Chapter 1 Time Rewinds

"You'd hurt yourself for Johnny? Do you really want to marry him that badly?"

As Madison Quinn drifted in and out of consciousness, she heard Sam Goodwin's voice and stiffened up.

Was she hallucinating? But she could have sworn she was already dead.

She looked up despite herself. The instant she saw Sam's bloodshot eyes, a jolt shot through her and set every nerve alight. Her skull throbbed as if it might burst.

"Sam..." Madison whispered, her lips quivering as the corners of her eyes went red.

She had never imagined she would see Sam again after she died. She reached for him on instinct, but he caught her wrist.

A sudden sting made her frown. She looked down, and what she saw made her widen her eyes. There was a deep gash on her wrist, and when she looked closer, glass slivers were lodged in the wound.

"Answer me! Are you dead set on marrying him?"

Sam's voice was tight with fury, thundering across the room.

The familiarity made Madison's head ring. She looked around and saw a dozen men in shirts and ties watching her in silence. She felt her stomach drop hard.

Why did this feel so familiar?

It felt like the day she graduated from college three years earlier, when Johnny York had proposed and Sam told him to back off.

That night, Madison stormed into the banquet hall. In front of a dozen company higher-ups, she threatened to kill herself unless Sam approved her marriage to Johnny.

When Sam said no, she smashed a bottle against the table, then cut her wrist with the jagged edge. In the end, Sam gave in and allowed her to marry Johnny.

After that, Madison didn't see Sam again until the day she died.

Had time been rewound, sending her back three years?

When Madison didn't answer, Sam let go of her wrist with a bitter, mocking look.

"I'll agree," he said in a cold, raspy voice.

He turned away and refused to look at her again.

"Y-you agreed?"

Madison came to herself and caught his hand. "No, you can't."

Sam paused and turned back to her, something unreadable flickering in his dark eyes.

Madison had been willing to hurt herself just to marry Johnny, so why was she reacting like this now that Sam had agreed?

Her eyes were red-rimmed, and her grip on Sam's hand trembled. "I don't want to marry Johnny anymore. Sam, I was wrong. I'll follow your lead. Will you take me home, please?"

Johnny was pure evil!

In Madison's last life, he and her best friend, Kaitlyn Swanson, teamed up to strip her of her inheritance.

When they couldn't handle the pressure from Sam, they abducted Madison to draw him out. Then Johnny trapped Sam behind a wall of flames and burned him alive.

At the funeral, Johnny forced Madison down at Sam's grave and assaulted her. She still remembered what Johnny said at Sam's tombstone.

"Look at the rose you guarded so carefully. See how filthy she is under me."

Later, Johnny kept Madison locked up, treating her like an animal.

News reached Kaitlyn fast. She arrived with a crew, demanded that Madison be sewn shut below the waist, then had her shipped to a remote island.

The torment never let up. In the end, Madison never survived. Those men killed her.

When the memories hit, Madison flinched and clung to Sam. "Sam, it hurts. It really hurts."

Her tears seeped into his shirt.

Sam frowned. The ache he'd been carrying eased.

He wasn't sure if she was pretending to be fragile again just to soften him, but the second he heard her say she was hurting, he scooped her up without thinking.

"Let's go home," he said softly, his earlier sharpness gone.

Everyone knew that Sam, the Goodwins' third in line, wielded influence on both sides of the law. His reach was broad, and he controlled Ardelisse's financial lifeline.

But the man with all that power had one weak spot no one was allowed near, Madison, the Quinns' only daughter.

She grew up running with Sam and his friends. When she was five, a car crash killed her family and left her in the ICU fighting to live.

Everyone said she wouldn't survive, but Sam refused to give up. He pushed his parents and the doctors until they brought her back from the edge.

They were only four years apart, but Sam had practically raised Madison himself.

He took her to the hospital and had her injury treated. Back in the car, he leaned against him.

"Sit up," Sam murmured, giving her a small shove.

Madison whimpered, wrapped both hands around his arm, and nuzzled against his shoulder like a kitten. "Sam, my hand hurts."

Sam's eyes narrowed, irritation flashing across his face. "And whose fault is that?"

"Mine. So, can you please stop being mad?"

She looked up, her nose barely grazing his lips.

Chapter 2 We Have Time

The tiny touch caused both Madison and Sam to freeze in place. A jolt snapped between them, tightening the air.

Sam felt heat surge through him, coiled and restless. He stared at Madison's lips and leaned in, closer with each breath.

Watching him draw nearer, Madison's heart kicked into a sprint. The heat rolling off him made her edge back before she could stop herself.

That tiny retreat scraped the warmth from Sam's expression. He knew that, deep down, she was still resisting him.

She'd slit her wrist and even tried to please him. Had all of that just been to push him into agreeing to her marriage to Johnny?

