‎"I told you, Guest, you can't leave this place. Why do you keep trying to escape?"He laughs darkly.

‎I step back."I-I... I'm not trying to escape, Nolan. I swear." He stares at me before suddenly shouting.

‎"LIAR!" His voice makes my legs tremble. "After trying to escape, you still dare to lie to me?" ‎He walks closer and pins me against the wall. His cold hand wraps around my neck as he leans closer.

‎"Guest, you know I love you so much... so so much. I could burn an entire kingdom for you. Is this how you're going to repay me?"

‎His cold gaze sends chills through my body.

‎"I-I know... but I wasn't trying to escape. Please believe me. And if I was I won't do it again." ‎He lets out a dark laugh.

‎"Oh Guest... of course you won't. I'll make sure of it."

‎Suddenly, everything goes cold as a sharp, blinding pain tears through my chest.

‎"It won't happen again. Even if there's another life, I'll find you... and bring you back where you belong. You belong only to me."

‎Before everything fades to black, I see his expressionless face.

‎"AHHHH!" I bolt upright, gasping for air as cold sweat pours down my face.

‎My hands fly to my neck, expecting to feel Nolan's suffocating grip, but there is nothing there. No wounds. No weapon. ‎I look around the room—this isn't the Emperor's palace.

‎This is my old childhood bedroom. I rush downstairs and see my mother cooking breakfast. She's alive. I burst into tears and hug her tightly, realizing the truth: I've been given a second chance at life.

‎A few weeks later, I am finally settling into my new school life when the classroom door opens. The teacher introduces a new transfer student, and my heart drops into my stomach. It's him. Everything finally feels peaceful... until I see him. ‎My entire body freezes.

‎"Is... is that him? Why is he here?"

‎He walks toward me. Without thinking, I punch him hard, sending him to the floor. The entire classroom falls silent.

‎"Girl, I didn't know you were that aggressive." My friend Xia whispers beside me. ‎The boy slowly stands up and chuckles.

‎"Did I do something wrong, miss? You seem really angry."

‎I stare at him . If this were Nolan, I would have been punished already. ‎I run outside, with Xia following behind me.

‎"Are you okay? Do you know him?" she asks.

‎"Yes–i mean...no."

‎"Then why would you punch Noah? He's one of the most popular guys in school. He's smart, athletic, and everyone says he's kind."

‎Kind?

‎I can't help but laugh to myself. In my previous life, the man with that exact face was cold, cruel, and terrifying.

‎"So... he's really different?" I ask.

‎Xia nods.

‎In my previous life, I was the daughter of a marquis. One day, I found a dirty but adorable boy in our garden and mistook him for a poor commoner. I offered him my friendship, and he accepted. We grew up together, and I always treated him with kindness.

‎Years later, he asked me to marry him.

‎I believed it was the beginning of a happy ending.

‎Instead, it became the start of my nightmare.

‎After our wedding, he revealed that he was actually the Emperor. He was possessive, locking me in the palace, watching my every move

‎(Noah is actually Nolan, who crossed worlds just to claim her again.)