Chapter 10: The Truth Behind the Betrayal

The moment I stepped into the hospital room, I knew something had changed.

Mom was awake.

Her face was pale, and her movements were weak, but her eyes were open. The sight of her breathing steadily brought tears to my eyes before I could stop them.

I rushed to her bedside and carefully took her hand.

"Mom..."

Her fingers trembled around mine.

"Mia, you came back."

I nodded, unable to speak for several seconds.

In my previous life, I had stood in this same hospital after the attack. But back then, Mom never woke up. She had died before sunrise, leaving me alone with a family that had already decided I was responsible for everything.

This time, she was alive.

That single difference made every painful step worth it.

Then the door opened.

James walked in.

For a moment, neither of us said anything.

My brother looked nothing like the arrogant man who had dismissed my warnings earlier. His expensive clothes were covered with traces of snow, his hair was disheveled, and his face was frighteningly pale.

His eyes immediately landed on Mom.

"Mom..."

He stopped beside the bed, staring at her as though he couldn't believe she was still alive.

Mom turned her face away.

That small movement seemed to hurt him more than any accusation could have.

"I was wrong," James whispered.

I stared at him coldly.

"You were not just wrong. You chose not to believe us."

His jaw tightened.

"I know."

"You took every security guard with you because Michelle wanted to watch a meteor shower. When Mom called, you accused me of lying. When I begged Nathan for help, you called him and told him to ignore me."

James lowered his head.

"I know."

His repeated answer only made my anger burn hotter.

"Do you know what happened in my previous life?"

His eyes suddenly snapped toward me.

I hadn't told him everything yet.

But he seemed to understand that there was something I had been hiding.

"Mia, what are you talking about?"

I looked directly into his eyes.

"You killed me."

The room became completely silent.

James's face drained of color.

"What?"

"You killed me after Michelle disappeared. You believed her lies, blamed me for everything, and murdered me in my bedroom."

His lips parted, but no words came out.

I continued before he could interrupt.

"You thought I had deliberately called you away from Michelle. You thought I wanted her dead. You believed I had betrayed our family because you wanted the inheritance."

James staggered backward as though I had struck him.

"That's impossible."

"I died knowing that you hated me."

His eyes became red.

"Mia, I would never..."

"You already did."

Mom looked between us, confusion and pain appearing in her eyes.

James slowly sat down in the chair beside the bed and covered his face with both hands.

For several minutes, he didn't speak.

Then his phone rang.

He glanced at the screen and immediately frowned.

"It's Michelle."

My heart tightened.

James answered the call and put it on speaker.

Michelle's trembling voice filled the room.

"James, where are you? You promised you'd come back to me."

James stared at me.

"Michelle, tell me something. Did you know there would be people attacking our estate tonight?"

There was a long silence.

"What are you talking about?"

"Answer me."

Her breathing became uneven.

"Of course not. Why would I know something like that?"

James's eyes narrowed.

"Then why did your driver leave the countryside three hours before the attack?"

Silence.

My blood ran cold.

James continued.

"And why did he meet one of the men arrested outside our estate?"

Michelle's voice suddenly became defensive.

"James, you're misunderstanding everything."

"Then explain it."

"I can't explain something I didn't do!"

James ended the call.

He immediately contacted his assistant and ordered him to investigate Michelle's driver, her recent financial transfers, and every person connected to the men arrested at our estate.

I watched him quietly.

For the first time, I saw the brother I remembered from childhood beneath all the jealousy and obsession.

He had been manipulated.

But that didn't erase what he had done.

A few hours later, his assistant returned with the first piece of evidence.

Michelle's driver had transferred a large amount of money to one of the attackers two days before the meteor shower.

There was more.

The same attacker had received instructions to target the Cooper estate specifically.

James stared at the documents in disbelief.

"She planned this."

I shook my head.

"Not alone."

I pointed to another name in the report.

"Look at the company account used for the payment."

James's expression changed.

The money had come from a subsidiary controlled by one of our family's business rivals—the same rival he had destroyed months earlier to impress Michelle.

Everything finally connected.

Michelle had known about the rival's hatred. She had encouraged James to ruin more businesses, knowing it would create enemies. Then she had arranged the perfect opportunity to make him believe that his own family was standing between him and her.

She didn't want him dead.

She wanted him isolated.

And she had almost succeeded.

James slowly closed his eyes.

"I destroyed everything because I trusted her."

I didn't answer.

He looked at me with tears in his eyes.

"Mia, I know saying sorry isn't enough."

"It isn't."

"I know."

He stood and walked toward the door.

"But I'm going to fix what I can."

Before leaving, he stopped.

"And if Michelle is responsible for this, I'll make sure she faces the truth herself."

After he left, Mom squeezed my hand.

"Mia."

"Yes?"

"You saved me."

I shook my head.

"No, Mom. You saved me first."

She smiled weakly.

For the first time since my rebirth, I felt something I had almost forgotten existed.

Hope.

But my phone suddenly vibrated.

A message appeared from an unknown number.

"You think you've won? Ask James who really arranged his rebirth."

I stared at the screen.

My blood ran cold.

Someone knew about our second chance.

And whoever it was had been watching us from the beginning.