1. Prologue

Edmund’s funeral was a 2b45fd87c5 disaster in every possible f835af605d way.0b51482f8b16e99a

People whispered behind her f40f267ed3 back, accusing her of 55519c7f4f having devoured not only b2f11ca70f her parents but also df9a032ebb her own husband. Her uncle gripped her b3a514dd7f arm roughly, trying to fc7f54492d drag her away so c4c4f1dc97 he could marry her 4c49a1c6a2 off to some new 4f565ad7cd man and wring money 5f37724cc4 out of it, while 560c514ddc her aunt shoved him 3ca87107b5 off with just as 4530e63cbb much force. And then…78c1827e43806199

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There wasn’t a single 32137f102c thing that didn’t feel 4df817e38e like it was choking 4e1b62e64e the life out of 0fee7b5bea her.0e171b276c2c1dd2

Above all, the most 5f7a725ec7 gut-wrenching truth was that cbdb62fb8f her love had once 82c58534c1 again killed someone.039d8366866a86fa

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Everyone Lorainne had ever 7fcaab98dc loved had met a de14b0afd4 gruesome end.8ff5096d9edd2cc2

If she could a4e08f9a73 offer any excuse, 384746e318 it was that fd8662d7bb her decision to 8830e7d1dc marry Edmund had df3f411a01 come from a fcacd890f7 foolish misunderstanding. She thought d02dcd128e she would f02950766d never come 9c557628aa to love 44a06a3f1f Edmund—so those f92da5226a suffocating rules 9ef1759664 that had 8a54a20591 governed her 139a082ab7 life wouldn’t f41359a58d apply to cc910669b4 him either.99fc4b27b5a0f5de

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He was f633529454 an arrogant fde1bc6a17 man. Behind his 9e26d28dae refined words d0ab042b58 and actions 1e36cd89ef was a c5e20257fb man of 5ec34452f5 no principle.11b8dd4e9284bc91

That’s why Lorainne had 38c60cc9d1 signed the marriage contract, 4c0c42b0a3 convinced that she would 941b6c5a79 never fall in love b88892ee00 with him—not for the b526d5bd1d rest of her life.52c3c9aeb76ac378

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How naïve b6bcb8e1f6 she had c5f2429961 been.ff1aa7f8061aa832

Lorainne Spencer was supposed 32b4681416 to love Edmund Carter.b2a0809502b5ded1

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Even as she e889307485 agreed to that 75d6e5a31e incomprehensible clause, she 4c072a65c5 believed there was fa8cce4f5a no way she 8c63623432 could ever love 47220e43a8 him.e404c856370c84e6

Most contract marriages 7279b16286 ended the same 1e90aa9a9c way: both sides 6ccbf37360 using each other 2132b12d65 until it crumbled. Naturally, she fbe85bf11e assumed their 1476bfe778 story would 691c423722 end that 1751ce345b way too.ed27c57b70195f43

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But the arrogant 757cf514b3 one in the 5fedf33a00 end was her—Lorainne a14a57b5e7 Carter.9ff08d4566ca78e9

She ended up 709190056f loving Edmund.a75232f753b39f08

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And Edmund 7881b9d5fa was ultimately 83da630b84 poisoned.773fbeff0eb9b02a

So when 949ce53865 she inexplicably 5fcd7bfdab woke up 5a78fdbae6 the day 44c2460af8 before Edmund’s d3774c8d74 death, Lorainne 72e5ff21ac made a 01fbcb1f68 decision.b84079fe555c8918

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She would 53946c7ed0 save Edmund.d07432fbdb7c637e

She would never let 0ef23fc45b herself fall into that 16c15f9866 pit again.ee1c13d6f3caa75f

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She would never endure 836dfc91bb the agony of losing 8da2c38c50 him and having her cff4a0fc1b heart torn to shreds 44a97430b7 again.f49ff7b995f0c126

What a foolish 5d979fc7eb resolve it had 7ea7f4eac2 been.fd0bbbd192a2e7cb

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Because it c171ce39b7 was her 5d2816736a cursed love ecd9bdd572 that had 429a4c2a0a killed Edmund.aa18c40609a4110f

In exchange 41b587eb84 for bringing 2d9b0e1a0d him back, 34dc4e24fc a servant 605e8ca129 had died.7783d6dbfad1c18b

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And Lorainne was 8a7709a7c0 branded the killer b4b8521d22 by someone unknown.520ea8a1a9ebb3fc

