Chapter 4: The Game Changes

[Wait, did I miss something? Why did the platinum card go to someone else?]

[Even if this guy gets the card, it’s useless. The villainess only likes the male lead; she’d never look at anyone else.]

[She’s just trying to make the male lead jealous, but he won’t fall for it.]

The comments practically screamed across my screen, the chat window a blur of disbelief and wild theories. I almost laughed. Let them guess—this was my show now.

Ethan froze.

He looked like someone had yanked the ground out from under him. The new, reborn Ethan wasn’t as in control as he thought. For a split second, real confusion flickered across his face, like he couldn’t believe the script had changed.

The newly reborn him looked both disbelieving and confused, as if he hadn’t realized that things were already diverging from his previous life.

He glanced at Lily, then back at me, searching for an answer that wasn’t there. Not anymore.

But with his beloved right in front of him, the fear of death and the joy of a new life still clashed in his mind.

He squeezed Lily’s hand tighter, like she was his only anchor. Maybe she was.

So he didn’t think too much about it.

He let it go, for now. But I could tell it gnawed at him.

I cheerfully invited this cute guy to grab a bite with me.

I looped my arm through his, ignoring the way he blushed. “Come on, let’s celebrate the first day of college in style.”

The school year had just started, and I didn’t know many people yet.

Campus buzzed with orientation week—club flyers, Greek life recruiters, and nervous freshmen clutching Starbucks. I was supposed to be making friends, not enemies. But I’d always preferred making an entrance.

As for Ethan, I’d only heard classmates whispering that he still hadn’t scraped together his tuition.

Rumors travel fast on a campus like this. By lunchtime, everyone knows who’s struggling and who’s got a trust fund.

That’s why I kindly took out the platinum card, wanting to see if he’d be willing to be my boyfriend.

It wasn’t charity. It was an offer—a deal. I figured he’d jump at the chance. Guess I was wrong.

After all, his sharp jawline was exactly my type—I lost my head a bit.

I’d always had a weakness for pretty boys with a little bit of edge. I caught myself giggling, twirling a strand of hair as I made my move. Sue me.

Maybe, in the last life, I really did love Ethan.

I’d told myself it was love. Maybe it was just habit, or pride. But it felt real enough at the time.

But in this life, love hadn’t even started and was already over before it began.

Sometimes, the story ends before it ever gets a chance to start. I was learning that the hard way.

I have plenty of money.

My bank account was bigger than most people’s futures. I could’ve bought the whole restaurant if I wanted.

I’m the only daughter of the Whitmore family, the wealthiest in the state.

Our name was on half the buildings downtown—people either wanted to be me or hated me. Sometimes both.

A girl who’s never been told no.

I’d been raised on yeses. The first time someone told me no, I was four, and my father bought the entire candy store just to make me stop crying.

Why would I tie myself to a sinking ship?

I wasn’t here to save anyone. Not anymore.

Why care who I date?

Love was a luxury, not a necessity. I could afford to be picky.

This cute guy holding the platinum card also fits my taste.

He was still looking at the card like it might explode. I grinned, enjoying the power shift.

I chose the most upscale restaurant near campus, frowned at the menu, and then handed it to the waiter:

The hostess recognized me instantly, ushering us to the best table by the window. I scanned the menu with a practiced eye, pretending to care about the prices.

“Bring out all your signature dishes.”

My tone left no room for argument. The waiter’s eyes lit up—he knew a big tip when he saw one.

The waiter hurried off, delighted.

He practically skipped to the kitchen. Money talks, and in my world, it sings.

Just then, the restaurant door swung open, drawing everyone’s attention.

The bell above the door chimed, and half the room looked up, expecting a celebrity. In a way, they weren’t wrong.

I looked back.

Something in my gut told me who it was before I even turned around.

It was the reborn male lead.

Ethan, with Lily on his arm, walked in like he owned the place. The sunlight caught his hair, making him look almost angelic—if angels wore Target sneakers and carried the weight of two lifetimes.

Hand in hand with his childhood sweetheart.

They looked picture-perfect, like a couple in a college brochure. But I knew better. I knew what it cost to look that effortless.