Lemira Langston stared up at Rowan, her mind drifting. In her past life, she had

barely seen her third brother. He was always busy with his medical research, locked away in his private island laboratory. He had practically never come home. Their only real meeting had been on the operating table.

After all, in that life, no one had discovered that her parents' deaths were tied to Evelina's father and the Sinclair family.

Lemira's relationship with Rowan had been distant at best.

Yet, in her past life, she had idolized him. She had treated him like a hero.

She believed she had never done anything to wrong him, but in the end, he was the one who pushed her onto the operating table, cutting her open to harvest her kidney.

She still remembered that suffocating wave of despair.

A faint, mocking smile touched Lemira's lips at the memory.

A second later, Rowan reached out to her. Lemira dodged his hand, her body tense with caution.

It didn't matter how gentle he seemed now; she could never forget the absolute helplessness she felt lying under his scalpel.

Rowan's hand froze in midair. "Lemira," he said softly. "It's been so many years. You've grown so much."

Lemira's tone was flat. "It's been years. It'd be a medical miracle if I hadn't."

Asher Langston frowned. "Lemira, Rowan is just checking on you. What kind of attitude is that?"

Rowan waved him off. "Asher, it's fine. I've been away for years. It's only natural that my own sister feels distant from me. I understand."

Lemira didn't reply. She couldn't care less whether he understood or not.

She turned her cold gaze to Evelina Sterling. "Since you didn't don the proper mourning attire and stand vigil today, you can do it right now. Everyone's here to witness it."

Evelina looked horrified, immediately shooting a desperate plea toward Rowan.

Right now, she felt Rowan was her only lifeline the only one who hadn't been around to see what she had done.

But Asher beat him to the punch. "Lemira, let's eat first. A day's delay won't hurt." Lemira didn't budge.

Rowan spoke up. "Asher, I think Lemira is right. Rules are rules. Dinner can wait. Let's get this over with."

Evelina froze. Did this mean he was actually going to make her stand in a humiliating vigil?

Why wasn't Rowan defending her?

This wasn't right.

She had just spent the last hour buttering him up, convinced he would take her side.

Lemira glanced at Rowan in surprise. He actually wasn't siding with Evelina? What went wrong?

In her previous life, the moment Rowan heard Evelina's lies, he had believed the two-faced girl without hesitation.

Had her rebirth triggered a butterfly effect, shifting Rowan's loyalties too?

The new butler quickly brought out a severe black mourning dress and

hạnded it to Evelina. Left with

mo

way out, she gritted her teeth and

put it on.

She swore to herself that the second she gave birth, she would leave the Langston

family forever. She wouldn't stay in this hellhole.

Standing to the side, Lemira

watched Evelina bow her head imet

silent, humiliating penance. Only then did the heavy knot in her chest loosen a little.

Earlier, seeing Evelina laughing and chatting with the Langston brothers had dragged up all the horrific memories of her past life.

The sheer indignity of being kept in the dark back then still fueled her rage.

Rowan turned to Lemira, his voice gentle. "Feeling a little better?"

Lemira's expression remained indifferent. "No amount of petty revenge will bring our parents back. What's the point?"

Asher looked displeased. "If you think it's pointless, then why did you force Evelina into such a humiliating display?"

Caspian Langston stormed over.

einlood."

"Because it's exactly what she deservest How is it a big deal? If she wasn't pregnant, I would've made her pay her father's debts in The nerve she has, still freeloading off the Langstons!"