Chapter 1
Lira Faulkner sat in the defendant’s seat, her eyes cast downward.
Memories from her previous life flashed past her mind.
She’d been born into the Faulkner family that owned a shipping empire in Boston. The of three, she had a half–brother from her
father’s previous marriage and a half–sister from her mother’s
Her father doted on the son whose mother died young. Her mother favored the daughter whose father passed away early.
No one loved her.
She’d always been an outsider in her own family–the one nobody wanted.
Fury and desperation had driven her to claw for her parents‘ approval, but in their eyes, she was just arrogant, unruly, and cruel
So when her sister Roselyn Faulkner was stabbed during their kidnapping, and they found her holding the knife, her family immediately assumed she was the one who did it and dragged her to count without hesitation.
Even today, as she stood trial, not a single member of her family showed up
No one in the world cared about her, except…
Lira suddenly looked up and met a pair of eyes, gentle and steady, just like she remembered.
It belonged to Xander Knapp Luckily, he was still alive.
Tears welled up instantly. Through the blur, she saw him silently mouth the words: “Don’t be afraid. I’m here.
Tears streamed down ber cheeks, soaking the backs of her hands:
In her past life, she hadn’t been convicted. Xander had sacrificed his own marriage in exchange for a psychiatric evaluation report. It claimed she was mentally unstable and unfit for criminal responsibility. She had been released on the spot.
Later, furious with her for bringing disgrace to the family, ber parents sent her overseas under the guise of getting her treatment.
Xander, meanwhile, bowed to his family’s demands and entered a loveless marriage. He buried himself in work and, in the end, died young from overwork
His death had
been the
the final blow. She took her own life in grief and despair.
“The defense, do you have any further evidence to present? If not, the count will proceed with the verdict.”
The judge’s stem voice pulled Lira our of her memories.
She didn’t know why she had been given another chance at life, but she wouldn’t let Xander die because of her again.
“Your Honor,” her lawyer replied, “I have a psychiatric evaluation-
“I have new evidence,” Lira Interrupted, her voice firm as she wiped her tears away
with force.
She wouldn’t let that evaluation see the light of day.
“Defendant, do you have anything to
to say in your own defense the judge asked.
Lira rose, her slender back straight. “I didn’t stab Roselyn. The knife found in my hand wasn’t the real weapon. The real knife is a different one.”
Because of the new evidence Lira provided, the trial was forced into recess. She was escorted back to the cell.
Just before the door shut, a female guard leaned in and whispered, “Ms. Faulkner, Mr. Knapp asked me to tell you not to worry. He said he’ll find the real weapon and clear your name.”
Lira wasn’t worried. She knew the truth. Roselyn had orchestrated the whole thing, just to eliminate her and take her place in the arranged marriage with the Duran family.
Under Roselyn’s command, a disgraced surgeon, stripped of his license, kidnapped the two of them and stabbed Roselyn to pin the blame on
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He had fled, but in his haste, he’d tossed the real weapon into an abandoned sewer.
In Lira’s past life, it had taken three years for someone to
to find the knife and prove her innocence.
This time, if the police found the knife quickly, ran the tests, and confirmed the blood was Roselyn’s and the fingerprints weren’t Liar’s, the entire be would fall apart.
Then she’d walk free.
A few beams of sunlight filtered in through the narrow slit of the iron window. Lira tilted her head back and closed her eyes, letting the light play across her face.
She was still alive.
Xander was alive, too.
That was enough.
In this life, she would no longer beg for her parents love.
She would make the most of her life alone.
