Chapter 4

Evelyn's POV

I stood in front of my car for a long time, the business card pressed between my fingers.

Nathaniel Hayes.

The name felt like a taunt.

In my first life, I only knew this man through the newspapers. The unreachable billionaire. The CEO of Hayes International. The man who had built a colossal empire before he even turned thirty.

The man my fiancé, Ethan Blackwell, hated more than anyone else.

Ethan had always spoken of him with deep disdain.

"Hayes is arrogant."

"Hayes thinks everything belongs to him."

"One day, I will destroy his empire."

Back then, I had never tried to understand their rivalry. I was too busy being in love with Ethan. Today, I wondered why the name Nathaniel Hayes was entering my life at this precise moment.

I looked at the card one last time before slipping it into my purse. I wasn't going to call. Not right away.

I had learned one crucial thing from my past: never accept an invitation without knowing why it was extended in the first place.

I got into my car and started the engine. But I had barely driven a few blocks when my phone rang.

An unknown number.

I stared at the screen, having no desire to answer. Yet, something urged me to pick up anyway.

"Hello?"

Silence. Then a man's voice—deep, composed, and undeniably calm.

"You received my card."

I eased off the gas pedal. "Are you Nathaniel Hayes?"

"I am."

I tightened my grip on the steering wheel. His voice sounded nothing like Ethan’s. It was far more grounded. No hesitation. No performative charm.

"Why do you want to meet me?"

"Because you caught my attention."

I knit my brows. "That's all?"

"For now."

A faint, disbelieving laugh escaped my lips. "Do you often invite strangers to meet you simply because they catch your attention?"

"No."

"Then why me?"

A beat of silence stretched between us.

"I'll explain when we meet."

I kept my eyes on the road ahead. "I'm not interested."

"You will be."

I raised an eyebrow. He was arrogant. Intolerably arrogant.

"You seem very sure of yourself."

"I am."

Despite myself, a small smile tugged at my lips. "Have a good evening, Mr. Hayes."

I was about to end the call when he added:

"You turned down Ethan Blackwell tonight."

My hand froze. My smile vanished instantly.

"How do you know that?"

Silence. Then his voice dropped an octave lower.

"I know a lot of things, Evelyn."

My heart hammered against my ribs. "Who told you about me?"

"Nobody."

"Then how—"

"We'll see each other soon."

The line went dead.

I stared at my phone, then back at the road. A cold sensation trickled down my spine. Nathaniel Hayes knew me.

The real question was... since when?

I arrived home around ten o'clock.

I had barely crossed the threshold when my phone vibrated again. This time, it was Ethan.

I watched his name flash across the screen. I hadn't changed his contact info yet. In my first life, his name had been saved with a heart emoji. I had deleted it the day I uncovered his affair. Today, there was nothing. Just Ethan Blackwell.

I let it ring out.

A text popped up.

Ethan: We need to talk.

A second text followed immediately.

Ethan: You can't just leave like that.

Then a third.

Ethan: I want to understand what's happening to you.

I set my phone down on the entry table. He wanted to understand? Fine. But he never would. Because the truth was impossible to explain.

I was no longer the Evelyn who loved him. I was the woman who had already lived through his betrayal and died because of it.

I turned toward the stairs, but before I could take a step, the doorbell rang.

I froze. Who could possibly be here at this hour?

I checked the clock: 10:17 PM.

I walked slowly to the front door. "Who is it?"

"It's me."

Ethan's voice.

I closed my eyes. Of course.

I opened the door. He stood on the porch without his jacket, his tie loosened, looking utterly furious.

"Why are you avoiding me?"

"I'm not avoiding you."

"You humiliated me in front of everyone!"

I looked at him calmly. "You proposed. I said no."

"You could have talked to me first!"

"Why?"

He went quiet for a moment, jaw clenching. "Because I deserve an explanation."

I crossed my arms over my chest. "Very well."

He waited, expectant.

"I don't want to marry you anymore."

"I gathered that much," he spat out. "But why?"

I took a second to consider my words, then replied flatly: "Because I don't want to be with you anymore."

He stared at me as if my answer made no sense at all. "That's impossible."

I raised my eyebrows. "Excuse me?"

"Yesterday, you loved me!"

"Maybe."

