Reborn of The Abandoned Heiress: The Cold CEO's Obsession

CHAPTER 1: Dead Woman Wakes Up Rich (~1200 words — w******l-ready) --- Jiang Yue lay on the cold marble floor, blood pooling beneath her palms. Her chest heaved, each breath a struggle, the metallic tang of blood filling her mouth. The chandelier above her spun wildly in her fading vision. Around her, the voices she once trusted laughed without remorse. “You should’ve known your place, Yue’er.” Her stepmother, Madam Lin, knelt beside her with false pity in her eyes. “You were just a pawn. Your father’s true daughter is Lan’er.” Jiang Lan, her stepsister — dressed in white like a bride — smirked as she wrapped her arms around Xu Zhihao. The man who had once kissed Jiang Yue’s forehead and whispered love now held another woman in front of her. Xu Zhihao, her fiancé. Her murderer. “I never loved you,” he said casually, as if discussing weather. “You were just convenient.” The poison worked quickly. Her vision blackened. > So this is how it ends… betrayed by blood, love, and name. No one wept. No one reached for her. Her last thought, as darkness consumed her, was a whisper of hate. > If I had another chance… I’d burn them all to the ground. --- BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. She gasped — bolting upright in a hospital bed, sweat soaking through her gown. Monitors beeped rapidly. A nurse rushed in. “Miss Jiang, are you alright?!” Her fingers clutched the blanket. Her hands — no wrinkles, no scars, no IV bruises. Her wrists, once broken during her captivity, were smooth. She yanked the curtain open, rushing to the mirror. A youthful face stared back. No crow’s feet. No lipstick. Just her — eighteen years old. > “No way…” She ran to the window. The skyline — it wasn’t the one she last saw. No massive Lu Group tower yet. That building wasn’t even built back then... Then it clicked. The date on the whiteboard. March 3, 20XX. The day before her engagement banquet. The day before her life ended. > “I’m back…” She choked out a laugh. A second chance? The heavens finally opened their eyes? This time, she wouldn’t beg. Wouldn’t cry. Wouldn’t trust anyone. This time — they would pay. --- A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. The nurse looked confused. “Uh, there’s someone asking for you… he said his name is…” Before she could finish, the door opened. And in walked Lu Shijin. Black suit. Cold aura. Sharp jaw. The Ice Emperor — CEO of Lu Group, future richest man in the city. A phantom of power in her previous life. He was young. Pre-fame. Pre-empire. But still terrifying. He stopped in front of her bed and stared, voice calm: > “Jiang Yue.” Her breath caught. “I heard you’re to be engaged tomorrow,” he said. “To Xu Zhihao.” Her eyes narrowed. “That’s none of your—” “I’m here to stop it,” he cut her off. Silence. He pulled out a document — clean, crisp, stamped. > A marriage contract. “I’m offering you a proposal,” he said. “Marry me instead. Publicly. Now.” Jiang Yue stared. What kind of joke…? “Why?” she said flatly. Lu Shijin’s gaze was unreadable. “I need a wife. You need power.” She hesitated. A fake marriage… with the Ice Emperor? In her past life, they’d never met. But she remembered what the Lu family became. Untouchable. Global. Dangerous. She could use that. And if he thought she was a pawn? She’d outplay him. She smirked. > “Fine. But I have conditions.” “Go on.” “No cheating. No control. No feelings.” His mouth curled slightly. > “Then we’re perfect for each other.” She signed.