To save me, Javier Storrick's adopted sister, Gracie Lestrange, burned to death in a fire.

From that day on, no matter how I broke down, no matter how I begged through tears, Javier never gave me even a shred of love or sympathy.

For ten long years, he looked at me with nothing but cold indifference.

Until the day I stumbled upon a thick stack of love letters he had hidden away.

Every word bled with longing, with sincerity—and in that moment, the truth shattered me.

I wanted to apologize. To explain. But before I could, the news came.

Javier had been kidnapped.

Gunfire tore through the night. Without a second thought, I ran into the chaos—shielding him with my own body.

Blood sprayed across my skin. For the first time, the ice on his face cracked.

I raised my trembling, bloodied hand and brushed away the tears at the corner of his eyes.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "I've always been your burden. I'm the one who ruined your happiness."

"Loving you... that was my mistake."

Darkness swallowed me. Somewhere, through the ringing in my ears, I heard his anguished cry.

And then—nothing.

All the bitterness withered away along with my life.

This time, our debts are paid.

Next time, I only hope... all your wishes come true.

***

The thick smoke stung my eyes, making them stream with tears. Gracie's cries echoed in my ears.

It should have been a hopeless situation, but I was so overwhelmed I almost laughed through my tears.

I was back on the day of the fire.

"Gracie! Where are you?" Javier's anxious voice rang out.

Once, I would have been eaten up with jealousy, but now all I felt was relief.

I waved frantically, shoving Gracie into his arms just before the rafters caved in. Then, meeting his stunned gaze, I jumped from the third floor.

Even if it killed me, even if the pain made my whole body shake, I accepted it willingly.

I woke up in a hospital room. Javier was staring at me, his face full of disappointment. "Emely Darnell, you're always causing trouble.

"Just because I didn't accept your confession, you set the fire that nearly killed Gracie?

"If I hadn't gotten there in time, both of you would have..."

"I'm sorry." I cut him off without hesitation, and his words died in his throat.

His lips parted, then closed again, unable to form another accusation.

Everyone knew I had a temper and never learned to back down. Even after losing my parents, I still had Javier—the rising star in the business world—looking out for me.

I met his dark eyes and spoke slowly, "I started the fire.

"And about that confession... I was just confused. Let's just forget it ever happened."

The truth was, I had nothing to do with the fire. But in my last life, he never listened to a single word I said. His heart was set, and all my struggling was pointless.

Javier rubbed his brow, his expression complicated. "As long as you know you were wrong.

"And about the confession—"

"Mr. Storrick, Ms. Lestrange is awake and asking for you," the assistant interrupted.

He shot to his feet and hurried out.

In my previous life, I confessed to him right before the fire, pressing my mom's emerald necklace—the only thing she left me—into his hand.

He panicked, his face full of resistance. "I only see you as a sister. Don't let your feelings take you down this ugly path."

He ran away, and somehow, my obsession only deepened. But now, all those old fixations faded with the love and hate of my past life.

Calmly, I peeled a tangerine, listening to the chaos in the next room.

"The water's too hot. Get her another cup.

"Are you sure she wasn't burned? Check again.

"Don't cry, I'm right here."

The cup on my table was empty, and blood seeped through the gauze. I popped a piece of tangerine in my mouth—so sour, so bitter, but I knew I had to get used to it.

The pain of being unloved turns you into a madwoman in everyone's eyes.

While the nurse changed my bandages, Javier came back. I didn't whine for attention like I used to. I just let the nurse do her job, quiet and composed.

He took a couple of steps forward, reaching out to check my hand, but I pulled away. "Javier, I'm fine. Go be with Gracie."

He sighed. "Emely, you're both my sisters.

"I care about you both. Please, don't make things harder for her, okay?"

He thought I was still the jealous girl fighting for his attention.

But this time, I meant it.

I opened my hand, my expression serious. "Can you give me back the necklace I gave you?

"It was my mom's only keepsake. I want to save it for my husband."

The necklace fell into my palm, stirring up memories from the past.

Back then, Mom and Dad were always busy, hardly home. As a teenager, I was frail and stubborn, and I couldn't make friends no matter how hard I tried.

It was Dad who brought Javier home. Lonely and headstrong as I was, suddenly I had a brother who was patient and gentle.

When I refused to take my medicine, he'd coax me, promising a piece of candy as a reward if I finished it. If I threw a tantrum, he'd just smooth my hair and talk me down with that calm, steady voice.

On nights when I was most afraid, his voice kept me company; On days when I dreaded going to school, having him there meant I didn't have to worry about bullies; Even when it came down to life and death, he chose me over Gracie.

All those genuine acts of kindness made me believe he loved me.

But after Gracie died, he never smiled again. He was still alive, but his soul and his love had burned away in that fire. And with him, I turned to ashes too.

