Chapter 2

"Julian, another headache?"

No bitter cold cellar.

No biting wind.

The room was warm, filled with the clinking of glasses and hushed chatter.

Outside, neon lights shimmered, and cars streamed by.

I stood on the balcony of the luxurious hotel, looking down at the sleepless city.

This was my twenty-third birthday party.

I,Julian Bennett, was reborn.

Not only alive and well, but five years younger.

This year, Bennett Industries had just completed a major multinational acquisition and successfully gone public.

This year, I hadn't yet become Seraphina Sterling's husband.

"Why wouldn't he have a headache?"

A sharp whisper came from behind me.

"Seraphina has been releasing statements in major media outlets for three consecutive days, announcing her intention to dissolve the engagement with the Bennett family."

I stopped Ben, my assistant, who was about to retort.

The situation was far more complicated than just breaking an engagement.

This year, Seraphina had been on a corporate outreach trip in a remote area when her car went off a cliff. She was rescued by a local guy.

The young man, delicate and frail, had accidentally ingested some poisonous herbs while trying to save her, rendering him mute.

Seraphina, deeply moved, brought him back to her family estate.

Counting today, she had publicly declared her intentions in the media for three consecutive days.

She swore she would marry no one but him.

She wanted him to be the future spouse of Sterling Corporation's CEO.

"Julian, don't listen to those rumors. You and Seraphina have been together since childhood, all these years of… affection."

I gently shook my head, declining Ben's comfort.

I knew exactly what he was going to say.

Three days ago, I woke up at the Bennett estate.

Three days were enough for me to piece together my past and present lives.

"Julian." Ben suddenly brightened, whispering, "Seraphina's here."