Chapter 1: I Should Call You... Step Mom!

Lush vines crawled over the ornate European-style window frame. Light piercing through their gaps, casting elegant shadows onto the luxurious dressing table. Mia Parry's eyes fluttered open, still disoriented, when an irresistible force pushed her against the table. Powders and cosmetics scattered, staining her pristine white wedding dress in a burst of vibrant purples and reds. "It's been a while, Mia! Oh, should I call you step mom now!" Mia looked up at the tall man towering over her. His eyes frivolous and greedy, he leaned ever closer. Her mind was buzzing. I thought I was dead. How can I still see this ungrateful jerk? Is Finn Carn dead too? Mia's mind went blank for a moment. In those brief seconds, the man's hands were already roaming inappropriately. Frustrated by the complex layers of her dress, he began to tug at it impatiently. This looked all too familiar and it suddenly crossed Mia's mind: "Am I reborn?" Ironically, she had returned to the very day her nightmare began. On Valentine‘s Day, a day full of romantic expectations for many girls, Mia was drugged by her sister and stuffed into a wedding car from Carn's Capital Group. She was to marry Samuel Carn, the group's sixty-something leader. She was marrying him in place of her sister. Before she could lament her tragic fate, Finn barged into the makeup room and shattered her life. Finn was Samuel's son and her college crush. She remembered the day Finn first laid hands on her, only to be caught by Samuel. The corporate mogul, enraged by his son and soon-to-be wife, suffered a stroke on the spot. As she pondered, the door burst open. "You two bastards! How dare you..." Mia watched as the once vigorous old man collapsed, convulsing on the floor. Before she could react, Finn grabbed her arm. "He saw us!" he exclaimed. But within seconds, he regained his composure, covering Mia's mouth with his hand, meeting her terrified gaze. "You're doomed, Mia! You've killed your husband-to-be. Who would dare marry you now?" Trapped in Finn's grasp, Mia could only shake her head desperately. Finn, with evident interest, scrutinized her and moved closer, continuing his threats: "You caused his death. My family will not let you go, nor will they spare your family. You've brought trouble to the entire Parry family!" "I didn't do it... it wasn't me..." The scene overlapped with her memories. She had been similarly terrified, falling prey to Finn's manipulations and suffering under his control until her death. "Only I can save you now!" Finn said, feigning sympathy, "Now, only I can help you, only I can save your entire family! Just do as I say... Ouch!" Shocked, he cursed vulgarly, unable to believe Mia's defiance. Mia's lips curved into a slight smile, and the next moment, she shouted towards the door, "Someone help! Finn is committing murder!" "You..." Before Finn could feel surprise, a line of men in black uniforms entered. The last to enter was a thin man in a white shirt and sunglasses, seated in a wheelchair. The man leaned over and gently touched the tip of the nose of the old man, who was barely clinging to life. He spoke in a deep voice, "Bring Dr. Morris over!" Immediately, a man in uniform dashed out and soon brought in a man wearing a gray-white suit and glasses. Mia remembered Dr. Morris from her last life. He was the Carn family's personal doctor. He was the only one who tended to her until her last breath in her previous life. As the old man was taken away, a man in a white shirt removed his sunglasses, revealing a cold, indifferent face. He inquired about the incident. "So, what exactly happened just now?" The man in the white shirt took off his sunglasses, revealing a cold and indifferent handsome face. With an inquisitive gaze, he scanned the two people in the room. Seizing the opportunity, Mia began to describe the events with emotion and detail: "I was changing my clothes when Carn Jr. suddenly burst in and tried to take liberties with me. His father, Mr. Samuel Carn, walked in on us at that moment. Fearing exposure, he pushed Mr. Samuel Carn to the ground! This scum wanted to not only kill his father but also me! Her utterance of "scum" was so heartfelt and sincere that it made her entire narrative seem all the more credible. Indeed, the man's deep, inscrutable black eyes narrowed slightly, sweeping towards Finn with a scrutinizing gaze. "You're slandering me! How could I have assaulted you? Do you think you're so enchanting that every man falls head over heels for you? Besides, after today, you'll legally be my stepmother. Both emotionally and logically, how could I possibly take such liberties with you?" Finn clenched his fists in anger and raised his hand to strike, but Mia, with quick reflexes, hurriedly retreated behind the man for protection. "Get out of my way!" Finn glared furiously at the man standing between them, swinging his fist without warning. "Have you had enough?" Suddenly, a man in a black suit and sunglasses appeared. He effortlessly caught Finn's fist and flung it aside, sending Finn tumbling to the ground with seemingly little effort. It appeared he was the man's bodyguard. Well done! Mia couldn't help but clap in admiration. "Get lost!" The man's voice was low but carried an authoritative command in just two words. Finn shot Mia a resentful glare and, unwillingly, picked himself up and left the room. Once alone, the man turned to Mia. "You're not Aria. Who are you?" "I'm Mia Parry. I'm also a daughter of the Parries. Isn't that enough?" Mia met his gaze without flinching. The man bore a resemblance to Finn. His skin was almost translucent, giving him an ethereal, almost sickly beauty. His striking peach blossom eyes were set with pupils as dark as obsidian, radiating an inherent nobility and a crisp, youthful aura — qualities absent in Finn's dissolute demeanor. "Who are you?" Mia felt a sense of familiarity with him, likely having encountered him in her past life, though the memory wasn't clear. In that life, Finn had kept such a close watch on her that she had no opportunity to interact with others. "I am Samuel's only surviving brother, Asher. I'm the acting CEO of Carn's Capital Group by legal appointment. This means if the CEO ever becomes incapacitated, I will exercise the presidential powers on behalf of Carn's Capital Group!" "How do you find my identity? My in-law," he said, cleaning the stains from her dress.