Chapter 1: The Angel's Bargain

My boyfriend’s grief after I died was so deep, it seemed to shake the heavens.

An angel gave me a chance to come back to my boyfriend, but in someone else’s body. If he fell in love with me again, I could return to life. But when I came back, he already had a new girlfriend.

My name is Autumn Rivers. I died in Ethan Maddox’s arms five years ago—stomach cancer. After death, I met an angel who didn’t believe in love. He made a wager with me. If Ethan Maddox could fall in love with my soul—even hidden beneath someone else’s face—within 100 days, I could be reborn. If he couldn’t, I’d lose the right to move on.

The memory of that moment with the angel is burned into me: the cold, silent place between life and death, the weight of hope and fear pressing on my chest. I remember thinking, even if the odds were impossible, I’d take any chance to see Ethan again—even if it meant risking everything.

There were two rules to this bet:

First, I couldn’t reveal my identity to Ethan by any means.

Second, I could only return to him five years after my death.

If, after five years, he could still love my soul through someone else’s face, then it would be true love.

Those were the rules. Harsh, but I was willing to accept anything for a chance at Ethan. At the time, I was so caught up in the hope of reunion that I didn’t notice the angel looking down at me with silent pity.

I can still picture the angel’s eyes—blue as a Midwestern sky before a storm, full of regret, or maybe something even sadder. But I was too blinded by longing to care.

I spent five years alone in a boundless, empty fog. Ethan was my only reason to hold on. He was everything. I believed he loved me as I loved him. Even if I had to crawl, I would crawl back to him. I endured five years in that wasteland. Then, finally, I was reborn.

Time in that place didn’t pass the way it does here. It was like being stuck in an endless winter, where even the idea of warmth is a memory. The only thing that got me through was picturing Ethan’s smile, the way he’d brush my hair behind my ear, or how he’d call me ‘sunshine’ when I was having a bad day.

I awoke in the body of a wealthy young woman named Savannah Cole, who had died from alcohol poisoning. The day after my rebirth was her birthday. At her birthday party, I met Ethan—my father was a board member at his company.

It felt surreal, walking in Savannah’s skin, feeling her memories like faint echoes. The world looked brighter, sharper, almost too real after so long in the fog. The party was a blur... I clung to the banister... Heart pounding. Was I really ready for this? The room spun with designer dresses, laughter, and the clink of champagne glasses. I tried to steady myself, bracing for the moment I’d see Ethan again after five years.

A reunion after five years. My entrance must have been striking: the ballroom, the scent of expensive perfume, the dazzling lights. Under a grand crystal chandelier, I descended the spiral staircase, my father holding my hand as he introduced me: “Ethan, this is my daughter Savannah. She just moved back from Europe. Please look after her.” My father’s voice sounded proud, but my heart was racing.

The chandelier’s light scattered across the marble floor like stars. I caught a glimpse of myself in a mirrored wall—Savannah’s face smiling, but my soul trembling inside. My father’s grip was warm and steady, a lifeline as I stepped into the crowd. The hum of conversation faded as Ethan looked up, and for a heartbeat, the world held its breath.

Five years had changed Ethan. His features were more mature, his presence more refined. Amidst the noise, he stood quietly, exuding an elegance shaped by time.

He wore a dark suit, perfectly tailored, the kind of confidence that can’t be bought. His eyes—still the same slate gray I remembered—swept over the crowd before landing on me. There was a gravity to him now, a quiet strength that made my heart ache.

I swallowed my joy and tried to look composed as I met his eyes. I offered my hand and said, clear and serious, “Ethan Maddox, hello. Let me introduce myself: I’m Savannah Cole, your future girlfriend.”

I felt the room’s attention shift, a few people stifling laughs, others raising their brows. But I didn’t care. I squeezed his hand, forcing myself not to tremble. I wanted to reach through the years and remind him of us, but all I could do was hope he’d feel something familiar.

I knew love required patience. But time was short. Too short for patience, honestly. I had to force my way into his world. I needed him to remember me quickly.

I could almost hear the angel’s clock ticking in my head. I’d never been the kind of girl to wait on the sidelines. If I was going to win Ethan back, I had to be bold, even if it made me look desperate.

I didn’t expect his reaction. He looked at me, his face calm, and nodded politely: “Sorry, Miss Cole, I already have a girlfriend.” He said it with a polite nod, but his eyes never softened.

His voice was polite, but there was a wall behind it—a careful distance that stung. For a second, I wondered if he recognized anything in me, any echo of Autumn. But he only gave me a polite smile, the kind you give at a networking event.

At the time, I thought he was just joking, just politely rejecting me. Until I joined his company as his secretary.