all hung up on their
amily’s au pair, Sophie West instead.
In my past life, I was dead set on marrying him, and yeah, we actually went through with it.
But those ten years of marriage?
We spent every single day trying to destroy each other.
Like, literally wishing the other person would just die already.
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Until the very end, when Xavier gave my mom his kidney, basically giving my dying mother a second chance
at life.
So this time around? I’m letting him go.
Let him to be with the person he actually loves.
As for Lucas Kane from my past life – Mom was right, he wasn’t into women at all. Never got married.
But Kane Industries absolutely killed it under his leadership. The company became the biggest powerhouse in the city within just a few years.
If I can’t have Xavier, then Lucas isn’t such a bad backup plan.
Between love and money, I should at least get one of them, right?
When I finished calming Mom down and walked out of the living room, I ran into Xavier in the backyard.
He had his hands shoved in his pockets, looking totally pissed off, standing right where we’d first met when
we were six.
“When are your parents coming over to mine? What the hell are you thinking, Toni? Do you seriously wanna
marry me? Because we’d be miserable together.”
“You know I’m in love with Sophie. Is this really what you want some forced marriage?”
Looking at the guy I’d loved my entire past life, I felt nothing but cold emptiness.
He’s the one who doesn’t want to get married, but just like last time, he won’t man up and tell his parents no. He wants me to be the bad guy and call it off.
Now I get it – he’s just scared that if my parents get pissed, they’ll pull their investment from his family’s
business.
What a coward. Can’t even take responsibility for his own life, just wants to hide behind some girl.
I looked down, avoiding his eyes completely.
“Our parents made this decision. I can’t control that. If you don’t want to get married, go home and tell your mom and dad yourself. Don’t come crying to me about it.”
I walked right past him and left the backyard.
The Kanes have been wanting to marry into our family for years, but I still don’t know how Lucas feels about it. Don’t need any extra drama right now.
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So I’m not telling Xavier about my little plan just yet.
Besides, setting him free is already more than enough payback for him saving my mom’s life.
Giving him the good news? That’s not part of the deal.
Xavier Morrison, your freedom is all you’re getting from me.
No way in hell am I wishing you happiness too.