"And today, nothing?"

I looked him dead in the eye. "Exactly."

He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "There's someone else, isn't there?"

That accusation again. I let out a tired sigh.

"Are you truly incapable of conceiving that a woman might leave you without having another man lined up?"

He didn't answer.

"I don't need anyone else to leave you, Ethan."

His gaze hardened into something ugly. "You're going to regret this."

That phrase. I remembered it vividly. In my first life, he had uttered those exact words after our first major argument. Then he had come back for me, and I had forgiven him. Again and again, until forgiveness became a toxic habit.

This time, I smiled.

"I'd rather regret leaving you than regret marrying you."

He stood paralyzed. I could see the rage simmering just beneath his skin.

Then, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out. I didn't mean to look, but a name flashed brightly across the screen:

Victoria.

My blood ran cold.

It was happening just like in my memories.

Ethan flipped his phone over quickly—far too quickly. I stared at him.

"You should answer it."

"It's not important."

"Then answer it."

"Evelyn…"

I smiled pleasantly. "You are free to take whatever calls you like."

He gave me a bewildered, uneasy look. "Why aren't you asking questions?"

I shrugged. "Because it doesn't concern me anymore."

His eyes widened slightly. I had struck a nerve.

He stepped back toward his car. "I'm leaving."

"Goodnight."

He took a few steps, then turned around one last time. "I'll be back."

I smiled softly. "I won't be waiting."

He got into his car and drove away. I shut the door, and only when I was completely alone did my smile drop.

Victoria. Already.

In my first life, their affair hadn't officially started until weeks later. Why was she already contacting him like this? Had I misremembered the timeline?

Or was my second life already diverging from the original path?

I pulled out my phone, wanting to call someone. Anyone. But who?

Then a thought struck me. I dialed a number I hadn't called in years.

"Hello?" a woman's voice answered.

"Evelyn?"

I smiled. That voice. God, how I had missed it.

"Emma?"

Silence fell over the line, followed by a burst of sudden laughter. "My God! You're finally calling me!"

I closed my eyes. Emma was my best friend. In my first life, she was one of the very few people who had tried to warn me about Ethan. I hadn't listened. Worse, after my marriage, I had gradually cut ties with her because Ethan kept claiming she was a toxic influence.

I had abandoned her back then. I wasn't going to make that mistake twice.

"Are you free tomorrow?" I asked.

"For you? Always."

"I need to talk to you."

"Sounds serious."

"It is."

"Did Ethan do something to you again?"

I looked out the window into the dark street. "I broke up with him."

Dead silence. Then a loud shriek.

"WHAT?!"

I laughed—a genuine, breathless laugh for the first time since I woke up five years in the past.

"I'll tell you everything tomorrow."

"Evelyn, wait! Are you okay?"

I caught my reflection in the windowpane.

"Yes," I paused, letting the truth set in. "For the first time in a very long time, I think I'm actually okay."

We hung up. I went upstairs to my bedroom, but before I could turn off the lights, I noticed something resting on my nightstand.

A black envelope.

I froze. I hadn't left that there.

I approached slowly. No name. No return address. Just my initials written in precise calligraphy:

E.S.

My fingers trembled slightly as I opened it. Inside was a single card with two sentences typed across it.

You refused the wrong man.

My heart skipped a beat. I flipped the card over. A second line was written on the back:

If you truly want to change your destiny, meet me tomorrow at 7:00 PM.

Below it was an address—a private, ultra-exclusive restaurant owned directly by Hayes International.

I reread the message several times before clutching the heavy paper in my hand.

Nathaniel Hayes.

He knew about Ethan. He knew I wanted to change my destiny. But how?

I walked over to the bedroom window and looked down. A sleek black sedan was parked across the street. Its headlights flashed once, lingering motionless in the dark for a few long seconds.

Then it smoothly pulled away and vanished into the night.

I stared out at the empty pavement, an inexplicable intuition taking root in my mind.

This man hadn't just accidentally stumbled into my second life.

What if my second chance was never just about getting revenge on Ethan and Victoria?

What if... Nathaniel Hayes had been part of my story all along?

I checked the time: 11:04 PM.

Tomorrow at 7:00 PM, I was going to meet the most dangerous, mysterious man in the city.