Cherished by My Taker After Rebirth

Chapter 2 A New Beginning

She couldn't quite understand it. Didn't she remember setting the house on fire with Alexander and both of them dying in the flames?

Why was she now in her pre-marriage room?

What was going on?!

Lily quickly grabbed her phone and checked the time. It was March 21, 2021! If her memory served her right, yesterday was the night she and Alexander had that one-night affair.

And now, at this very moment, Mr. Dominic Steele would be calling her to interrogate her.

Sure enough, the doorbell rang.

"Miss Lily, Mr. Dominic Steele asks for your presence."

The maid's voice sounded impatient, as it always did. Lily was used to it. After all, she had never truly been a part of Steele Family. To them, she was merely an honorary daughter-in-law, not someone they truly cared about.

"Coming," she responded, glancing at her reflection in the mirror.

At this moment, Lily was still young, radiant, and fresh, her hair even shinier than in her previous life. It was clear that Alexander had worn her down in ways she hadn't even realized before.

This time, she promised herself she would live for herself. As for Lucas…

Her thoughts trailed off, and she couldn't help but blink back tears. In her past life, she hadn't been able to protect him, so in this life, she would keep him at a distance.

She quickly hid the red marks on her skin, applying a coat of lip gloss to brighten up her complexion. Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself.

Following the maid, she entered the study. As soon as she stepped inside, a tea cup came flying straight at her face.

She dodged it just in time, and it shattered on the floor with a loud crash, releasing a puff of white smoke.

Mr. Dominic Steele, with his imposing presence, glared at her disapprovingly. "Lily, my family has never wronged you, but how could you do something like this?!"

A tablet was placed in front of her, displaying the hottest entertainment news of the day. The headline blared:

"Shocking! Alexander Steele Caught in a Hotel Tryst with a Beauty"

The article went on to say, " Sources say the woman is the daughter of Mr. Theodore Steele's old friend, living in the Steele household for many years… Industry insiders speculate that the two are getting closer, though it's known that Alexander already has a fiancée!"

The video showed a backshot of Alexander holding a woman's hand as they walked into a hotel together last night.

Mr. Dominic Steele, fuming, slammed his hand on the table. "Look at what you've done! This is your so-called ‘brother'! How could you think of him like this? How will the media view the Steele family?"

He continued, "And more importantly, Alex already has a fiancée! You are nothing but a shameless woman!"

Lily couldn't help but smirk to herself. Mr. Dominic Steele had no idea that Isabella was no innocent angel. She had suffered a great deal at the hands of Isabella in her past life.

But not this time.

She controlled her emotions and watched the video, already forming a plan in her mind. The woman in the video was indeed not her, but Isabella, Alexander's so-called fiancée. And if Alexander had been drugged and found himself in bed with her, well, it was probably Isabella's doing.

When Mr. Dominic Steele finished his tirade, Lily met his gaze head-on without flinching. "Grandfather Steele, I have always respected you and considered Alex like a brother. You know how the media loves to spread rumors, but I'm sure you'll clear my name."

Her words were cleverly crafted to put Mr. Dominic Steele in a moral high ground, and her confident tone made him hesitate.

‘Could it be that the woman in the video wasn't really Lily?'

However, he still wasn't entirely convinced. He studied her expression and asked, "I heard from the servants that you came back quite late last night. Where were you?"

Lily remained composed, meeting Mr. Dominic Steele's scrutinizing gaze without a hint of fear. "I was out with friends for a while. It got late, and I couldn't catch a cab, so I came back a bit later."

She then pointed to the woman in the video. "Look, Grandfather Steele, the woman in the video is a little heavier than I am, and that outfit isn't even my style. And you know what? I think it's time to congratulate you."

Mr. Dominic Steele, by now half-convinced, asked suspiciously, "Congratulate me on what?"

Lily smirked lightly. "I have a feeling that's Isa, isn't it? Seems like things are getting serious between her and Alex."

Before Mr. Dominic Steele could respond, the door swung open.

In walked Alexander, his eyes dark with unspoken emotions.

Seeing him, Lily froze for a moment.

If it had been her from the past life, she would have been paralyzed by the intense, suffocating gaze of this man. The kind of look that made her shrink back in fear, terrified of the scrutiny.

But not this time.

This time, she would not let him intimidate her.

Alexander's voice was low and heavy. "Grandfather Steele, you called for me?"

Mr. Dominic Steele, by now, seemed to have fully bought Lily's story, though his distaste for Alexander and Isabella's relationship still lingered. He had never liked Isabella. To him, a proper Steele heir deserved to marry someone of equal standing, and Isabella, a nobody, was beneath Alexander's station.

With a dismissive wave, Mr. Dominic Steele sent the maid away. "Lily, you can return to your room now."

Lily nodded, not looking back at the exchange between the two men. As she left, she couldn't shake the feeling that Alexander was watching her every move, but she didn't care anymore. She wasn't the same Lily who had been overwhelmed by guilt and fear.

Once in her room, she collapsed onto the bed, exhausted. The chaos of the previous night had drained her, but the ache of losing Lucas still haunted her, deeply engraved in her soul.

Seeing Alexander earlier had sparked a deep, fiery rage within her. She wanted nothing more than to tear him apart.

With a steely resolve, she destroyed every journal entry she had written about him in her past life. Those confessions of love had only led to her downfall. If she had known the price of loving him, she would have never let herself fall for him in the first place.