"If you won’t leave...then I will," Ansel said and stormed out of his study.
Savannah ran after him into the hall.
"Mr. Locke...Ansel...wait."
He didn’t stop. Leo Grant, his assistant, followed him, holding his tablet. He kept glancing between Ansel and Savannah unsure of what was happening.
"I’ve changed my mind."
Ansel stopped. He turned and looked at her with curiosity in his eyes.
"Changed your mind?"
"Yes."
"A few minutes ago..." He said, touching his bruised cheek. "I was a man you’d never sell yourself to. You said that yourself, didn’t you? Or have you already forgotten?"
Savannah’s stomach droppped. Of course she remembered. And she had meant it then.
"I was wrong."
Ansel laughed coldly.
"Did someone text you my net worth?" Ansel asked. "Is that why you changed your mind?"
"No..."
"Was it your parents?" he asked, walking towards Savannah.
Savannah clenched her hands on her sides.
"No."
"Then what?"
She opened her mouth but didn’t know what to say.
How could she tell him that she had died in the rain after he had refused to help her? Her sister had stood over her body and mocked her.
And now, she had woken up three years in the past and knew he is the only one who can save her.
He would send her to a mental asylum.
"You know what...it doesn’t matter. I’ve had a long day," Ansel said. "And I’ve already given you more of my time than you deserve."
He turned away.
"Wait..."
"Leo."
"Yes, sir."
"Have security walk Miss Quinn out. She is not a guest. She is a trespasser."
Immediately, a security guard appeared beside her.
"This way, miss," he said politely.
Savannah stood there for a moment, watching Ansel vanish around the corner. She had begged him twice now. And both times, she had been rejected.
"I can’t give up!! I’ll do whatever it takes to marry you, Ansel!"
When Savannah came out of the estate, she saw a black luxury car waiting outside. It was the Quinn family car. The window rolled down and Celeste leaned out.
"Savannah!" Celeste said, looking concerned. "You took forever. I was so worried. Did it go badly?"
Savannah didn’t reply and walked towards the car. The driver opened the door and she sat in the back seat beside Celeste.
"So? What did he say?" Celeste asked the moment the door shut.
But Savannah wasn’t listening. Her eyes were fixed on Celeste’s neck. Celeste was wearing her grandmother’s jade pendant. Her hand moved instinctively to the pendant.
A sharp warmth rushed up her arm. It surged from her fingers to straight to her chest. She gasped. Celeste immediately jerked back.
She yanked the pendant away and tucked it inside her top, covering it with her other hand. She looked afraid.
"What are you doing?"
"Nothing," Savannah replied calmly. "I just... touched it. I used to wear it, remember?"
Celeste’s smile returned immediately.
"Of course I remember," she replied. "Grandmother gave it to you. But you gave it to me. Don’t you remember?"
She did.
"I do," Savannah replied and looked out of the window.
They drove in silence for a while. Then Celeste moved closer to her.
"Savannah...since you love Ethan and came here to turn down Ansel....Dad is calling Victor Locke tonight."
Savannah turned towards her abruptly. She remembered that. In her previous life, after she had turned Ansel down, their father had asked Ansel to marry Celeste but he had refused. But Celeste had kept throwing herself at him only to be humiliated again and again.
"Victor Locke?" Savannah asked.
"Yes!" Celeste smiled. "He is calling him to talk about Ansel and me."
"Sure!" Savannah smiled.
Can’t wait for you to get humiliated!!
"There she is!" Richard Quinn stood at the head of the table and raised his glass the moment he saw Celeste walking towards the dining table. "Come sit. Cooper, move over."
Cooper Quinn, the youngest sibling, moved his chair without looking up from his phone. The table was set for five but laid for a feast.
"To Celeste," Richard said. "The future Mrs. Locke."
Diane Quinn, their mother, drank, smiling at Celeste over the rim of her glass. Cooper drank his water. But Savannah did not lift her glass.
"Savannah," her mother said, setting down her glass. "Are you sulking?"
"I’m not."
"We just received a message that you slapped Ansel," Diane said. "How can you do something so embarrassing? What were you thinking?"
Savannah didn’t say anything. She kept staring at her plate.
"But it’s better this way, to be honest," Diane said. "The Lockes need a lucky daughter, not a stubborn one."
Savannah’s hand tightened around her fork.
"Besides," Diane continued. "you were never going to be what that family needs. You have always been unlucky."
The room went quiet for a second. Then Cooper snickered.
"Even a gold digger has standards, apparently," he said.
"Cooper." Diane shot him a look.
