Emily Stewart had been reborn—right back to the exact moment her husband, Gavin Collins, asked her for a divorce for the fifth time. Every time Gavin asked for a divorce, his offer got sweeter. His first proposal had included a villa and ten million dollars. After several failed attempts, he'd raised the settlement to a ten-percent stake in his company along with ownership of an entire commercial building. Now, he was prepared to hand over nearly half of everything he owned. Emily knew one thing for sure: there couldn't be a sixth time. She knew exactly what came next. Gavin would have her kidnapped and dumped into bed with his drugged business rival, Colton Willis, just so he could fake proof that she'd cheated. Once the trap was complete, he would strip her of everything in the divorce. Afterward, her death would be made to look like a suicide brought on by the shame of being caught with another man. The scandal would take Colton down too. Gavin would use it to wipe out his rival for good—ruin him so badly he'd never come back. And every bit of it was for Kaitlyn Miller. Kaitlyn was still a relatively unknown actress who'd entered the entertainment world only a year earlier, building her image around being sweet, innocent, and untouched by the ugliness of the industry. There was no denying that she knew how to look harmless. Her delicate features and large, watery eyes made her seem shy and gentle whenever she looked at someone. Even Emily couldn't deny why people preferred Kaitlyn's sweet, innocent act to Emily's arrogant, difficult, and overbearing reputation. Yet Emily hadn't become that way for no reason. Everything had started changing once Gavin began staying out later each night. He'd return home carrying traces of unfamiliar perfume, and little by little, he stopped remembering the anniversaries and special dates that had once mattered to them. Sometimes Emily blew up at him; other times she looked the other way. Deep down, she always believed those other women meant nothing to Gavin. No matter how many rumors surfaced, he'd never once seriously brought up divorce. Then Kaitlyn entered his life. According to Gavin, Kaitlyn was too innocent and vulnerable to endure the same pressure Emily could handle. He insisted the gossip would destroy her unless he gave her a proper place beside him. He claimed the entertainment industry was too ruthless for Kaitlyn to survive without someone powerful protecting her. But Emily had already built a successful career and become famous, so in his eyes, she no longer needed him behind her. What a joke. He talked like fame had somehow made Emily immune to gossip and humiliation, like she'd made it to the top without ever getting dragged through the mud herself. "Emily, these terms are already generous. Don't push your luck." Gavin looked annoyed as he loosened his tie. A dark hickey showed just below his collar. In her previous life, that one mark had shattered Emily's restraint. She'd refused the divorce outright, screamed herself hoarse fighting with Gavin, and then stormed onto Kaitlyn's set to slap her across the face. Gavin had stayed away from home for an entire month afterward. When he finally returned, what he did next destroyed Emily completely. This time, Emily had no intention of holding on to a man who no longer wanted her. Emily grabbed the pen and signed fast. She didn't want to give Gavin even a second to change his mind. "Done. You'd better keep every word of that deal. Not a cent less than you promised." Gavin froze. She'd signed too fast. Suspicion crept into his eyes. "What are you up to this time?" Emily stared at him like he'd lost it. "You're the one who kept asking for a divorce. Now that I've finally agreed, you're suspicious? What exactly do you want from me?" For once, Gavin had nothing to say. He snatched up the agreement and checked her signature. It was real. Annoyance twisted in his chest for no reason he could name. "You'd better mean it." His distrust wasn't entirely unreasonable. The last four times he'd tried to divorce her, she had pulled every desperate trick to keep the marriage alive. She'd faked cancer, staged kidnappings and car crashes, and signed fake names on divorce papers. Her craziest stunt? Telling him she was pregnant. After days of fighting him at every turn, her sudden cooperation naturally felt suspicious. Gavin couldn't shake the feeling she was planning something. Still, he wasn't about to let this chance go. "Nine tomorrow morning. Meet me to finalize the divorce." Gavin headed for the door, throwing Emily one last cold, impatient look. His phone rang just before he walked out. The second he saw the name on the screen, the coldness vanished. His eyes went soft—so soft he didn't even look like the same man who'd just stared at Emily with disgust. Emily watched him pick up. His