Javier fiddled with the chain, looking a little uneasy. "Why don't I hang on to it for you? I mean, it's not like you have anyone special right now."

"I do." I looked right at him and told a lie that I didn't even believe. "Javier, I only see you as family now. From here on out, that's all you'll ever be to me."

The chain slipped through his fingers, and his expression darkened for a moment. But I knew it was just an illusion. What he felt was only responsibility and gratitude, nothing more.

After a long silence, Javier nodded. "Alright."

"There's one more thing. I want Gracie to move in while she recovers."

"Give her the primary bedroom, okay? She's afraid of the dark."

I could still remember how he used to leave the nightlight on for me when I was little. But now, all those gestures were reserved for Gracie.

I lowered my eyes. "Sure. I'll just stay at the house over on the Westside."

"Ms. Darnell, am I not welcome here?" Gracie walked in, her pale face the picture of delicate misery.

Javier gently patted her on the shoulder to comfort her. "She's always been stubborn like this. Don't mind her.

"You're still recovering. I'd worry if you weren't close by."

I instinctively clenched the edge of the blanket, but then let go, defeated.

Forget it. I'll just move out once I'm discharged, and then I won't be in their way anymore.

When I didn't say anything, Gracie started to pout. "Javier, I want pumpkin pancakes from downstairs."

He nodded, doting.

"Alright, I'll go get some for you." He turned to me. "Do you want anything?"

I shook my head. "No, I'm good."

He glanced back at me, but didn't say anything else.

Once he left, the pity on Gracie's face twisted into disgust. "Emely, you really have no shame.

"Dream on if you think you'll ever be my sister-in-law."

I looked at her, my gaze distant for a moment. "I won't chase after him anymore."

"Who would believe that?" Gracie sneered, her eyes full of spite. "Tell me, if something happened to me, do you think Javier would still let you hang around?"

Javier's footsteps echoed in the hallway. Suddenly, she knocked over a vase. Glass shattered everywhere, and she dropped to her knees right in the middle of it.

Blood welled up, mixing with the shards, making the scene even more shocking.

Javier stormed in, his anger blazing. He slapped me hard across the face. "Emely, I really thought you'd changed.

"You know she's got an old injury on her leg. Why would you push her?"

My cheek stung, but my heart felt frozen. The last time he hit me was in my previous life, when Gracie died in the fire.

I should've seen it coming—I was just too naïve.

Gracie sobbed, tears streaming down her face. "It's my fault. I said something wrong, and Ms. Darnell punished me."

Javier scooped her up and shot me a cold glare. "Emely, you really need some discipline. Maybe you'd have turned out better if your parents were still around."

The dull ache in my chest turned sharp, impossible to ignore. I stood there, pale, watching him rush out carrying Gracie.

I looked down and saw the bag Javier had dropped in his hurry. Among the pumpkin pancakes, there were two blueberry pancakes—my favorite.

I picked one up and took a bite. It was cold now, and mixed with tears, it didn't taste sweet at all.

Javier really meant what he said.

The moment I was discharged from the hospital, he made me kneel in the garden. The uneven flagstones dug painfully into my knees, and for a second, I felt almost dizzy with déjà vu.

When I was a kid and got into trouble, my dad would make me kneel as punishment, but Javier always stood in front of me, shielding me. He used to say girls' knees were fragile, that old injuries could haunt you for life. Back then, I thought he was just worried about me. Now I realize, he was only thinking of Gracie—Gracie, whose knees were already scarred.

A tall shadow blocked the sunlight. Javier looked down at me, his expression complicated, his voice cold and sharp. "Do you understand what you did wrong?"

I lifted my head to meet his gaze. "I was jealous that you cared about Gracie. I couldn't stand her."

"You—" Javier's eyes flickered with confusion, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.

Suddenly, the bushes rustled nearby, and Gracie, eyes red, rushed over and hugged him from behind. "Javier, is that true? Did she really say that?"

I saw the struggle on Javier's face—the love, the pain. He pressed his lips together, then finally pushed her away, gently.

"Gracie, can we not talk about this right now?" His voice was so soft, like he was handling something precious and delicate.

But when he spoke to me, it was always with that sharp edge. So this is what it means to be loved—or not.

"Mr. Storrick, the police sent over the hospital security footage.

"This time... it wasn't Ms. Darnell's fault."

A flash of panic crossed Gracie's face. Instinctively, Javier pulled her behind him, then looked down at the video.

His hand trembled slightly as he watched, and only then did he seem to remember me—he reached out, almost wanting to touch my face, but I turned away, calm and distant.

He drew his hand back, balling it into a fist, his tone tinged with apology. "Emely, let me apologize for Gracie. She just depends on me too much.

"She's an orphan..."

He trailed off, as if realizing I was one too.

