PART 1: THE COLD GRAVE
The rain in New York didn’t wash away the sins of the city; it just made the gutters overflow.
Elara Vance stood on the terrace of the Vance Tower penthouse, forty stories above Central Park. She was shivering, not from the cold, but from the poison coursing through her veins. Her vision was blurring, the city lights smearing into streaks of neon blood.
“It’s almost over, honey,” a smooth voice whispered in her ear.
Julian Thorne, her husband of two years, stood behind her. He wasn’t holding her to keep her warm. He was holding her up so she wouldn’t collapse before she finished signing the digital transfer on the tablet.
“Just one more thumbprint,” Julian cooed. “And then you can sleep. The doctors said the heart failure would be painless.”
Elara tried to pull her hand away, but her muscles were like water. “Why?” she rasped, coughing up a speck of blood. “I gave you… everything.”
“And that was your mistake,” a female voice laughed from the doorway.
Sienna, Elara’s adopted sister and best friend since childhood, walked onto the terrace. She was wearing Elara’s favorite diamond necklace—the one Elara’s mother had left her.
“You were always so boring, Elara,” Sienna sneered, taking a sip of champagne. “So perfect. So trusting. ‘Oh, Julian loves me! Oh, Sienna is my sister!’ God, it was exhausting pretending to like you.”
“You…” Elara choked. “You two…”
“We’ve been sleeping together since your wedding night,” Julian admitted casually, pressing Elara’s thumb onto the screen. Transfer Complete.
“Thanks for the company, babe,” Julian smiled, the mask of the loving husband finally dropping to reveal the monster beneath. “Vance Pharmaceuticals is mine now. And the insurance money? That belongs to Sienna.”
“Goodbye, Elara,” Sienna waved. “Don’t haunt us.”
Julian didn’t gently lay her down. He shoved her.
Elara stumbled back. Her legs hit the low railing. With no strength to catch herself, she tipped over.
The wind roared in her ears. The terrifying drop. The realization that her entire life had been a lie.
As the ground rushed up to meet her, Elara didn’t feel fear. She felt a burning, nuclear rage.
If I could do it again, she screamed in her mind, I would burn you both to ash.
Darkness.
PART 2: THE AWAKENING
GASP.
Elara shot up in bed, her lungs sucking in air as if she had been drowning. Her heart hammered against her ribs like a trapped bird. She clawed at her chest, expecting to feel the shattered bones, the poison.
Instead, she felt silk sheets.
She looked around. She was in her bedroom in the Vance Estate in the Hamptons. Sunlight was streaming through the sheer curtains.
She scrambled out of bed and ran to the mirror.
Her face. It was unblemished. Her eyes were bright, not clouded by death.
She grabbed her iPhone from the nightstand. Her hands shook as she checked the date.
September 15, 2020.
Elara dropped the phone. It landed on the plush carpet with a thud.
“Three years,” she whispered. “I am… three years in the past.”
She remembered this date. How could she forget? This was the day of her Engagement Gala. Tonight, she was supposed to announce her engagement to Julian Thorne. Tonight, she was supposed to appoint him as the Vice President of Vance Pharmaceuticals, the first step in his plan to steal her empire.
The door opened.
“Morning, sleepyhead!”
Sienna walked in, carrying a tray of green juice and croissants. She looked exactly as she had on the terrace—beautiful, smiling, deadly.
“I brought you breakfast!” Sienna chirped, setting the tray down. “Big day today! You’re going to be the most beautiful bride-to-be in the Hamptons. Julian is downstairs coordinating the florists. He’s such a gem.”
Elara stared at Sienna. The image of Sienna laughing as she fell to her death superimposed itself over the smiling girl in front of her.
A wave of nausea hit Elara, but she swallowed it down. She forced the corners of her mouth up. It felt mechanical.
“Thank you, Sienna,” Elara said. Her voice was steady, colder than usual. “You’re always… looking out for me.”
“Of course! We’re sisters!” Sienna hugged her.
Elara didn’t hug back. She let her arms hang limp. I know where you keep the poison, Sienna. I know where Julian hides the offshore accounts.
“Get out,” Elara said softly.
Sienna pulled back, confused. “What?”
“I said, get out,” Elara smiled, but her eyes were dead. “I need to dress. Alone. I want to surprise you tonight.”
“Oh! Okay!” Sienna giggled, thinking Elara was just nervous. “See you downstairs!”
As the door closed, Elara’s smile vanished. She walked to the window and looked out at the manicured lawn where the party tents were being set up.
“No engagement,” Elara whispered to her reflection. “Tonight isn’t a celebration. It’s a funeral.”
PART 3: THE ALLIANCE
Elara didn’t start getting ready. Instead, she put on a nondescript trench coat, sunglasses, and a scarf. She slipped out the servants’ entrance, took her housekeeper’s Toyota Camry, and drove.