voice went gentle—so gentle she hadn't heard it in ages. "Babe, it's almost done. Don't be mad. I'm coming over now. I'll stay with you..." Emily had already decided to let him go, but hearing him be that gentle with another woman still made her chest ache. Three years as his girlfriend, seven as his wife—ten years. She'd given him the best years of her life. She still remembered how he used to look at her when he loved her. That was why she couldn't understand how it had all just vanished. What could make a man give up nearly half his fortune just to end his marriage? What kind of madness could drive him to set up the wife he'd once loved by putting her in another man's bed? Questions like those had followed Emily all the way to her final moments in her previous life. This time, she wasn't going to waste her second chance trying to understand Gavin. He didn't love her anymore. That was all that mattered. She didn't need a reason. The following morning, Emily chose a gorgeous slip dress and headed to the courthouse in an unusually cheerful mood. One look at her outfit brought a mocking glint to Gavin's eyes. "You seem pretty happy about ending our marriage. Dressed like that, someone might think you're here to get married, not divorced." Emily shrugged. "I'm finally out of a miserable marriage. That's worth celebrating." "Miserable?" Gavin repeated, clearly caught off guard. He hadn't expected her to describe their years together that way. Before he could say anything else, a beautiful young woman hurried toward them and immediately wrapped herself around his arm. "Gavin, is everything finished?" Emily's good mood died the second Kaitlyn showed up. That sugary smile was like fireworks at a funeral—their marriage's funeral. Emily's patience thinned instantly. "Seriously, Gavin? You couldn't even come finalize our divorce without bringing your mistress along?" Only then did Kaitlyn turn toward her, like she hadn't noticed Emily until that second. She quickly hid behind Gavin, looking scared. "Emily, please don't misunderstand... I woke up and Gavin was gone. He said last night he'd be here this morning, so I came to check on him. I really didn't mean to make you uncomfortable..." Tears quickly gathered in her eyes, and with her timid expression, she looked like a helpless girl being bullied. Emily didn't get what Kaitlyn had to feel wronged about. All she saw was another pathetic attempt at playing the innocent one. Unfortunately, Gavin seemed to believe every second of it. "That's enough, Emily. Kaitlyn isn't like you—she's innocent. Why do you always have to go after her aggressively?" Emily gave a derisive laugh. "Aggressively? I'm just telling the truth. If she's really as innocent as you say, why did she sleep with a married man? That's not naive. That's calculating." "Enough!" Gavin snapped. "Kaitlyn has nothing to do with our marriage falling apart. Stop taking your anger out on her." He stepped in front of Kaitlyn, his face dark. "If you're mad, take it out on me. Don't pressure her."

A quiet ache settled in Emily's heart. Wasn't he also pressuring her into a corner when he forced her to drop out of that famous director's film casting, just so he could push Kaitlyn into the spotlight? "Why are you so hell-bent on protecting her? Remember, we're still married. Until that divorce goes through, she's just a homewrecker." Emily stared at Gavin, hatred burning in her eyes. "Enough!" Gavin's face went black with anger. "You'll never learn to be sweet and agreeable." In her past life, those words would have cut Emily deeply. This time, she didn't care what he thought. After glancing at her watch, she asked impatiently, "So, are we getting divorced or not? I have an important date this afternoon. If you're not going to sign the papers, then quit wasting my time." "Who are you meeting?" Gavin blurted out before he could stop himself. Before Emily could tell him it was none of his business, Kaitlyn cut in, "Gavin, Emily can see whoever she wants now. Asking a question like that... are you having second thoughts about the divorce?" Kaitlyn's voice trembled, like she was about to cry. Only then did Gavin realize how his question might have sounded. He patted Kaitlyn's head to reassure her before facing Emily with his familiar cold expression. "I'm having second thoughts? Impossible. We'll get it done now." Once the divorce papers had been filed, Emily walked out of the courthouse feeling lighter than she had in years. Every step felt free. Gavin, on the other hand, remained strangely unsettled. What caught him off guard was how firmly Emily had signed the documents inside. She hadn't argued, hesitated, or tried to change her mind. She really wanted the divorce. This time, she wasn't playing games. For a moment, Gavin's pen hovered above the dotted line, but he soon remembered