Reborn to Ruin Them All

Rain poured from the night sky. Cold. Relentless. Merciless. Scarlett Hart lay on the wet pavement, her body trembling as she stared at the dark clouds above her. How had things ended up like this? Just a few years ago, she had been the most envied girl in the city. The heiress of the Hart Group. The daughter everyone admired. The fiancée of Mason Reed. The girl who seemed to have everything. But now? She had nothing. Not even the right to decide her own fate. Standing a few feet away were the two people she trusted most. Mason Reed. And Chloe Hart. Her fiancé. Her stepsister. The people she loved like family. The people who destroyed her. Scarlett laughed weakly. The sound was filled with bitterness. "What a joke..." Mason's expression remained indifferent. As though he was looking at a stranger. Not the woman he had once promised to marry. "Scarlett." His voice was calm. Too calm. "The transfer documents have already been completed." "The Hart Group belongs to me now." Scarlett felt her heart sink. Even though she already knew the answer. Even though she already understood everything. Hearing those words still hurt. "So that's all I ever was to you?" "A stepping stone?" Mason said nothing. His silence was answer enough. Beside him, Chloe smiled. It was the same sweet smile Scarlett had trusted for years. The same smile that fooled everyone. But now Scarlett could see the truth. Behind that smile was jealousy. Hatred. Greed. "I really should thank you, sister." Chloe's eyes sparkled. "If you weren't so trusting, none of this would have been possible." Scarlett closed her eyes. Every memory replayed in her mind. Every gift. Every hug. Every promise. A lie. All of it. A lie. If only she could go back. If only she could do everything differently. If only— Darkness swallowed her thoughts. ... Ring. Ring. Ring. The sharp sound of an alarm clock shattered the silence. Scarlett's eyes flew open. She sat upright immediately. Her heart pounded violently. Her breathing became uneven. For several seconds, she could only stare blankly at the room around her. The pink curtains. The white bookshelf. The vanity table beside the window. This place... Was familiar. Too familiar. Slowly, Scarlett turned her head. Her eyes landed on the calendar hanging on the wall. June 3rd. Three years ago. Silence. Absolute silence. Then— "What?" Scarlett jumped out of bed. She rushed toward the calendar. Three years ago. Three years before her death. Three years before her betrayal. Three years before everything fell apart. Her hands trembled. This was impossible. Yet everything felt real. The sunlight. The scent of vanilla. The warmth of the room. This wasn't a dream. She had returned. She had truly returned. A laugh escaped her lips. Then another. Soon she was laughing so hard tears filled her eyes. The heavens had given her another chance. Another chance to fix everything. Another chance to protect herself. Another chance to ruin the people who ruined her. A dangerous smile slowly appeared on her face. "Mason." "Chloe." "This time..." "You won't win." Suddenly, her phone buzzed. Scarlett glanced at the screen. The name displayed there made her expression freeze. Mason Reed. Calling. How ironic. In her previous life, seeing his name would have made her smile. Now it only disgusted her. She answered. "Scarlett?" Mason's familiar voice came through the phone. "Good morning, babe." Scarlett nearly laughed. Babe? The audacity was actually insane. "Good morning." Her voice remained calm. Mason sounded relieved. "I was thinking about you." Liar. Every word out of his mouth was a lie. In her previous life, she had been blind. This time? Not a chance. "We're still having lunch today, right?" he asked. Scarlett looked out the window. The city stretched beneath the morning sunlight. Three years ago. She remembered this day. Very clearly. Today was the day she would be asked to choose. Mason Reed. Or Adrian Kingsley. Her fiancé. Or a contract marriage. At the time, she thought the choice was obvious. Now she knew better. "Of course," she replied sweetly. "See you later." After ending the call, Scarlett stared at her reflection in the mirror. Eighteen years old. Bright eyes. Soft features. Completely different from the exhausted woman who died. She looked young. Hopeful. Naive. But beneath that appearance was someone else entirely. Someone who had already lived through hell. Someone who knew the future. Someone who refused to lose again. This time she would protect herself. And she had the skills to do it. Unlike before. Because after her death, she finally understood something. Trusting people blindly was weakness. In her previous life, she spent years developing skills to help the company. Business management. Stock analysis. Coding. Cybersecurity. Advanced hacking. Driving. Languages. Negotiation. She learned them all. Now those years of experience had returned with her. Along with every future memory. Every opportunity. Every betrayal. Every mistake. A slow smile appeared. This game was already over before it started. The villains simply didn't know it yet. ... Two hours later. Hart Mansion. The dining room buzzed with activity. Servants moved around preparing breakfast. Scarlett walked downstairs calmly. Immediately, Chloe's voice sounded. "Sis!" Scarlett looked up. There she was. The girl who stole everything. Her stepsister. Chloe Hart. Blonde hair. Perfect smile. Sweet voice. A snake wearing a pretty face. Chloe rushed over and wrapped her arms around Scarlett. "I missed you!" Scarlett almost rolled her eyes. Girl, be serious. You saw me yesterday. Still, she smiled politely. "Good morning." Chloe blinked. For some reason, she felt something was different. Scarlett seemed colder. Sharper. Almost intimidating. But the feeling disappeared quickly. She must have imagined it. At the table sat Richard Hart. Scarlett's father. Seeing him alive made Scarlett's chest tighten. In her previous life, her father died believing she had betrayed the family. One of Chloe's many schemes. This time she would protect him. No matter what. "Morning, Dad." Richard smiled warmly. "Morning, sweetheart." For a moment, Scarlett nearly cried. But she controlled herself. Not yet. There would be time for emotions later. Right now? She had a war to win. ... That afternoon. The Hart Group headquarters stood proudly against the skyline. Scarlett entered confidently. Employees greeted her respectfully. She ignored the curious looks. Because she knew something nobody else knew. Within six months, a small technology company would explode in value. Within one year, a major merger would shake the market. Within two years, a global investment opportunity would appear. And Scarlett remembered everything. Every detail. Every date. Every winner. She couldn't help smiling. Being reborn was honestly overpowered. As she stepped into the elevator, her phone vibrated again. Unknown number. Scarlett answered. "Hello?" A deep male voice responded. "Miss Hart." The moment she heard it, her entire body froze. Adrian Kingsley. The man she rejected. The man who secretly protected her. The man she regretted losing. Her heart skipped a beat. In her previous life, she barely knew him. She only saw his cold exterior. She never noticed the way he quietly helped her. Never noticed how he always appeared whenever she was in trouble. Never noticed he cared. Until it was too late. "Miss Hart?" Adrian spoke again. His voice remained calm. "Are you still there?" Scarlett took a deep breath. "Yes." A brief silence followed. Then Adrian spoke. "The contract proposal." "I'd like to discuss it with you." Scarlett stepped out of the elevator. Her reflection appeared in the glass wall nearby. For a moment, she stared at herself. This was it. The moment that changed everything. The moment she got wrong in her previous life. Not this time. Not again. A confident smile appeared on her lips. "Mr. Kingsley." Her voice was steady. Certain. Dangerously certain. "I'll hear your proposal." On the other end of the line, silence followed. As though Adrian himself was surprised. Because in the previous timeline, Scarlett had rejected him immediately. But now? Everything was different. Very different. Scarlett looked out over the city. Mason thought she was still in love with him. Chloe thought she was still easy to manipulate. They had no idea what was coming. And when they finally realized the truth— It would already be too late. Because the girl they betrayed had returned. And this time? Scarlett Hart intended to ruin them all.