Chapter 2

I knew she was going to find Ryan.

Back in my previous life, even though Emily was stuck with us in the orphanage, she couldn't stand any of us.

She always thought we screamed poverty, while she was merely a pearl dropped into the dust—her shine hidden by a light layer—convinced her moment in the sun would come soon enough.

So she kept holding out, waiting for someone rich to show up, barely sparing a glance for all those plain-looking families coming to adopt.

And in the end, she finally got her wish—the Shaw family took her home, just like she always dreamed.

I heard Andrew and Sophia had a son—handsome, smart, a real golden boy. Emily was determined to marry him, sure that snagging him would secure her spot among the elite.

But for all her scheming, Emily never saw it coming—the Shaw family's empire crashed and burned within just five years.

When her dreams of the high life were shattered before her eyes, Emily cut ties with the Shaw family on the spot, not even bothering to play nice.

Barely three months later, she had charmed her way into another wealthy man's life.

But the wealthy guy was already married with kids—Emily was just a fling for him.

At that party, when Emily was publicly shamed and roughed up by the scorned wife, losing all her dignity, she caught sight of me, looking glamorous and confident.

By then, Ryan and I had already made it big in our field and were on the verge of getting married.

Emily was way too proud to accept being knocked down by me, the very person she'd always looked down on, and see me rise above her.

So, pretending she wanted to reminisce, she tricked me into meeting her on the rooftop.

Then, when I least expected it, she grabbed me and dragged me over the edge with her.

She sneered, "Beat me? In your dreams."

She claimed that, but once we actually came back to life again, she didn't waste a second before running off to find Ryan.

She still refused to lose, just like always.

I couldn't help but laugh watching her act like that.

I was already dying to see Emily's reaction when she finally found out what Ryan was really like—the look on her face was going to be priceless.

The Shaw family was even richer than I'd imagined.

Their five-story villa was pure luxury, and the courtyard was packed with high-end cars—enough to make anyone's head spin.

I'd never actually lived like this in my previous life, but I'd seen enough luxury not to be fazed.

Andrew and Sophia were clearly pleased with how I handled myself. They smiled warmly and said, "From now on, this is your home. Don't be shy—if you need anything, just let us know."

On the way over, I'd already found out why Andrew and Sophia chose to adopt a girl.

Turns out, years ago, they'd lost a child in an accident.

Lately, Sophia had been dreaming about that child—she was heartbroken. She even visited a fortune teller, who told her that adopting a girl around the same age might help fill the void and bring her healing.

So Andrew and Sophia didn't hesitate; they really went out and brought me home.

From our chat, I could feel they were genuinely kind. I was just about to thank them myself when suddenly, footsteps echoed from the doorway.

"Mom, Dad, you're back," a clear, youthful voice rang out.

I turned around and saw a young guy approaching—tall and strikingly handsome, with sharp features that drew all the attention.

It clicked instantly—this must be Charles, Andrew and Sophia's son.

I was honestly surprised—he was way better looking than I'd pictured.

Charles said, "You must be Emma, right? Mom and Dad must have mentioned me to you—I'm Charles, and from now on, I'll be your big brother."

There was a gentle smile in his eyes, and he treated me with real warmth, even though we'd just met.

He added, "Oh, by the way, I'm heading down south for a study trip next month. Is there anything you want me to bring back for you?"

I jerked my head up.

When he mentioned going on a study trip, a memory from my previous life slammed into me—Charles had run into serious trouble during that journey. He made it out alive, but lost his leg, and I still remembered how devastating that was.

I couldn't stand the idea of something that awful happening to someone as kind as him again.

So I blurted out, "I've heard the south gets really heavy rain, and those mountain roads are prone to landslides. If anything like that happens during your trip, please—don't try to be brave. Promise me you'll put safety first, okay?"

Charles looked at me, genuinely surprised.

Our eyes met.

There was a firm resolve in my eyes, a maturity that felt way older than I actually was.

I added, "Just remember, Charles—your safety's not just about you. It's about all of us. For Mom and Dad's sake, promise you'll put safety first and really think before you do anything risky."

I had no idea if Charles would actually listen to me.

But thinking back to how much genuine care Andrew and Sophia showed me on the way here, there was no way I could just stand by and do nothing.

Honestly, with all my memories from my previous life, even if the Shaw family hadn't taken me in, I'd still be doing just fine. Maybe even better than I ever did before.

But I could tell the Shaw family was genuinely good people, and I felt they deserved to be rewarded for their kindness.

If I'd stayed in the dark, it'd be a different story. But now that I knew what was going to happen, keeping silent would haunt my conscience for a lifetime.

Charles snapped out of it, his smile widening even more.

He said, "Got it, I'll remember that. Thanks, Emma."