how much effort he had put into securing this chance and signed without further hesitation. He refused to let Emily get another opportunity to mistreat Kaitlyn. "The divorce won't be official until the one-month waiting period is over," Gavin said before climbing into his car. "Until then, watch your behavior and keep your distance from Kaitlyn." Kaitlyn tugged gently on his sleeve, playing the reasonable one. "Please don't be so hard on her. She's your ex-wife, after all. I'm sure she wouldn't really hurt me." "Don't count on that." Emily's lips curled into a wicked smile. "I could always make sure your career in show business comes to an end." Calling herself the ex-wife so fast? Kaitlyn had shown her true colors. Her innocent act was falling apart. Even so, Gavin seemed utterly incapable of seeing through her performance. At Emily's threat, Kaitlyn's face lost its color, and she turned her wide, tearful eyes toward Gavin as though she had been terribly wronged. "Gavin..." A scowl spread across Gavin's face. "Emily, must you always be so vicious with your words?" Emily almost laughed. After everything he'd done to her, what else did he expect her to be? On their anniversary, he ditched her to go to Kaitlyn's wrap party. When she got hurt on set and begged him to visit, he ran off to back Kaitlyn up against a director instead. Even when a stalker kidnapped her, he was on an island vacationing with Kaitlyn. Years of lies and betrayals had destroyed whatever affection they once shared, leaving nothing but resentment and hostility in its place. Emily was done watching their little show. She turned and walked off. "Believe whatever you want!" As she left, she couldn't shake the feeling that Gavin's gaze was fixed on her back. Suspicion made her glance over her shoulder, only to find him holding Kaitlyn close and soothing her gently. Watching them cling to each other still made her feel sick. Rebirth had given her another chance at life, but it hadn't made betrayal any easier to stomach. With one last glance in their direction, she climbed into her car and drove off. Her mention of an afternoon appointment hadn't been an empty threat meant to provoke Gavin. She genuinely had someone to meet. And the best part? Her date was Colton Willis—the one man Gavin hated most. In her last life, Gavin had drugged her and dumped her in Colton's bed. That night had been a blur—Colton had been rough with her until morning. At first, Emily had assumed the drugs were the only reason Colton had behaved so wildly. However, when Gavin stormed into the room with a crowd of people to catch them in the act, Colton had unexpectedly taken responsibility to shield her, claiming that he had forced himself on her. The police took Colton into custody, and the resulting rape scandal sent the Willis Group's stock price plunging. The scandal cost Colton his seat on the board, while his furious father disowned him as an heir. Meanwhile, Gavin jumped on his rival's downfall, snatching up several of Colton's projects. He'd also used the secret recording from that night to force Emily into the divorce. Unknown to Emily, Gavin had arranged for a camera to be hidden in the hotel room beforehand, intending to obtain undeniable proof of her supposed affair. The footage showed Emily and Colton in bed together, leaving her with little chance of denying what had happened. To trap Emily, Gavin had Kaitlyn present her with two options. One: agree to the divorce, say Colton assaulted her, and send him to prison. Two: agree to the divorce, admit she cheated, and walk away with nothing. Should Emily reject both choices, Gavin would release the intimate recording to the public, destroying the reputations of both her and Colton beyond repair. As one of the industry's most celebrated actresses, Emily knew that a scandal of this magnitude could destroy her career overnight. Faced with Gavin's cruel ultimatum, she refused to accept either option. Though she herself had been wronged, she couldn't bear the thought of ruining another innocent victim's life. At the same time, she wouldn't allow Gavin to walk away victorious. With no other way out, she had taken her own life, leaving behind a letter that cleared Colton's name and revealed Gavin's ruthless plot to the world. She had believed that only her death would finally convince people to listen to the truth. But the dead could never learn what followed. She had no way of knowing whether Colton had eventually managed to turn the tables on Gavin or what had become of him after she was gone. One thing was certain: this time, she had been given another chance to prevent the disaster before it unfolded and keep her distance from the man who had destroyed her life. Meanwhile, in the most expensive restaurant on Silnord's fanciest cruise ship, Colton lounged in his chair, wearing a