Reborn as His Downfall

Chapter 1

When Clara woke up, she found herself lying in a bedroom inside a luxurious estate. Sunlight streamed in through the custom bulletproof glass windows, dazzling her eyes. She instinctively reached out a hand to shield them from the glare.

"Hiss……"

A sharp, searing pain shot straight through her lower back and abdomen.

Clara pinched her cheek hard—it stung.

"I'm... not dead? I'm still alive?"

She remembered it clearly. She had taken a knife to her own carotid artery, ending her life in a state of absolute despair.

Looking down, she saw clean white bandages wrapped tightly around her waist and midsection. Memories flooded back. This was the exact injury she had sustained when she was eighteen years old!

That was the very first time she had crossed paths with Dominic Vance. She had been on her way home from school when she unintentionally ended up saving his life from an ambush. He had brought her back to his private estate to recover, and she had fallen in love with him at first sight. After that, she had used every single method she could think of to throw herself at him and claw her way into his bed. She had foolishly believed he felt some shred of affection for her, only for him to eventually hand her over to a business rival as a bargaining chip without even blinking. That was the exact moment Clara's heart had completely died.

Rebirth? Had heaven actually given her a chance to live a second life?

If so, she swore she would never live that absurd, pathetic existence again. And she would absolutely never fall in love with Dominic Vance.

She swung her legs out of the massive bed, her bare feet touching the cold marble floor as she walked over to the glass.

Outside the window lay a massive private swimming pool, its crystal-blue waters shimmering under the sun. It was breathtakingly beautiful. She pushed the window open, letting the heavy summer breeze drift inside. The sweltering heat felt suffocating, matching the restless weight in her chest.

Turning around, she explored the room and opened a sprawling walk-in closet filled to the brim with high-end designer labels. As the undisputed head of the Vance empire, Dominic wielded enough wealth to manipulate global markets in minutes. Naturally, a man of his stature always had a rotating circle of beautiful women trying to catch his eye. Clara remembered that this specific estate was just one of many properties he maintained for his companions. Dominic himself rarely stayed overnight here, but because so many women frequented the place, the closets were always stocked with pristine clothes.

She casually picked out a simple mint-green summer dress and slipped it on. Her long, dark hair cascaded smoothly down her back, giving her an aura of serene, untouched beauty. Her eyes, however, were bright, clever, and carried a profound depth that only someone who had lived through a past life could possess.

It was a striking, paradoxical beauty.

The moment Clara stepped out of the bedroom, the estate staff she passed bowed their heads respectfully. "Good morning, miss."

"Good morning."

She nodded politely, her mind entirely focused on leaving the property. If she had her way, she would happily choose to never lay eyes on Dominic Vance for the rest of her days.

"Miss, the boss left strict instructions for you to wait until he returns before leaving."

Before she could even reach the main foyer, a middle-aged man dressed as a traditional estate butler stepped forward to block her path. Although his tone was impeccably polite, his posture made it clear he wasn't someone to be trifled with.

Clara recognized him instantly. It was Brooks.

"Alright. I'll just wait for him on the sofa, then."

There was no love left in her heart, but she didn't feel the need to waste energy on hatred either. The most effective way to cut ties with a man like Dominic was to treat him with total, detached indifference. Whatever they had been in the past, she only hoped that after today, their paths would diverge completely and never cross again.

Brooks quietly observed the young woman sitting on the velvet sofa. Her features weren't loudly aggressive or overwhelmingly stunning at first glance, but her overall demeanor was incredibly graceful and pleasant. Unlike the other women who routinely arrived at this estate—all of them practically vibrating with desperation to catch Dominic's attention—she sat there in complete serenity, looking as if Dominic Vance were nothing more than a passing stranger.

"Could you please have something prepared for me to eat?" she asked quietly.

She was starving; she had been unconscious for so long that her stomach was entirely empty.

"Right away, miss."

Brooks turned and instructed the kitchen staff to prepare some light comfort food and bring it out to the lounge.