Second Chance in Brightfall

Return to the Past

" Ah -"

Lena sucked in a sharp breath and instinctively crossed her arms over her chest.

Hadn't she already died once?.

Was someone still trying to kill her?

"D-don't touch me!" Her voice shook,but she forced the words out." I'm the fiancee of the Thompson Group's Second Young Master. If you dare lay a hand on me, you won't survive Brightfall City!"

She hated saying Evan's name.

But right now, survival mattered more than pride

The man hovering over her face froze.

The blade at her throat didn't move, but his body stiffened.

"Evan Thompson's fiancee?" he repeated quietly.

Lena couldn't see his eyes clearly in the dim cabin, but she sensed his hesitation .

So... he knew Evan.

"Yes," she said quickly, lowering her voice. " If you know who he is, then you know I'm not someone you can afford to offend. Leave now, and I'll pretend this never happened."

Just as she finished speaking, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from the hallway outside.

" I saw him come up to this floor!"

" He's injured. He couldn't have gone far. Search every cabin!"

Lena's heart slammed violently against her ribs.

So that was it.

He wasn't here to hurt her.

He was running.

The man's arms were braced on either side of her head, muscles tense,coiled like a predator ready to strike. The knife against her neck was steady, one wrong move and she'd be dead.

She swallowed hard.

Then, teeth clenched, she spoke.

" I can help you," she whispered. " I'll hide you. I'll treat your wounds. But you have to promise you won't hurt me."

She knew she couldn't escape from him, so she might as well cooperate. As expected, her words softened the man's fierce demeanor slightly.

" You'd better keep your word," he said coldly. " Otherwise.... I won't care whose fiancee u are."

The temperature in the cabin seemed to drop.

This man was dangerous.

The footsteps stopped right outside the door.

No time.

No place to hide him.

She twisted suddenly, reversing their positions so he was beneath her.

Before he could react, she pressed herself against him and let out a soft, breathless sound, deliberately suggestive.

His body went rigid.

"What are you -"

She leaned closer, pretending panic, clinging to his neck as if desperate.

He understood instantly.

This woman, with her face covered in red rashes, didn't seem like someone who has been with a man before, yet she was surprisingly convincing!

The door slammed open.

Light from the hallway flooded in.

" What the ..."

The men outside froze.

On the bed, two bodies were tightly intertwined.

From behind, the woman's body was pale and slender, long dark hair spilling across the pillow like silk. The scene was intimate, obscene even.

Then she turned her head.

The red rashes on her face were fully exposed.

The man at the door recoiled instinctively.

" Is James in there?" Another person asked.

" No," the leader spat in disgust. " Just a couple messing around. Let's go."

The door slammed shut.

The footsteps retreated.

Only when the sounds completely disappeared did Lena finally exhale.

Her entire body trembled.

" You did well," the man said, his voice calm, almost indifferent.

He pushed himself upright without even looking at her and reached for his side.

Blood.

Dark and thin, soaking through his clothes.

Lena's gaze snapped to his waist.

A gunshot wound.

He wiped the blood away with his shirt, revealing a bullet lodged deep into his flesh, stopped midway by something hard beneath his clothes.

An amulet.

If not for that, the bullet would've torn straight through him.

Even so, he remained calm. Then without hesitation, he bit down on his shirt and yanked the bullet out himself.

Blood surged violently.

" Are you insane?!" her medical instincts overpowered her fear.

Lena scrambled off the bed, pulled on her clothes, and grabbed the medical kit from her suitcase.

" I'm a doctor," she said quickly when he looked at her.

He didn't respond.

But he didn't stop her either.

She worked fast, hands steady, stopping the bleeding, applying hemostatic powder.

Even so, it took nearly an hour before the bleeding finally slowed.

"Done," she said softly.

Before she could move away, his hands suddenly caught her chin, facing her face upward.

Her face was small, easily held in his palm.

Her eyes were large, dark, startlingly clear.

If not for the red rashes, she would have been.. striking.

He studied her silently.

Interesting.

This woman was actually his disabled brother's fiancee.

" How old are you?"

" Your name?"

" Where do you live?" he asked as if conducting an interrogation.

Lena lowered her gaze, lips pressed tightly together.

" They're gone," she said instead. " You should leave."

"Not talking?"

She remained silent.

He let out a soft chuckle.

" Do you know who I am?"

" I don't want to know," Lena said firmly. " Just go."

" Fine."

Suddenly, he reached out and tore the necklace from her neck. The chain wasn't important, but the ring hanging on it was her mother's.

" Give it back!" Lena reached out to grab it, but he easily lifted his arm higher, watching her struggle like an amused predator.

After a moment, he spoke calmly

" This ship is headed for Brightfall City. If you want it back, come to Dream Palace. I'll return it then."

Before she could respond

A sharp chop landed on her neck.

Then everything went black. She collapsed into the man's arms, losing consciousness ...

-

When Lena woke, the ship had already docked

She bolted upright.

The cabin was empty.

He was gone.

She checked herself quickly.

No injuries.

Only then did she reach into her sleeve and pull out a dagger, its blade gleaming coldly.

She plucked a strand of hair, blew it against the blade.

It split in two.

A faint, knowing smile curved her lips.

When he struck her earlier, she'd known she couldn't fight him.

So she'd taken something instead.

A dagger like this could cut iron like cloth.

Worth a fortune.

As for Dream Palace.

No.

She had no time for dangerous men in this life.

Her priority was revenge.

Lena glanced at her reflection in the mirror.

The red rashes were still there.

She opened her medical kits and began treating herself without hesitation.

Detoxification would take months and require expensive herbs. Having just returned to the countryside with nothing she could only use the herbs she had to start removing the toxins.

Her master had warned her long ago that her beauty would bring trouble; she had hidden it.

And paid for it with her life.

This time, she would rise differently.

As the ship docked, Lena wheeled her suitcase out, the faint scent of blood still lingering behind her.

Brightfall City.

She was back.

Those who betrayed her would pay a thousandfold.

At the port, the Quinn family's butler paced anxiously.

" Where is she? Why hasn't she come out yet? Have any of you seen a girl with red rashes on her face?" he asked, turning to his men. They shook their heads.

Lena walked past him calmly.

So Marilyn had already started searching.

She smiled and approached....