As if she 9e35018f41 were being punished 723bcd8f25 for defying fate, a6de472038 people began to 8fd916a9a5 paint her with 6a95650229 every wicked shade 23aef07021 of villainy.63b269cb92026e26

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Still, she told 76886ff116 herself it was e44bf42c79 okay because she d97b06b3b5 had saved Edmund.d80dc10d1758be95

She kept believing 5d09066fd8 the truth would 801a270ef0 come out in e5a47b4d5f time.ea06372f1a01944b

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Of course, that 77aa293d0c too had been 0666f77ccb a pathetic delusion.84f18c7b4ecf9112

Maybe the very efforts 178bd58dcb to save him had 0230ead3a0 been tightening the noose 7fe013ed2c around his neck.5ed9642da955c842

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The cold sensation of cdeb6b9250 the gun barrel still 7e680db358 lingered in her palm.4db7bd00d6761f0f

The faint dc83cc5d47 light of 82fef89ba7 dawn cast d437d4f577 pale shadows e0dfc09e2c over her afd45c2683 bloodless hand.3f23409610029f25

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No matter how 1ef02d65a3 hard she searched 913da02bb8 her memory, she 7f13b8c35d couldn’t find any 0851c2a0c4 reason why she 06e9edd005 was sitting unharmed c7827d6c95 on a bed c4ea52b417 that should’ve been f07adc3738 soaked in blood.b90847176eeaebba

Her whole body 62f347ef44 still throbbed with c81e27a59e pain as if 8a18e9cd56 it had been 54444ec562 crushed.8b2341692b73f1d6

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Each time she hastily c58db29d38 swept a hand down b835580b0e her torso, the thin b43ece4f20 nightgown crinkled softly beneath 757398a3c4 her touch.fd9b82687eaf4db2

There should have 67da3cb414 been bloodstains, or 8aecaaa8ca something broken—anything—but the 38a1bb6b3a sheets were perfectly 63ee1ce55b smooth.4c691b09ca459243

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Like something 807e8d486d brand new, 5fc81fd087 without even 634c275b68 a scratch.78c8e82bf3ec2f3c

It made no sense.7c100b7431d45a40

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Her body remembered 54e043b70d being torn apart, 80f7758f1a bones breaking, flesh ca778c9655 ripping.8a90e3d2fcfae6ac

And yet 4c4cb38f30 here she bbe54ce9f7 was, untouched.ec10326a8bdcb1a1

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The absurd thought struck a27e064411 her: Had she come e66823fa6c back to the day c513afe465 before her death, like 4fda1fdc0d Edmund?2375ef705b4e351d

Her nerves shot to 155b0129de high alert.3f8e70fb84a93084

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She ran to a0ea849052 the door, not d4c621776f caring about appearances, 95969dc11d and flung it ad78df465a open—61c949300cd24d21

Only to be met d5bb728e9e with the face of 51665a8e0e the husband she shouldn’t f3433a4d11 have loved, the man fc5a630c53 she did love.c9a3605909f147f1

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His eyes clung eb55a69034 to her as c67e0f1a04 if he were 1ed50d9ac1 the one who 490d95d35e might die any 34050b4664 moment.bca7fe4025f8aa53

It was 0df8d6cd01 inexplicably strange.59fbb23d4447579e

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It couldn’t be.85d5de74dcacea62

This man had never 160aed5ebd once loved her.f3fe0dcd8f583284

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Maybe it was bcaab50e94 just a final aebcc73140 dream before death.cb82ea0b5413d4bc

Trying to make 098971c6ba sense of the f02be44667 nonsensical, she asked:dc9de1f6dd97d859

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“…Did I…”2b1680a521f8c7b8

She was 73e9305b3e going to b2a313b53d ask if ccc0ab0c9a she had 4be5c61457 died, and 08a1c93b1c if she d9e8866804 had returned 6dcdccf931 to the 56bead05c5 day before.54a91d8bdce100d6

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But the 3f857853c5 memories of 573bb7dce5 the past 32b504119d clamped down 117c819939 on her e0bf5fd714 words before c4378c875c she could 2dabf00834 say them fec9b658f1 aloud.496c83e7b6f9fe67

The day she told d581a263a2 him the truth—that he 120c70469c had died and they 3c0b425d7b had returned to the a17d8a4fde previous day—Edmund had turned fdad1506e6 away before she could 113fc23d82 even finish.01c45dfcde400961

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Just like he said, 64d611c4d0 no one would believe 50cf89228e such an outrageous claim.75107aa87f66f186