perfectly tailored suit that screamed money and power A gentle breeze swept in from the sea, ruffling his neatly styled hair as it passed over his striking face. His naturally seductive eyes had a way of making any woman who met his gaze feel as though she alone held his affection. Despite that irresistible charm, he had never been known for his loyalty. Countless women had been linked to him, yet none had ever managed to win his lasting commitment. The moment Emily came into view, he greeted her with his familiar, carefree grin. "So, Mrs. Collins, you were the one who invited me here. Aren't you worried your husband might get jealous if he finds out?" Emily responded with an exasperated roll of her eyes. What exactly was he trying to pull? Gossip about Gavin and Kaitlyn had spread everywhere, so there was no way Colton hadn't heard a word of it. He was obviously teasing her on purpose, hoping to get a reaction. "Save your sarcasm. Gavin and I are ending our marriage." Colton almost spat out his drink. He stared at her. "Wait—what did you just say?" After placing her handbag beside her, Emily settled into the chair opposite him. "We submitted the divorce papers this morning. The marriage will officially end once the thirty-day waiting period is over." For several moments, Colton simply stared at her, struggling to make sense of the news. His eyebrows drew together as he finally asked, "If that's true, what exactly do you want from me?" Instead of answering immediately, she dug through her bag and pulled out a small velvet box. Inside was a pair of matching rings. She slid it across the table. "Once the divorce is final, I'll walk away with half of Gavin's fortune. So, Colton Willis—do you want to marry me?"

Emily had managed to leave Colton speechless twice in less than a minute. "Do you even hear what you're saying right now?" He stared at her in disbelief. Emily knew her proposal was sudden. He could have almost any woman he wanted. Why would he pick a divorced woman like her? Still, he was the only person she knew who could go up against Gavin in both power and influence. She needed his help to take Gavin down. More than that, she wanted to cut off any chance Gavin had of changing his mind later. After spending years acting in movies and TV dramas, she had grown to hate those ridiculous stories where a playboy suddenly changed his ways and won the woman back. And there was one more thing. She and Colton had already slept together. She owed him. "I only need one answer. Are you marrying me or not? If you're not interested, I'll ask someone else." Emily was quickly losing patience. She reached for the box to take the couple's rings back, but before she could grab it, Colton caught her wrist. "Then at least tell me why you picked me." Colton watched her closely, like he was trying to see right through her. There was still a slight smile on his face, but there was nothing warm about the way he looked at her. Emily knew if she didn't give him a good reason, he'd think she was playing him. She had no reason to lie. "Because without you, there's no way I'll be able to keep half of what Gavin gave me. Sooner or later, he'll find a way to take it all back." She knew exactly what she was good at—and what she wasn't. Gavin was a shark in the business world, ruthless and calculating. She knew showbiz inside and out. She had the looks, the acting chops, and the charm to work any room. But business? That had never been her thing. Every attempt she'd made to start something of her own had ended badly. Every shop she opened went under. Every industry she tried, she lost money. Somehow, she always lost a fortune. At one point, she'd even tried moving behind the camera and producing a movie herself. The project had been a complete disaster, and she'd lost everything she'd invested in it. Even her enormous fanbase hadn't been enough to save the film. So this time, she had learned her lesson. She wasn't going to gamble with that money alone. She needed someone who could help her keep it. "You know what Gavin's like when money and business are involved. You've been fighting him for years, and even you haven't been able to stay ahead of him for long. What chance do you think I have on my own? But if you marry me, that changes things. I can give you an advantage over him." Emily looked Colton straight in the eye as she continued, "Gavin isn't stupid. He turned his half of the fortune into property and cash before giving it to me. When it came to the company, he only transferred 12.5% of the shares." "Only 12.5%?" "Yeah. He kept 53% for himself, so he still has full control of the company." With Collins Group's power and reach, giving Emily half his wealth had cost Gavin a fortune. But a man like him could make it all back eventually. Emily knew that better than anyone. The settlement had hurt