Frustrated, Sam straightened and loosened his tie. Whatever spark hit him a moment ago died fast.

Madison picked up on Sam's change and knew he was overthinking again.

She was about to explain when her phone rang. When she took it out, she saw Johnny's name. She declined the call without a second thought, then blocked him.

After that, she snuck a glance at Sam beside her. His expression was tight with tension. In the dim light, the shadow in his eyes and the hard lines of his face made her flinch.

Startled, Madison blurted, "Sam—"

But he cut her off with an icy "Pull over".

The driver eased the car toward the curb.

Sam kept his face blank as he looked at her. "I have to get back to the office. Go back on your—"

Before he finished, Madison grabbed his tie, yanked him close, and kissed him.

Sam went rigid.

A long beat later, he came back to himself and pushed her away. "Madison, if you're doing this for Johnny—"

"I'm not doing it for him," Madison said, her voice steady.

Sam started to speak, then he thought better of it. He searched her face for a hint of a lie but didn't see one.

Madison knew he didn't believe her. After all, she'd hurt him too many times because of Johnny.

She blinked and slid her arms around his neck. "You probably think I'm lying. It's okay. We have time. I'll show you how much I care about you."

She pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth.

Sam had no idea what game Madison was playing, but in that moment, he wished she would keep up the lie forever.

They returned to Northcrest Villa.

The second they walked in, Sam went straight to the study and buried himself in work. Madison slipped into her room without interrupting him.

The sight of Johnny's gifts scattered around the room made her nauseous. She used to think those sweet gestures meant love. She never realized they were bait, and she had been foolish enough to take it.

Madison pulled out a suitcase and started shoving everything inside.

Meanwhile, Edmund Brock, the butler, carried a cup of coffee into the study.

He was about to leave when Sam stopped him. "What's she doing?"

It was obvious who he meant.

Edmund paused, then answered honestly, "Ms. Quinn is packing a suitcase."

Sam's hand stilled. He looked composed, but inside, he was a mess. "We have time" kept looping in his head, and he couldn't tell whether she meant it or was just saying it so she could bolt.

His thoughts were a mess. Eventually, he got up and headed for Madison's room. He'd barely reached the doorway when he heard Kaitlyn's voice.

"Maddie, why aren't you answering Johnny's calls? He's losing his mind."

"What is it?"

Her flat tone caught Kaitlyn off guard, but she kept going. "Johnny knows Sam will never agree to you marrying him, so he's already at the airport waiting for you. Go meet him and get out of here."

Kaitlyn's voice set Madison's hackles up.

In her last life, Madison treated Kaitlyn like family, thinking Kaitlyn genuinely wanted her happy when Kaitlyn pushed her toward Johnny.

But Johnny was actually Kaitlyn's boyfriend, and she had pushed him toward Madison just to get at Madison's inheritance.

Upon remembering how Kaitlyn and Johnny played her for a fool, Madison's gaze hardened. With this second chance, she wouldn't let either of them lay a hand on her or on Sam again.

"Is Johnny planning to run off with me?" Madison asked.

Right then, a figure slid into her peripheral vision. She jerked, nearly dropping the phone.

"S-Sam…"

Chapter 3 Don't Touch Me

Sam strode over and grabbed Madison's wrist. Her panic only fueled his anger.

If he hadn't caught her on the phone, would she have left with Johnny without a word? The thought made his grip tighten.

He kept his eyes on her, his gaze steady and unblinking. "Where are you going?"

Pain shot through Madison's wrist. She winced and pulled against his grip. "It hurts. Let go."

Let her go? Not a chance!

Sam pulled her close and claimed her lips in a rough kiss. The kiss overwhelmed her, stealing her breath.

"Sam…" Madison whispered.

The sound sent heat flooding through him. He pushed her back onto the mattress and held her there with a hard grip.

"Why? I already let you go. Why are you still trying to run off with Johnny?" he demanded.

Why would she lie to him?

Sam's eyes went bloodshot. He wasn't thinking anymore. He dragged his mouth along her skin, sucking hard enough to leave marks.

As she watched Sam unravel, Madison saw herself three years ahead, with those men assaulting her again and again.

Terrified, she shook uncontrollably and screamed, "Don't touch me! Please, let me go..."

The despair in her voice snapped Sam back to reality. He froze and looked down at her, already in tears. His chest tightened.

What had he done? He'd tried to force himself on her.

The apology got stuck in his throat.

Madison shoved Sam back and pulled her knees to her chest. The disgust was all in her head, but it still made her gag.

Sam set his jaw. His eyes went hard and cold. The air seemed to tighten around them.

Did he disgust her so much that even his touch made her sick?

He clenched his fists, managed a wry smile, and left the bedroom.

