The Girl He Used for Revenge

The only reckless thing I ever did in my last life was fall in love with Luca Moretti.

For five years, I called him my brother by day and lay in his arms by night.

Then half a month ago, outside the Moretti Club, I heard him talking to his men.

"Luca, what are you going to do about the little girl Grace brought in? Weren't you supposed to play with her and dump her? How has this gone on for five years?"

"You got with her to get back at your stepmother, right? Sophia dumped you back then, so you turned around and went after Grace's precious daughter. Don't tell me you actually fell for her."

Then Luca's cold, cruel voice slipped through the crack in the door.

"Love her? Come on. I just haven't decided how to end it yet. Maybe I'll let her stand alone in the church on our engagement day. That could be fun."

Laughter burst from the private room.

I stood outside the door, my hands and feet turning ice-cold. So my five years of love were just his pastime, a knife meant to cut my mother.

I ran from the club in a panic, drove straight into the storm, and died in a pileup on Chicago's South Side.

When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the year before anyone knew about me and Luca.

This time, I wasn't going to wait for him to throw me away.

I would leave first.

I applied to a school in London and finished my visa paperwork. Now, there were only four days left before I left the Moretti estate for good.

"Mom, my admission letter came through. The apartment in London is confirmed, too. My flight leaves in four days." I placed the folder in front of Mom Grace while she was trimming roses in the greenhouse.

Her scissors stopped in midair. "That soon?"

"Yeah. The school wants me there early for enrollment."

She put down the scissors, took my hand, and lowered her voice. "And that boyfriend you mentioned before? Did you break up with him?"

My fingertips stiffened.

Uncle Vincent happened to walk in from the hallway. When he heard her question, his expression darkened. "What boyfriend? He never came to the estate to meet us. That means he never took our Elena seriously. Good riddance."

Before I could answer, the front door opened. Cold air swept in, and the guards at the entrance bowed at once.

"Boyfriend?" That voice was lazy and dangerous. Luca Moretti was pulling off black leather gloves, fresh from the docks, his suit jacket over one arm and a dark stain on his cuff. His eyes landed on me, carrying a scrutiny only I could understand.

My chest tightened, but I still stood and called him the way I had for five years. "Brother."

Luca watched me for a few seconds, then let out a low, unreadable laugh. He tossed his car keys to the butler