Gavin's wallet—but not his foundation. "He's weaker now than he's been in years. If you've ever wanted a real chance to bring him down, this is it," Emily said. She knew that was the bait Colton couldn't resist. Sure enough, he finally seemed interested. "I'll think about it." His reaction confused her. In her last life, when Gavin set her up, Colton stepped in and protected her—no strings attached. Back then, she'd even wondered if she was different to him. But now? She was no different from anyone else to him. Maybe she'd gotten the whole thing wrong? Before Emily could think about it any further, an irritatingly familiar voice carried through the cruise ship restaurant. "Emily? This is the important date you were talking about this morning? You're here with Mr. Willis?" Kaitlyn had spoken loudly enough to draw attention, and Gavin immediately looked toward their table. The moment he saw Emily sitting across from Colton, his face turned grim. Emily rolled her eyes. Silnord was enormous. How the hell had she still managed to run into these two assholes? Her luck really was terrible. Colton said nothing. He leaned back in his chair and watched, amused—clearly in no hurry to step in. Getting a reservation at this cruise ship restaurant was ridiculously difficult. Emily had asked Gavin more times than she could count to bring her here, but he'd always claimed he was too busy. Apparently, he wasn't too busy when Kaitlyn asked. It stung, but Emily swallowed it. She wasn't going to let them see it bother her. She turned back to Colton and kept talking like they'd really been discussing business. "Mr. Willis, I'll think about the endorsement. My agent can go over the rest with your people." Endorsement? Colton caught on immediately. One corner of his mouth lifted as he played along. "Sounds fair. I'll think about your terms too." Gavin interrupted before either of them could say more. "You're doing an endorsement for the Willis Group?" That familiar condescending tone immediately got on Emily's nerves. She looked at him. "Yeah. Why? Is that a problem?" Gavin's whole presence turned cold. Even Kaitlyn noticed the change. She bit her lip, looking all hurt. "Emily, you got so mad at Gavin because of what happened between us, and we both felt awful about it. But aren't you and Mr. Willis kind of doing the same thing?" She deliberately left the rest unsaid and let Gavin draw his own conclusion. It worked. His gaze turned noticeably colder. "You're unbelievable." He had always been good at hiding his feelings. In all the years Emily had been with him, she'd never once seen him lose it in public. A man in his position couldn't afford to show his hand. He'd learned to bury his feelings long ago. Other people might not have noticed anything unusual, but Emily knew him too well. He was furious. Gavin hit back fast. Emily had only mentioned the Willis Group endorsement as a cover, but Collins Group made its move—announcing Kaitlyn as the global brand ambassador for Untold Story's ready-to-wear line. It made no sense. Untold Story's ready-to-wear line had always gone for a mature, sophisticated vibe—nothing like Kaitlyn's sweet, innocent image. And her level of fame? Nowhere near enough for a deal that big. The announcement blew up online almost immediately. Anyone who followed celebrity news knew exactly what an endorsement like that could mean, especially when it came out of nowhere. Kaitlyn's fans were thrilled. Emily's supporters had spent months tearing into them and calling them fans of a homewrecker. Now, they finally had something they could use to fight back. "Gavin Collins obviously stopped caring about that woman a long time ago, and she's still hanging on to him. When was the last time anyone even saw them together? It's been over a year. They probably got divorced ages ago and just never made it public." "She tried so hard to get Untold Story and still couldn't land the deal, but now our Kaitlyn is their global brand ambassador. That's actually hilarious. Her career is about to go through the roof." "Well, I guess we know who Gavin really cares about now. A CEO doing something this public for her? Come on. How much more obvious can he make it?" Emily found the whole thing hilarious as she scrolled through the trending comments. Her agent, Michelle Brooks, was ready to explode. "Gavin Collins is a real piece of work! Remember when everyone started questioning your commercial value? Those 'fashion pariah' articles were everywhere, and you needed a big endorsement to shut them up. We begged him to let you work with Untold Story, and he still said no. Said your image didn't fit the brand. Said signing you just because you were together would piss off customers. Said business and personal had to stay separate. Bullshit. Then Kaitlyn shows up, and suddenly none of those rules apply."