Madison flinched at the hard slam of the door, her heart thudding. It took her a while to steady herself.

She walked to Sam's bedroom and hesitated outside his door. Eventually, she pushed it open. The room was dark, and she could barely make out his outline on the bed.

"Sam..." she whispered.

He said nothing.

She tiptoed to the bed, slipped off her shoes, and lay down beside him.

Sam's whole body tensed. Before he could process what Madison was doing, her arm slipped over him. Pressed against him, her warmth and softness made him lock up, his breathing quickening.

"Sam..."

The sound of her voice stole his breath for a beat.

Her arm tightened around his waist. "I'm not leaving with Johnny. Never. Wherever you are, that's where I'll be."

Sam didn't respond.

Madison knew he was awake. He just couldn't handle how fast she'd come around. That was fine. She'd wait until he trusted her.

Eventually, she drifted off.

Sam opened his eyes and watched her, his feelings scattered and hard to pin down. He knew she might be after something, but he couldn't bring himself to let her go.

…

By morning, when Madison opened her eyes, Sam was gone. She reached for the space beside her and found it cold, which meant he'd been gone a while.

Feeling hollow, she went back to her own room.

Her phone started ringing on the nightstand. It was Kaitlyn. Madison didn't want to answer, but it wouldn't stop.

She finally picked up, her voice tight with impatience. "What is it?"

After hearing the edge in Madison's voice and remembering their call had been cut off last night, Kaitlyn tried to calm her.

"Did Sam pressure you into something again? Maddie, you should just move out of his place. You now have a career and are financially stable. Why let him keep controlling you? Come to my place.

"I have friends here, and Johnny is here too. You two can talk."

"Sure," Madison answered without hesitation.

After she hung up, she narrowed her eyes, and a cold glint flashed in them.

How could she have forgotten? Kaitlyn was still living in her villa.

Kaitlyn had come from out of town. Worried she'd have nowhere to stay, Madison had let Kaitlyn use the villa her parents had left her. But Kaitlyn treated it as if it were hers.

Madison scoffed. This time, she would take back everything that had been taken from her.

Chapter 4 The Quinns Own This Villa

Madison thought back to her past life. On this same day years ago, she drank the water Johnny handed her, felt woozy, and passed out.

When she woke, her clothes were tousled, and she was lying in bed with a guy from her college.

Johnny fought that guy over it and later swore he wouldn't hold it against her. She felt obligated, so she bent over backward to meet his demands.

Only now did she realize everything had fallen apart after she drank Johnny's water.

Madison took out her phone and made a call. "Do me a favor. Check if Johnny bought any illegal drugs in the last few days, especially an aphrodisiac."

The reply came fast. Johnny had indeed bought exactly that, just as Madison suspected.

Her gaze went cold. She'd make Johnny reap what he'd sown.

Worried things might go sideways, Madison headed to Oceanview Villa with her bodyguards.

…

Sam finished the morning meeting at Goodwin Corp. He closed his eyes for a moment in the CEO's office as he prepared for the next meeting.

His phone rang, and he answered.

"Mr. Goodwin, Ms. Quinn has gone to Oceanview Villa," a voice said.

Sam pinched the bridge of his nose. He'd seen this coming. "Got it."

She had tried so hard to please him the night before. For all he knew, she could already be with Johnny, plotting something new to go after him.

The caller hesitated. "Mr. Goodwin… there's another problem. Ms. Quinn found out Johnny bought an aphrodisiac."

Sam's gaze hardened, and his voice turned cold. "What did you say?"

He couldn't believe she would go, even though Johnny might've bought something to use on her.

Sam tightened his grip on the phone, his expression turning grim. "Get the car!"

Even through the line, the caller felt Sam's temper and shivered.

…

Madison pulled up to Oceanview Villa. Before getting out, she told her bodyguards, "Wait here. I'll call if I need you."

"Understood, Ms. Quinn."

She entered the passcode, but the keypad flashed an error. After a long moment, a maid, Maya Hayes, opened the door.

The moment Madison stepped inside, she immediately set a new code.

Maya snapped, "Who are you? You can't just change the code in this house."

Madison scoffed at Maya. "Then tell me who owns this villa."

Maya cringed under Madison's stare, shrinking from her quiet dominance. She stammered, "O-Of course it's Ms. Swanson."

"Ms. Swanson? As if!" Madison snapped.

She grabbed Maya by the collar and yanked her forward. "Remember this. The Quinns own this villa! If you ever say otherwise again, I'll gouge your eyes out!"

Madison snorted as she let go of Maya, reset the passcode, and strode into the house. As she stepped inside, she heard a few people gushing over Kaitlyn.

"Kaitlyn, your place is huge."

"I said there was no way Kaitlyn was broke. People on campus even claimed your labels were fake. What a bunch of snobs."