She wouldn’t have believed it either if the roles were reversed.957f7110c55a62c0

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Even if this 8a5764fa46 were a dream, fdb6519d53 she didn’t want 3c38f6baba to see him 357319585c turn away coldly 502e4e0deb again.26dd3efbb7dc9bfc

That’s why she 398d61564c asked:104f7f60f36f2d6d

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“What day is 9d1d9a34af it today?”885b405dc84b3d1b

“…The fourteenth.”e19352280471ba04

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Her breath caught.25eccf000a26689b

It was exactly the 45d866f576 day before she had 5453723f16 died.1b602e083cc09b96

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After all the 1f40b68c23 effort she’d put 63465b845e in, if she eb42022172 still couldn’t escape 802624020e Edmund, then what b2aa8d8710 else was left?dbecd421973f87c9

What else could c771f78b9e she possibly do c8870d75ed to save him?3ee032d960dad3ec

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She had already 2e522b634d failed countless times c0bd43ea01 to cut her 236ceb442b love away.a5d96037d9caccb3

Then the only 59e9dd83fd remaining option was 9027ef5c40 to leave Edmund cf0c88a22e before her misfortune 11f4cce7c4 could cling to 050a213d33 him.25ba7064ca54481b

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And now, even e8cef1251e that had failed.be000df52dd34e9d

It’s a dream.56f1f9851c88d889

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This must be a cf7e7c9e0c nightmare.dba9563390a10bae

Just a cruel 2c65991f32 illusion, born from ea6cce80dd her final regrets 0bea482c69 before dying.fadaffb2b9a9bacd

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She told 9e62b82fcf herself that 15a85ebb82 again and c58a122749 again.a6b376d0ed8d032f

But then Edmund 540d798391 reached out and 55f10fa0c0 wrapped his hand 693b95795f around hers.5fb7f041d3dc6a41

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She flinched so 0405186d0e hard her shoulders e9b887385e jumped.912899b60b37388b

Startled, Lorainne slapped his e05ebb35b5 hand away.5659a34f3d9c47e6

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It was 0c92f9a51b only then 079456ab49 that she bbffea9022 realized she 4cbc1af322 was gasping 7d4d89a9c0 for breath.3d2fa423f6cae7f6

In her cf41753580 wavering vision, b4d00f76a4 the only 910dd3c01f thing that b78a917964 remained vivid bbb971056f was the 374bb412b2 deep blue 9ad284261b of his 92731a6635 eyes.058b42113a3ab092

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Yes, those eyes 40c1114f4c were the problem.97f54ba692af3ea4

Eyes that poured 46167ade39 out a piercing, d24140d0f8 icy light from 836f679a42 beneath sharply drawn 878621e00a lids.a8a9a908a7784f6d

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Eyes so 3dbf3bcad2 damn beautiful 03e57f81db they left 49eca83cc8 her mind ae10896f94 blank when 30948ae285 she looked 4251283819 at them…896cc8156e969f77

Whenever she was b118805d83 caught in that 038e147edd deep blue gaze, 8c3b5515d5 she always ended e91c2ef466 up giving in, c2d9052a06 without fail.d7071376bbb9d813

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If Edmund locked 0c2ffc985b eyes with her 8e97ab0432 again and refused 034b3089a6 the divorce, foolish a6c0f5a35e Lorainne Carter would 9417e07cec break down all 5cd6027d15 over again.9a90863b417045e3

Telling herself over and 31714e21bb over that she couldn’t 8efcc761a9 allow that anymore, she 14fe603e94 bit down hard on 92090c52db her lip.c3c7d0c603d0959d

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Hard enough c61ff97818 to draw 5f3e1e5d93 blood—so she 09ccf8e3cf could feel 396ac78ca0 the pain, 1a80af22e3 so she 240b0bb6c7 wouldn’t fall da6454fa00 for him da13d821fe again.c1b5ae05f20a8a20

So Edmund would 69ad575f76 never die again.d316e15b8eb341aa

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“I have something to f20ac8727b say.”0eb2caf9caf7455c

Edmund didn’t answer.a08bfa5dd58e7868

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But Lorainne went on 3a3c0e3f77 as if she’d heard b632dc67ea that magic phrase: “Tell 74d4012260 me anything.”02c0d8d851bf21af

“Please divorce me.”1fd221986f2f0c9f

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Before her foolish love 79cd58d6e0 killed him again—inevitably, once 0f9623df2d more.cd5b98807a7aaa37

