CHAPTER 2
838 Words
Darkness wrapped around me like a cold blanket.
Is this death? I wondered.
Am I really going to die like this?
My thoughts were fading… even my own name felt distant.
Was I ever given one?
Ah…
I remembered.
A nanny once called me by a name when no one else did.
Elowen Sullivan.
Such a beautiful name… so different from the life I lived.
Tears slipped from the corners of my eyes. I didn’t even know who I was crying to anymore.
“If I ever get another chance,” I whispered into the emptiness, “I’ll live the way I want. I don’t care if I’m poor… an orphan… even a servant… just don’t let me be born to those parents again.”
My vision went black.
And then
Light.
Warmth.
Voices.
I was reborn.
I opened my eyes in a luxurious room filled with silk curtains and golden sunlight.
I had been reincarnated as the only daughter of the Blackwell family one of the top three most powerful families in the country.
The three ruling pillars of wealth and influence:
The Blackwells the wealthiest
The Whitemores the most resourceful
The Sterlings the most politically powerful
I remembered how the Sullivan family had desperately tried to rise to their level. I had even helped them secure a contract with the Whitemores once…
They never thanked me.
But that didn’t matter anymore.
That life was over.
“My name,” I murmured softly to my reflection years later, “is Seraphina Blackwell.”
Once Elowen Sullivan.
But not anymore.
This time, I would live for myself.
My new appearance was completely different. Soft pink hair framed my face, and my eyes sparkled with life instead of exhaustion. The servants treated me with care. My parents adored me.
I was their precious daughter.
And for the first time I was loved.
Sixteen Years Later
The Blackwell mansion was glowing with lights.
It was the night of my debut — my official introduction into high society. Although my fifth birthday had already caused a media storm, my face had never been revealed publicly. My parents respected my wish for privacy.
But tonight, the world’s most powerful families were here.
Including the other two pillars.
“The Sterling family has arrived!”
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
Bastien Sterling, the new head of the Sterling family, entered the hall. He had taken over at just twenty years old after his father’s death.
He was… breathtaking.
Jet-black hair. Ethereal hazel-green eyes. A cold, commanding presence that made people instinctively step aside.
Rumors surrounded him that he was ruthless, emotionless, capable of destroying anyone who crossed him.
I didn’t believe rumors.
I preferred facts.
Still… I couldn’t deny he was dangerously handsome.
My parents introduced me with warm smiles.
“This is our only daughter, Seraphina Blackwell,” my mother said. “She can be stubborn, but please look after her as she enters society.”
Bastien’s gaze met mine, sharp and unreadable.
“You have a wonderful daughter,” he said smoothly. “She resembles you greatly. I’ll make sure she’s well protected.”
He smiled.
The entire banquet hall froze.
Because Bastien Sterling never smiled.
But I felt something else a strange sense of familiarity. Like I had seen him somewhere long ago… before I turned five, before my memories returned.
Before I could figure it out, the Whitemore family was announced.
They were known for their signature white hair and unmatched resources. The twin heirs walked in beside their parents.
Anneliese and Alaric Whitemore.
My childhood friends.
Anneliese ran up and hugged me, elegant as always. Alaric followed, pretending to look dignified.
I grinned. “How’s my crybaby?”
“I am NOT a crybaby anymore! and can you please stop teasing me” he protested, face red.
Anneliese and I replied at the same time, “No. It’s more fun this way.”
We burst into laughter.
We moved to a quieter corner to catch up.
“So,” Anneliese said excitedly, “what school are you attending?”
“Same as you,” I replied. “I’m going into biomedical engineering and computer science.”
She gasped. “I knew it! I’m going into fashion and fine arts. I want to design like Althea and paint like Solenne. Their work is so rare and emotional… just looking at it makes you cry.”
I nearly choked on my saliva.
Because I was Althea and Solenne.
Those were the secret aliases I used for my designs and artwork when I got bored after mastering business and music.
I was famous… anonymously.
“I remember you almost blackmailed me to get their collections,” I teased.
“That was a joke!” she said, laughing.
We were still smiling when my parents called me over.
“Seraphina,” my father said, “there’s someone important we want you to meet.”
I turned.
And my breath caught in my throat.
Standing there… was someone I never expected to see again.
- Writer