"If I could live somewhere like this, I'd go to bed smiling."

Kaitlyn soaked it up, already preening. "I try to keep a low profile. I don't want my background to push people away."

Suddenly, someone asked, "Wait, is that Madison as a kid?"

Everyone looked over and spotted a family photo tucked in a cabinet corner. The child in the picture looked to be about four or five, and her features matched Madison's exactly.

"Why is there a family photo of Madison here?"

All eyes turned toward Kaitlyn, and heat rushed to her face. "Because... Well..."

She fumbled for words, then said, "Madison used to stay here a lot, so she thought of this place as her home."

"Seriously? That was shameless. Kaitlyn, you're way too kind. Careful, or one day Madison will be standing on your shoulders, claiming this is her place."

"You paid for every label Madison wears, right, Kaitlyn? You're so generous to her."

Kaitlyn's lips twitched as she forced a stiff smile. "Madison and I are practically family. If she ever calls this her place, I hope no one ruins it for her. Everyone needs a little pride."

From the doorway, Madison let out a low scoff. She couldn't believe she hadn't noticed how good Kaitlyn was at faking it.

Fine. The cockier Kaitlyn was now, the harder she'd fall later.

Chapter 5 Turning on Each Other

Madison walked up with a teasing smirk, her gaze sweeping over Kaitlyn. "Quite the crowd. Did you run this by me before bringing your friends here?"

The room went dead quiet, and everyone turned to look at Kaitlyn.

She hurried over, visibly uneasy, and took Madison's hand. "Maddie, I know you hate being around a lot of people, but we all went to the same college. Do me a favor, okay? Don't make a scene."

Kaitlyn gave her hand a gentle squeeze, asking her to drop it.

Madison scoffed and jerked her hand back. "I didn't report you for breaking into my place. That was a favor. What else do you want?"

Her sharp remark made Kaitlyn's cheeks burn. Kaitlyn couldn't understand why Madison, who usually went along with everything, was acting like this today.

Finally, someone snapped, "Madison! Why are you putting on a show in Kaitlyn's house? Kaitlyn even told us not to call you out just to feed your ego, and you're still acting like you run the place. Aren't you embarrassed?"

"Exactly! Get over yourself. You wear designer labels for a few days, crash at a villa for a few nights, and suddenly you think you own the place? Kaitlyn, kick her out!"

While the accusations flew, Madison didn't react. She only turned to Kaitlyn, whose face flushed, then drained, as if every jab landed.

Kaitlyn took Madison's hand and pulled her aside. "Maddie, stop it. I know Sam got in your head last night, but you can't blow up in front of everyone. Go upstairs for a minute. Johnny's almost here."

She'd barely finished when Johnny walked in.

Kaitlyn brightened with relief. "Johnny, come over and calm her down. She needs you right now."

Madison caught the pointed look Kaitlyn shot Johnny. He played along right away, his smile coming easily.

He stepped closer, took her hand, and spoke softly. "What's wrong, babe? Who upset you? Just say the word and I'll take care of it."

Something sly sparked in Madison's eyes. She pointed at Kaitlyn and asked deliberately, "You mean that? Even if it's her, you'd still take my side?"

Both their expressions darkened at once. They didn't know why Madison threw that out there, but a quiet unease settled, like something had just shifted.

Seeing them both go quiet, Madison snorted and pushed harder. "What, cat got your tongues? You can't bring yourself to go after her, can you?"

A flicker of nerves crossed Johnny's face, and he shot Kaitlyn an uneasy look despite himself.

"Guess the gossip is true," Madison said.

She bit her lip before she could stop herself, her eyes rimmed with red, which made her look small and miserable.

She continued, "Someone said you two are a thing, and you only got close to me to milk me for money—"

"That's bullshit!" Johnny snapped before she could finish, his voice hard with anger and contempt.

But his gaze, meant to be steady, flickered with nervous doubt. "There's nothing between me and Kaitlyn. Who's the bastard stirring things up? Was it Sam?"

Johnny figured Sam had dug something up. He took Madison's hand, his expression warm with affection. "Maddie, trust me. I love you."

Madison bristled at him for blaming Sam, but kept her expression neutral as she asked, "Do you really love me?"

"Of course," Johnny said without hesitation.

Madison pointed at Kaitlyn. "Then help me kick her out of my house. She brought her friends over without asking, then made everyone think I only care about appearances.

"She's been shamelessly acting like she owns the place. Someone like that doesn't deserve to be my friend."

Kaitlyn went pale.

Johnny knew defending Kaitlyn would only make the rumors sound believable. To head off Madison's doubts, he turned on Kaitlyn.

"Kaitlyn! Maddie took you in as a favor, and you've been acting like you own the place. Aren't you embarrassed? Get out of Maddie's house. Now!"