Carmela never wanted to marry Logan Cross, the cursed and forsaken fifth prince. Thrown into exile within a desolate palace, he was treated as if he didn't exist, unloved and unwanted. When Carmela's family was forced to sacrifice one of their daughters to wed him, she was chosen against her will.
Filled with resentment, she treated Logan with cruelty, neglected him, and ultimately betrayed him. She eloped with another man only to learn too late that he had used her to gain wealth and power, all while secretly loving her own sister. By the time she realized her mistake, Logan had already risen to the throne, no longer the powerless outcast she once scorned. And his first act as king? Sentencing his unfaithful wife to death.
As the guillotine fell, Carmela closed her eyes, awaiting the end.
But when she opened them again, she was back in her wedding gown ten years in the past. This time, she will not make the same mistakes. She will love Logan, cherish him, and protect him from the fate that once awaited them both. But will he ever trust her after everything she had done?
And more importantly, is the curse truly as simple as everyone believes?
....
The iron scent of blood filled the air.
Carmela's knees ached against the cold, hard platform as rough hands forced her down, the heavy chains around her wrists biting into her flesh. The crowd below roared in anticipation, their faces filled with scorn, with hatred. She wanted to scream, to tell them she wasn't the same woman who had once scorned their king.
But it was too late.
Above her, the executioner stood poised, his hands gripping the lever of the guillotine. The sharp steel glinted under the dim sunlight, its edges stained with old blood.
"Adulteress," the royal advisor announced. "Traitor to the Crown. Unworthy of His Majesty's mercy."
Carmela lifted her head, her tear-streaked face searching for him. And there he was.
Logan Cross.
No longer the outcast prince she had once abandoned, no longer the quiet, unwanted shadow that the world ignored. Now, he was a king a powerful, terrifying one. His once hollow golden eyes burned with icy fury, his lips pressed in a firm line. He sat on his throne, watching as justice was carried out, unmoved.
She had done this.
She had pushed him away. Betrayed him. Left him to suffer alone.
And yet, she had loved him too late, far too late.
"Your Majesty," the executioner spoke, awaiting his command.
Logan's gaze met hers for the briefest moment, filled with something she could no longer understand.
"Proceed," he said.
Carmela's breath hitched as the blade came down.
Darkness consumed her.
Then—
She woke with a gasp.
The scent of roses filled her lungs, the silk of a wedding gown clung to her skin. A mirror before her reflected a face younger than she remembered, her eyes wide with shock. Her heart pounded violently in her chest.
Because she knew this day.
It was her wedding day.
Ten years before her death.
And this time, she would not let history repeat itself.