She didn’t drive to the salon. She drove to a private airfield in East Hampton.
She knew that at 10:00 AM on this specific Saturday, Dante Russo would be landing his jet.
Dante Russo. The Wolf of Wall Street. A billionaire investor known for eating companies alive. In her past life, Julian had convinced her that Dante was an enemy, a ruthless shark who wanted to destroy Vance Pharma.
Now, Elara knew the truth. Julian hated Dante because Dante was the only one smart enough to see through Julian’s scams.
She waited by the tarmac. A sleek Gulfstream G650 landed.
Dante descended the stairs. He was a striking man—tall, with sharp Italian features and eyes that looked like obsidian. He was flanked by bodyguards.
Elara stepped out of the car. The bodyguards tensed, reaching for their weapons.
“Mr. Russo!” Elara shouted.
Dante stopped. He squinted at her. “Elara Vance? The pharmaceutical princess? You’re a long way from your castle.”
“I need five minutes,” Elara said, walking toward him. “Alone.”
Dante smirked. “I’m busy. And aren’t you getting engaged to that Ken Doll, Julian Thorne, tonight?”
“That’s what I want to talk about,” Elara said. “I know you’ve been trying to buy shares in Vance Pharma for years. I’m willing to sell you 20%.”
Dante’s expression changed. The amusement vanished. The businessman appeared. He waved his guards away.
“Talk,” Dante said.
“I’m going to destroy Julian Thorne and Sienna Blake tonight,” Elara said, her voice cutting through the wind. “But I need leverage. Julian has been laundering money from his current firm, Apex Strategies. I know where the records are, but I can’t access them without alerting him. You have the best hackers in the world.”
Dante studied her. He looked for the naive girl he had read about in the tabloids. He didn’t find her. He found a woman who looked like she had walked through hell and come back with a torch.
“Why should I help you?” Dante asked. “I can just wait for Julian to ruin your company and buy it for pennies.”
“Because,” Elara stepped closer, looking up at him. “If you help me, I won’t just give you shares. I’ll give you the patent for the Chimera Project.”
Dante’s eyes widened slightly. The Chimera Project was a revolutionary gene-therapy drug Vance Pharma was developing. It was worth billions.
“You’re playing a dangerous game, Miss Vance,” Dante said softly.
“I’m not playing,” Elara replied. “I’m hunting. Are you in?”
Dante stared at her for a long moment. Then, a slow, dangerous smile spread across his face.
“I’ll have the files sent to your phone by 6 PM,” Dante said. “And Elara?”
“Yes?”
“Save me a dance at the party. I love a good show.”
PART 4: THE ENGAGEMENT
The Vance Estate was glowing. Five hundred guests—New York’s elite, politicians, celebrities—filled the white tents. Champagne flowed. A jazz band played.
Julian Thorne stood at the entrance, looking dashing in a bespoke tuxedo. He greeted guests with the charm of a politician.
“Yes, thank you! We are so happy,” Julian beamed, shaking hands with a Senator.
Sienna stood nearby, wearing a dress that was slightly too flashy for a maid of honor. She caught Julian’s eye and winked. They shared a secret smile. Tonight, we win, their eyes said.
Elara descended the grand staircase.
The room went silent.
She wasn’t wearing the white, modest gown Sienna had picked out for her. She was wearing a dress of crimson red silk, cut sharp and low, looking like a pool of blood and fire. She wore the diamond necklace Sienna had stolen in the future.
“My god,” Julian whispered, rushing to the bottom of the stairs. “Elara, you look… intense. Red? I thought we agreed on white?”
“White is for innocence, Julian,” Elara said, letting him kiss her hand. Her skin crawled, but she didn’t pull away. “Red is for victory.”
“Right…” Julian frowned, unsettled. “Are you okay? You seem different.”
“I’ve never been better,” Elara smiled. “Is it time for the speeches?”
“Yes,” Julian led her to the stage. “Stick to the script, darling. Announce the engagement, then the VP appointment. The board members are watching.”
They walked onto the stage. The spotlight hit them. The crowd applauded.
Julian took the microphone. “Ladies and gentlemen! Thank you for coming. Tonight is the happiest night of my life. I get to pledge my eternal love to the most wonderful woman in the world, Elara Vance.”
He looked at Elara with fake tears in his eyes. The crowd “awwed.”
“And now,” Julian handed her the mic. “My beautiful fiancĂ©e has an announcement.”
Elara took the microphone. She looked out at the sea of faces. She saw Sienna smirking in the front row. She saw the Board of Directors.
And in the back, leaning against a pillar, holding a glass of whiskey, she saw Dante Russo. He nodded once.
Elara felt her phone buzz in her hand. Files received.
“Thank you, Julian,” Elara said. Her voice was amplified, clear and strong. “Tonight was supposed to be about love.”
She paused.
“But love is a funny thing. Sometimes, it makes you blind. And sometimes… it makes you see things you wish you hadn’t.”