"Enough!" Richard raised his hand and looked at Celeste. "Celeste, sweetheart, eat something. You need to be strong. Wedding will take a toll on you."
Celeste lowered her head shyly.
"Thank you, Dad."
Savannah watched her eat and remembered her death once again.
I’ll never let you be happy, Celeste!
When Savannah returned to her room, she found it exactly as it had been three years ago. She closed the door and turned on a small lamp beside her bed. Sitting on the edge of the bed she looked at her shaking hands for a while.
Her mind drifted back to the time she was six. When her mother had brought Celeste into their lives.
She remembered the night they had brought Celeste home. She had shown her all her toys. But Celeste’s eyes had been fixed on the pendant around her neck.
"What’s that?" Celeste had whispered.
"My grandmother gave it to me."
"It’s pretty," Celeste had replied. "Can I borrow it? Just for tonight?"
Savannah had hesitated. But she had smiled. She took off the necklace and gave it to her.
"Just for tonight," Savannah had said.
"Just for tonight," Celeste had agreed.
But she never gave it back. And strangely, Savannah had never asked. She didn’t know why.
Savannah remembered that same week, her father had come home, laughing and lifting Celeste up and spinning her around the living room.
"Our lucky charm," he kept saying. "Our lucky charm."
Their failing company was saved. It was a miracle. And since then, such miracles had kept happening, turning an ordinary family like the Quinns into one of the city elite.
Savannah couldn’t sleep that night. She kept tossing and turning throughout the night thinking about how to convince Ansel Locke to marry her. But she couldn’t think of any solution.
Ansel Locke was not dumb and most importantly, he hated the Quinns. The only reason he had offered her the marriage contract was because of his grandfather’s will. To secure his inheritance, he had to marry the Quinn’s family real daughter.
"Why did I wake up after I slapped him? Why didn’t I wake up before?"
The moment sunlight fell in her room, she got out of the bed. She went downstairs and found the house already busy. Breakfast was being made in the kitchen, the driver was cleaning the car outside and Celeste stood in the hallway with a coffee cup in her hand. She was checking herself in the mirror.
"There you are. Sleep well?" Celeste said the moment she noticed Savannah.
"Fine."
"Good, because..." Celeste turned and smiled brightly. "I need to borrow something from you. The Lockes are hosting a family lunch today. Victor has invited us. Can you believe it? And I have nothing good to wear."
Savannah didn’t reply.
"You still have that beautiful ivory dress grandmother gave you, right?" Celeste smiled. "You don’t wear it anymore."
The dress had been a gift from Rosalind, her grandmother. It was her last gift to Savannah. Rosalind had it made especially from a seamstress in Willowmere a month before she died, and Savannah had only worn it at her grandmother’s funeral.
"I need it," Celeste said. "Just for today. You don’t mind, do you?"
There was a time when Savannah would not have minded. But not now.
"No," Savannah replied.
Celeste couldn’t believe her ears.
"What?"
"No. You can’t borrow it."
"It’s just a dress, Savannah."
"It’s my dress," Savannah replied calmly. "And I said no."
For a second, the smile on Celeste’s face disappeared. Her eyes became cold but she recovered quickly.
"Of course," Celeste said. "You’re right. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked."
Celeste turned and walked towards the stairs. She had taken only three steps when she tripped.
Celeste’s heel caught on something. Her arms flew out and the coffee in her hand spilled everywhere. She crashed hard on her knees.
The hallway fell silent. Diane immediately rushed out of the kitchen while Richard appeared at the top of the stairs. Everyone stared at her in disbelief.
Because Celeste Quinn had never had a single accident in her life. The family always joked that she was too lucky for bad things to happen to her. But now she was sitting on the floor covered in coffee.
Savannah looked at her pale face. She didn’t look hurt or embarrassed. She looked afraid. Then, she burst into tears.
"Oh no," Celeste wailed. "Oh no, oh no...my leg..."
Diane ran to Celeste and Richard came down the stairs. The maid immediately grabbed a towel. Everyone gathered around Celeste, fussing and soothing her.
Savannah didn’t move. She looked at her and then at her hands.
Did something change...because I said no to her?
After Diane and Richard took Celeste to her room, Savannah went to the kitchen to make herself tea. She had just picked up the cup when Cooper came to her.
"Hey," he said, showing her his phone screen. "You need to see this."
It was a news headline.
QUINN FAMILY’S LUCKY DAUGHTER TO WED LOCKE HEIR?
Cooper watched her, grinning.
"Looks like the lunch is going to be interesting," he said.
Savannah read the headline again and smiled.
"Can’t wait for it!"