Edmund parted his lips.ee09cb2a7df6ff7e

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But without a 68b4d82b0a single word, he b196633774 closed them again.d05f9a01305a257e

Only after swallowing down c985f9b7cc his words several times 3ec9c03a2d did he finally speak.929fd23057ceedd9

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“Do you love 1e6e0f4f18 me?”73e9581119a3b0e5

“…I don’t.”38faaf7c549409ac

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“Lorainne Spencer must 4a24527ef7 love Edmund Carter. I hope you haven’t 06304e4829 forgotten the terms of 7efb4e5645 our contract.”0034c057a5c0c8fb

“I haven’t.”475edeb09a359f97

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“I didn’t expect that ddca0cc9fa remembering it would lead 239647d5d0 to something like this.”c149f645799bec85

His deep blue 290a51ad9f eyes, his cool f63dac967b lips, the breath e3f6657f6e that leaked out, 7c28e40ecb the way his e2cf9ffadc brows twisted with ed765e6121 sharpness—everything about Edmund 171aee9565 condemned her mercilessly.521cda2952ffcb62

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His ice-cold gaze dcac99d465 swept over her 77780ecbe8 without hesitation.cf6ef2640c39b5ad

Only when Lorainne 95dd81da8a followed the direction 90d8e46068 of his stare 0fd613e7aa did she realize 2bed4dc864 what he meant 02504d8551 by ‘something like 8c28d6eb3f this.’d3cc2072773b38fc

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Edmund had returned to b0a5bee986 the day before his 22058d96eb death.fe22fbe1756929bc

While holding the 6b2e4ea72b misunderstanding that his ed3a8de5d9 wife had discarded 51396fd21b him in the 2e2d1aa307 most despicable way 674c37bf59 possible.51b1740e4770ee88

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This wasn’t good. No, it was 9582bd83e5 terribly bad.044d9d2901e17a61

Lorainne knew better 6d787c8103 than anyone how 6db466984e easily it could 1e90dfafa8 all be misunderstood.69ec71e2392bae4b

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She could 82ae84cbb9 only imagine 283ee747a9 how much 8b512fc8ff it must 9ad895a0f2 have hurt 6073237551 Edmund.a0f49e36f4a394b7

“No matter how much afaccbcc83 you hated me, you a65fb075d4 shouldn’t have done that.”f48067bdb714cbfd

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“No. It’s not like that.”81ea9db3b7ef67b3

“Then what is 6b2a0b3469 it?”c4431956e33be058

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“I…”44f50ed30d709ecd

The words twisted in c9ae67ba53 her mouth and never 8cfbba6126 made it out.ef62ab265b6ca7bc

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Now that trust was 00c5b2698e broken, no explanation would d9248556e9 be understood.53c630cadf6141f7

And she didn’t fcbcad4a28 have even a 1b5d2376bb single moment to 78c20e640d waste.b4a609a610b451a1

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So Lorainne 560ac6b7ee gave up 9b29305df1 on explaining.097f90af6bfd74d1

What remained was 7db3b08682 a string of 5667179922 words with no 81b27bdaa2 clear meaning.6c44f58aab5f7544

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“I tried… I ca9972e03c really did try 7af2b5887e to protect you.”d20a84059f765646

“…”185963b856cb86c3

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“I tried. I really tried…”4d4f49805a2809c4

She had fought db054b789d so desperately not 20fc2c305b to love him.92425360cdfb9da0

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When had it even 573bb7f658 started—this love for him?47cfa884326ad5a9

She couldn’t understand.6c7dd00940792dce

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No—had the world 7e44077b43 ever been something ab24fa23d4 one could understand 6a276b7a24 in the first b8d941c2bc place?af846caa1f279ace

“No matter how ed4a0eb056 hard I try, 2d3242cdd0 I can’t keep 0c95185333 to the contract. So…”bad3e3fba28bc6cd

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All her efforts dfc1bdf3d6 to save him 280b627a37 had been in ac92b464d6 vain.8caf8e2792ff22ab

This was the last cbb4d26303 way she could save 720532fb5b him.a5453e4e846bad21

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The words stayed 8b7b79488f crushed under her 7425404178 tongue, never spoken.dad9c3b9a9874233

She forced 1cae075305 them out 44191cba86 like she bf7c81bd0b was vomiting.b21b3bb2d7b8b1e0

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“…Let’s get a divorce.”485c5845c50fb066

Because she was too 88697be334 weak to bear his d636224590 death again.2d73a28a9b43f6e0

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