Julian’s smile faltered. “Elara? The script…”
Elara ignored him. She turned to the projectionist booth. “Hit it.”
Everyone expected a slideshow of romantic photos.
Instead, the massive screen behind the stage lit up with a grainy video.
It was dated three days ago. It was a security camera footage from Julian’s apartment.
On screen: Julian and Sienna were on the couch. They were half-naked.
The crowd gasped. A hush fell over the room.
On screen Julian: “God, I can’t wait until the old man kicks the bucket. Elara is so stupid. She’ll sign the company over to me on the wedding night.”
On screen Sienna: “Just make sure you give me my cut, baby. I’m tired of playing the supportive sister. I want her money.”
On screen Julian: “Don’t worry. Once I have power of attorney, we can drug her. Make it look like an overdose. Or a suicide.”
The video cut to black.
The silence in the tent was deafening. You could hear a pin drop.
Sienna dropped her champagne glass. Smash.
Julian stood frozen, his face draining of all color. He looked like a ghost.
“Elara…” Julian stammered, his voice shaking. “That… that’s a deepfake! That’s AI! Someone is trying to frame me!”
Elara laughed. It was a cold, terrifying sound.
“I thought you might say that, Julian,” Elara said. “Which is why I invited some special guests.”
She pointed to the entrance.
Six FBI agents in windbreakers marched in.
“Julian Thorne!” The lead agent shouted. “You are under arrest for embezzlement, securities fraud, and conspiracy to commit murder.”
“What?” Julian shrieked. “You have no proof!”
“Actually,” Elara interrupted, holding up her phone. “I just emailed every journalist and board member in this room a file. It contains the ledgers from your shell company in the Caymans. The money you stole from your clients? The kickbacks? It’s all there.”
Phones started pinging across the room. The board members were reading, their faces turning red with anger.
“Sienna Blake,” the Agent continued, turning to the sister. “You are under arrest as an accomplice to fraud and conspiracy.”
“No!” Sienna screamed, backing away. “I didn’t do anything! It was him! He forced me!”
“Forced you?” Elara stepped down from the stage. She walked up to Sienna. The crowd parted for her like the Red Sea.
Elara stood inches from Sienna’s face.
“I loved you,” Elara whispered, so only Sienna could hear. “I gave you a home. I gave you a family. And you wanted to kill me.”
“Elara, please,” Sienna sobbed, grabbing Elara’s dress. “We’re sisters!”
Elara looked down at Sienna’s hand.
“We are not sisters,” Elara said. “You are a parasite. And I am the cure.”
Elara pushed Sienna away. The agents grabbed her.
Julian tried to run. He shoved a waiter and bolted for the back exit.
Suddenly, a leg shot out.
Thud.
Julian tripped and face-planted into the grass.
Dante Russo stood over him, adjusting his tuxedo trousers. “Oops,” Dante drawled. “Clumsy.”
The agents swarmed Julian, cuffing his hands behind his back.
“Elara!” Julian screamed as they dragged him away. “You can’t do this! You need me! You’re nothing without me!”
Elara walked over to him. She looked down at the man who had pushed her off a building in another life.
“You’re right, Julian,” she said calmly. “I was nothing. But then you killed me. And now? Now I’m the one writing the obituary.”
She signaled the agents. “Get him out of my sight.”
PART 5: THE AFTERMATH
The party was over. The police had left. The guests, buzzing with the scandal of the century, had dispersed.
Elara stood on the balcony of the estate, looking out at the ocean. The adrenaline was fading, leaving her exhausted but light. Lighter than she had felt in years.
“Quite a show,” a voice said from the shadows.
Dante Russo walked out, holding two glasses of whiskey. He handed one to her.
“You kept your end of the bargain,” Elara said, taking the glass.
“And you kept yours,” Dante checked his phone. “My team just confirmed the patent transfer. Pleasure doing business with you, partner.”
“Partner?” Elara raised an eyebrow.
“I own 20% of your company now,” Dante leaned against the railing, standing close to her. “And I have a feeling Vance Pharma is about to become very profitable. With the dead weight gone.”
Elara looked at him. In her last life, she had died alone. In this one, she had just destroyed her enemies in a single night.
“This is just the beginning, Dante,” Elara said, her eyes reflecting the moonlight. “Julian was just a pawn. There are others on the board who helped him. I’m going to find them. And I’m going to remove them.”
Dante smiled. It wasn’t the shark smile this time. It was impressed.
“Remind me never to cross you, Elara,” Dante said.
“Good idea,” Elara clinked her glass against his.
She took a sip of the whiskey. It burned, but it felt good. It felt like life.
She looked up at the stars. I’m still here, she thought. I won.
“So,” Dante asked. “What now?”
Elara turned back to the ballroom, where the music had stopped but the future was just starting.
“Now?” Elara smiled. “Now we get to work.”
THE END.
