ude chuckled softly, ruffling my hair as he spoke, "He won''t being back, will he?"


    The shock hit me like a freight train, reminiscent of thest time I faced Hannah Price''s treachery, trying to rescue those girls from the orphanage. That''s when Max left Crestview, and Richard had said Max wouldn''t return.


    "What did you do to him?!" I demanded, gripping ude''s tie tightly and ring at him with all the intensity I could muster.


    "ire, weren''t we just fine without him in our previous life?"


    I had suspected others might have been reincarnated, but it never crossed my mind that ude had too.


    "In myst life, all I wanted was everything the Hilton family had. Back then, Max wasn''t in the picture yet. But when I watched Max manipte n into taking his own life, I realized the real adversary was Max."


    "But in my previous life, while I was busy fighting for the Hilton family''s legacy, I didn''t notice how much you suffered because of me. I won the Hilton family but lost you. You died, and Uncle left with you. Only then did I realize how much someone could love you. I couldn''t ept that, ire. You were mine, and so was the Hilton legacy. Even in this life, I feel the same. I thought I earned the Hilton family through my hard work, only to find out Uncle tossed it aside, and I merely picked it up! It''s an insult!"


    His long-nned scheme spanned two lifetimes of resentment.


    I pressed my lips together, unsure of what to say.


    Caught in this lifetime-spanning battle, his ambition was vast he wanted both power and me.


    When we arrived at the courthouse, I realized ude wasn''t joking.


    Now, it was up to Kate to find Allen Ramsey because if Max was overseas, he wouldn''t make it in time to save me.


    "ude, in ourst life, when I died, you thought I was faking it. Now you''re putting on this act of deep affection, don''t you think it makes me sick?"


    I didn''t get out of the car, choosing instead to mock him.


    "It doesn''t matter if it makes you


    sick, ire.


    No matter how many


    times we''re reborn, I won''t let go of you. Remember when you


    afraid of the dark and


    velle,


    thunderstorms? You held onto my hand so tightly that it left marks. Do you really think I''d let go?"


    He slowly unbuttoned his shirt, revealing a constetion of tattoos on his arm. "I turned those marks into tattoos, little stars, so I''d always think of you, my ire."


    I scoffed, "ude, I''m not moved in the slightest. You''ve only seeded in moving yourself."


    His expression shifted as he swung open the car door and stepped out,ing around to my side. Being taller, he bent slightly and gestured towards the courthouse entrance. "In ourst life, didn''t you want to marry me? In this life, we can make that wishe true. ire, it''s a joy for me."


    Just as he finished speaking, Allen Ramsey burst onto the scene, grabbing ude by the hair and throwing him to the ground with force.


    Allen positioned himself protectively in front of me, "My car''s out front, Helen''s waiting for you. Leave this to me."


    ude had underestimated the situation, assuming Max''s absence meant he didn''t need bodyguards. But his driver was already subdued by Helen''s crew, and Allen Ramsey was now stepping on ude''s chest, Gury in his voice, "ude, thought of letting you go, but you''ve gone too far with ire! First, you kidnapped her to Elmwood Springs, causing my mom''s death! Now you kidnap her again and try to steal your uncle''s wife! You''re disgusting!"


    Allen Ramsey swung a powerful punch at him.


    I couldn''t bear to watch any longer and sprinted towards Helen.


    Kate stumbled out of the car, pulling me in, and once I was safely inside, Helen floored the gas pedal, taking us away from the chaos.