Chapter 2

In my previous life, Edward, desperate to prove his loyalty to the king, trampled Alexander right on the street, breaking both his legs and leaving him stranded with no way home.

Alexander became the biggest laughingstock in Petrico, a poor thing anyone could bully.

But three years after Edward took the throne, Alexander managed to pull off a palace coup that nearly brought down the entire dynasty, despite his crippled state.

If I hadn't sent my family's last loyal deathsworn to hunt him down for Edward's sake, who knew how things would've turned out.

As he lay dying, covered in blood, Alexander still managed to smile at me.

"What a pity," he said. "If you'd been my sword, I could've taken the whole world."

Back then, I didn't understand.

But now, I did.

I lifted my skirts and walked through those mocking gazes until I stood before Alexander.

He lifted his head.

Those eyes were like a bottomless abyss, holding nothing but endless wariness and malice.

"Lady Victoria, here to laugh at me?" Alexander sneered.

His voice was raspy, frail from lingering illness, yet it grated on my ears like a rusty iron hook.

I didn't say a word.

Instead, I drew forth a palm-sized golden seal from the hidden pouch at my waist.

It was the key to my family's business empire, the token to mobilize all our hidden agents.

In my previous life, I gave it to Edward. In return, my whole family was wiped out.

This time, with everyone watching in shock, I bent down and gently placed the seal, still warm from my touch, into Alexander's frostbitten hands.

I locked eyes with him, speaking slowly. "Since Edward chose his true love, I'll give all this wealth and the throne to someone else.

"Do you dare to take it, Alexander?"

Alexander's fingers tightened around the seal.

The sharp edges pressed into his flesh, but he seemed not to feel it.

He stared at me, a storm raging in his eyes.

He was scrutinizing me, as if I were a honey-coated trap.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" he sneered. "I'm a cripple, a political hostage who could end up dead in a ditch any day."

"I know."

I straightened up, my gaze briefly passing over Edward's darkened expression before settling back on Alexander.

"So what if you're a cripple? With me, you can even run wild within the palace."

The whole place went dead still, then exploded into an uproar.

"Lady Victoria has lost it."

"Refusing a prince only to marry a crippled hostage instead?"

Edward looked like he'd been slapped across the face.

He stormed over. "Victoria, you're degrading yourself. Tust to spite me, you chose this worthless cripple?"

He shot Alexander a look of pure contempt. "Alexander, why don't you take a hard look in the mirror? Do you think you're worthy of her?

"Oh, right. She's the cast-aside thing I no longer want. A gutter rat like you fits her perfectly."

Alexander's face drained of all color, his grip on the seal so tight that the veins on his hand bulged.

It was his deepest, most hidden pain.

And it was the reason he went crazy in his previous life.

I stepped forward, shielding Alexander.

A sharp slap echoed through the air, and the whole street fell silent.

Edward clutched his face, staring at me in utter disbelief. "You dared to slap me?"

I shook out my tingling hand, my voice cold. "Mind your tongue, Edward.

"From this day forward, he is my husband.

"If you ever insult him again, I'll make sure you learn that the wealth of my house can raise you high, and it can crush you dead."

Edward shook with rage.

"Great," he snarled, his eyes full of poison. "Victoria, you'll regret this.

"I'd like to see how you Grants survive without my protection.

"When the day comes that your whole family is executed, don't come begging for mercy."

He pulled Isabelle close and marched away. "Isabelle, let's go. If she wants to throw herself away, let her die in the gutter with that cripple."

Before leaving, Isabelle glanced back at me.

Her eyes dripped with smugness and mockery, as if saying, "You lost."

Did I?

I turned and pushed Alexander's wheelchair. "Let's go, hubby."

Alexander stiffened.

After a long silence, his low, rough voice sounded. "Victoria, if you ever betray me, I'll drag you straight to hell with me."

I smiled, "Got it."