I understood. He promised to spend every birthday with me, but always ditched me when Gracie wanted his homemade chowder; He swore he'd be at my graduation, but instead he went to her place and left me staring at an empty seat all night; He was allergic to pollen, so I pulled up every flower in our yard and planted only trees, but he still went and planted an entire field of flowers just for her.

That's what favoritism looks like. In my last life, I clung to it desperately, but it only left us both miserable.

For a moment, I was lost in thought, my voice hoarse when I finally spoke. "She's not just dependent on you. She's in love with you."

They were in love, but trapped by what people would think. So let me be the one to push him toward her.

Javier's eyes darted away. "I only see her as a sister."

But the way his voice faltered was more honest than the anger and disappointment he showed when I confessed to him. I almost said more, but he cut me off.

"Don't ever say things like that again. It's not fair to Gracie."

Gracie's tears fell even harder. "Fine, then just leave me alone!" She turned and ran off without looking back.

Javier hurried after her, but halfway there, he suddenly stopped and turned around. "Emely, this is my fault. I'll make it up to you.

"Whatever you want, just tell me—I'll do it."

I watched his retreating figure, the faintest smile tugging at my lips.

The thing I want most, I'll never have. So let me save a little sweetness for myself.

I typed a quick message on WhatsApp: "Then I want blueberry pancakes."

That evening, Javier drove me to Jorge's Bakery. The moment we stepped out of the car, the rich, sweet scent drifted over.

The owner called out with a booming voice, "Fresh pumpkin pancakes! Buy eight, get two blueberry pancakes free!"

I froze in place, not even reacting when Javier shoved the bag into my hands.

He waved his hand in front of my face. "What's wrong?"

I snapped out of it, laughing at myself. "Nothing."

I just felt so foolish. I knew how this would end. I made my choice. But every time the glass caught the light, I still let myself hope it was sugar. Swallowing it down, all I tasted was blood.

Javier opened up the bag and handed me my pancakes. This time, the blueberry pancakes were piping hot—and not just a freebie. But even as I ate them, they didn't taste the way I wanted.

After a long silence, I finally spoke. "There's one more thing. I want to study abroad in France."

Javier's knuckles turned white on the steering wheel, his reaction immediate.

"No way!"

Sensing that he'd come off too harsh, Javier softened his tone a bit.

"It's just too dangerous for you to go alone.

"If anything were to happen, how could I ever face your parents?"

I looked at him calmly. "This is my decision.

"They have the best jewelry design program in the country. I want to fulfill my parents' wishes."

His lips parted as if to argue, but no words came out.

I went on. "Besides, with you and Gracie together now, it's not exactly convenient for you to keep looking after me."

A flicker of anger crossed his face. "I've told you before, you're both like sisters to me. There's no difference between you."

I lowered my head in silence.

No difference? Is that really true?

Javier's expression was stormy as he drove me home. He didn't say another word, just dropped me off and turned away.

As I pushed open the front door, a sharp, acrid smell hit me. My chest tightened with panic, and everything went black.

The roar of crashing waves jolted me awake.

I was dangling from a cliff edge by the sea, with Gracie standing beside me, glaring with pure malice in her eyes.

"Emely, you're disgusting, always using that little bit of gratitude to keep Javier tied to you."

"This time, I'll show you—he only cares about me."

She turned to the masked kidnapper, her voice cold and businesslike. "Get it done, and I'll double the money in your daughter's account."

My lips were pale, but I stared back at her steadily. She never needed to doubt it—Javier loved her more than life itself. I'd spent a lifetime proving that.

Suddenly, the screech of tires tore through the air. He rushed out of his car, his usually immaculate suit wrinkled and disheveled, eyes rimmed red as he stared desperately at Gracie, who was also tied up on the cliff.

The kidnapper's voice dripped with venom. "Javier, you destroyed my family. Now it's your turn to feel that pain.

"Hurry up and choose, or I'll kill them both!"

Tears streamed down Gracie's face. "Javier, pick Ms. Darnell. You don't love me anyway. I don't want to live in this world anymore."

"Don't say that!" Javier, for once, sounded truly panicked, taking a step forward without thinking.

"Stop!" The kidnapper pressed his knife closer to Gracie's rope.

Javier froze, agony etched across his face as he looked between the two of us. At last, he shot me an apologetic glance.

"Gracie. I choose Gracie!"

Gracie's triumphant smile mingled with my numbness, making my own misery all the starker.

The kidnapper sneered, slicing at my rope.

Bang.

Before the rope could be cut, a red dot appeared on the kidnapper's head—a sniper's laser sight.

Javier lunged toward me, but Gracie collapsed into his arms, clinging like a lifeline.

And in that final moment, the rope gave way.

The world tilted, the sea opened beneath me—

And the last thing I saw was Javier's broken face as I fell into the dark.