Reborn Adrian's POV I had been reborn . I didn't know how . One moment , I was dying . The next , I opened my eyes and found myself back in a twentieth body . And there was my father , staring at me just like he had before . His words were exactly the same . " Choose between Selene Moray and Elara Quinn . Whichever one you pick ... she will be your wife . " Last time , I'd done what he wanted . I'd chosen Selene . She was the smart choice . Sharp . Steady . Kind . And yet ... my heart had always belonged to Elara . I regretted it , every single day in my past life . Elara died on a mission before I ever had the chance to make things right . This time , I swore I'd do better . I wouldn't just blindly obey . I'd choose Elara . I'd give her the happy ending she never got . And to my surprise , Selene ... she wasn't the same either . In the past , she had always smiled at me . Even when we fought - and we did - she'd always come back , always be the one to break first . But now ? Now she looked at me like I was the villain in her story . And a strange and wile idea hit me : Maybe I wasn't the only one reborn . Maybe Selene was too . So I tested it . When Father suggested I marry her , I said no . I expected tears or at least a sad look . But Selene didn't even blink this time . She just nodded and said , " You deserve to be with the woman you truly love . " That was the moment I knew . She was reborn , too . And that ... that worked perfectly for me . If Selene was willing to walk away , I could finally have Elara . Everything unfolded just as I'd planned . I convinced Father . He agreed to the marriage - though I suspect it had less to do with me , and everything to do with Selene stepping aside . As I thought everything was perfect , Elara began to complain . " Why is Selene still involved in the family business ? " she asked Shot , I'd forgot Marrying Elara won't be enough . Selene still have to leave . Elara was right . Selene couldn't stay . Not if I was going to lead the Vale family . Not if I was going to give Elara the life she deserved . So I found Father at the casino , tried to talk him into cutting Selene out completely . And again - before I could push , Selene pulled herself away . She volunteered to leave . That's what I couldn't understand . Even if she was reborn she had loved me . Hadn't she ? In our last life , I'd pretended so well . There's no way she saw through it But then again , I don't care about Selene . As long She's out of my life . Out of Elara's . Out of the Vale And that's all I ever wanted Elara had invited Selene to our engagement party . I didn't understand it at first But I agreed . Whatever Elara wanted , I would give it to her . Reborn +25 BONUS Selene wore that dress to our engagement party . The pale one from her graduation . I recognized it the second I saw her . She looked ... breathtaking . Not just beautiful - unfamiliar . Like a stranger wrapped in someone else's skin . I had never looked at her from this distance before . She seemed nothing like the Selene I remembered . Back in our past life , her gaze followed me everywhere . She watched if I drank enough , if I ate , if I looked too tired . She cared- openly , endlessly . But now ... now she didn't even glance my way . It was as if the very sight of me would scald her . And still , that was fine . None of it mattered . I had Elara . That was all I needed . Or so I told myself . After Selene gave her speech about stepping down from the Vale family - right there , at our engagement party - I didn't hear from her again . Elara laughed at her after . Mocked her , really . And even though I loved Elara , something about it felt ... wrong . Selene hadn't done anything to deserve that . Not to her . Not to anyone . But I didn't say a word . I stood by and let it pass . People forget . They'd forget that Elara told Selene to undress on stage , to humiliate her in front of everyone . And for a few days , I let myself forget , too . Then one morning , while getting dressed for work , I saw it . A gossip site had posted a blurry , candid shot of Selene getting into a black car . It was taken the night of our engagement party . She wore nothing but a beige slip . The photo wasn't accidental . It was too close , too precise . Someone had been waiting - lurking near the hotel , camera ready . Someone wanted this moment captured . And in that moment , I thought of Elara . Could she have ... ? I looked at the photo again , and that's when I saw it . A scar . Long and faint, just visible on her upper thigh . Her slip barely covered it . A ten - centimeter scar . Stitched . Old . Familiar . And suddenly , it hit me . I ran downstairs . Elara was at the dining table , sipping her morning coffee like it was any other day . " Elara , " I asked , trying to sound casual , " do you remember that summer when we were kids ? When we went swimming at the private beach and I almost drowned ? " She didn't even blink . " Of course . Why ? " " I remember someone pulling me out . And there was blood . A deep cut on the leg . I thought it was you " She smiled , stretched her leg beneath the table , her skin smooth and untouched " All healed now , " she said lightly . " What ? Feeling nostalgic ? " But there were no scars . No sign of ever being wounded . A memory rushed back . Waking up on the beach , Elara hovering over me , soaked in blood . I'd assumed it was hers . I'd asked her once if she just saved me , and she blushed . She never actually said the words but I thought it was her Reborn But what if I'd been wrong ? What if it was Selene had saved me that day ? Now that I think about it ... Selene did disappear for a while after that trip . Long enough to get stitches and recover . I walked back into my study , the weight in my chest pressing harder with every step , and called my father . If anyone knew the truth , it would be him . He answered on the second ring . " Father , " I said , not even bothering with pleasantries , " was it Selene who saved me when I nearly drowned as a kid ? " There was a pause . Then his voice , cautious . " What's this about ? " " I just need to know , " I pressed . " Was it her ? "