Chapter 4

Serena's POV

Claire came the next afternoon.

Her eyes were swollen like walnuts. As soon as she entered, she tried to kneel.

"Serena, I was wrong... I really know I was wrong..."

I sat on the sofa drinking tea, not letting her sit.

"What were you wrong about?"

"I shouldn't have been with Ethan... shouldn't have been greedy for his family's money..."

She cried, face covered in tears.

"But I really didn't want to hurt you. Those words were all forced by him..."

"Really?" I put down my teacup.

"So when you stole my mother's jewelry, was that forced by him too?"

She froze.

The day before yesterday she came to my house to "apologize" and snuck into my mother's room when I wasn't paying attention.

She thought I didn't know. But there were cameras in every corner.

"What... jewelry... I don't know..."

I opened my phone and played a video.

In the footage, Claire tiptoed to open the jewelry box and stuffed the jade bracelet and diamond necklace into her bag.

Smooth movements. Clearly not the first time.

"This is theft."

I said,

"The amount exceeds five hundred thousand. That's ten years or more."

Her legs gave out and she really did kneel.

"Serena! Please! I'll return it! I'll return it right away!"

"Already returned," I smiled.

"I sent the video to your father. He just called, said the items have been returned. Also, he told you to get out of the house and never come back."

Claire's face lost all color.

Her father was a university professor who valued reputation above all.

In my previous life, Claire married a rich second-generation, and her father bragged about it everywhere.

Now? His daughter was a thief, a mistress, an accomplice to murder for money.

"Serena... do you have to be so heartless..."

"Heartless?"

I stood up and walked to her.

"Compared to what you planned to do to me, this is heartless?"

She looked up at me, her expression changing from pleading to resentment.

"You will pay for this."

"I've already paid."

I said, "Now it's your turn."

Claire was dragged out. She cursed me, damned me, her voice shrill like a ghost.

Didn't matter. I'd been a ghost before. Why would I fear the living?

My phone rang. A text from the bank.

Ethan's family had returned the three million, with an attached message.

"Serena, the money's returned. Can we meet?"

I replied,

"We can meet. Bring evidence of your embezzlement. See you in court."

No response after that.

In the evening, Adrian came.

He brought a fruit basket, saying he was visiting my mother on behalf of his mother.

"How is your mother doing?"

I invited him in.

"She's okay. Just hearing about your situation made her blood pressure spike."

He looked at me.

"Are you okay?"

"Do I look like I'm not?"

He shook his head.

"No. You look like you're going to war."

We both laughed. That was Adrian-didn't say much, but always hit the mark.

In my previous life, to help me investigate Ethan's accounts, Adrian was beaten by people Ethan hired. Two broken ribs.

I visited him in the hospital. He said it was nothing, just take care of yourself.

"Adrian," I said.

"Thank you."

"I haven't helped yet. What are you thanking me for?"

"Thanking you for helping me in my previous life."

Only after the words left my mouth did I realize something was wrong.

But he wasn't surprised, just looked at me deeply.

"If there really was a previous life," he said,

"then I'll help you in this life too."