She… she had really been reborn.
Back to seven years ago—
The very day she got engaged to Joseph James!
That year, she'd just been transferred from the military to the government after an injury, temporarily serving as Lincoln's party whip…
Evelyn was utterly stunned.
It felt like a dream, but the dull ache in her head and the cool, familiar weight of the phone in her hand told her—this was real.
Today was the day of her engagement to Joseph.
But she remembered clearly—he had never shown up on time.
It wasn't until the banquet was nearly over that he finally arrived, disheveled and late.
Evelyn pressed a hand to her pounding forehead, forcing herself to recall every detail.
She remembered how Joseph looked when he finally showed up—moody and defeated. He had never wanted this engagement, but under pressure from Lord James, he had no choice but to comply.
The night before the engagement, Joseph had gotten himself so drunk he could barely stand.
And because of that, he missed most of the ceremony the next day.
At the time, Evelyn had endured countless mocking whispers from guests, and Duke Harrison's fury had even worsened his illness.
As for Evelyn herself—
She had fainted in the middle of the banquet, angered and humiliated by Joseph's absence…
But now wasn't the time to dwell on any of that.
She remembered something.
Something important.
Ignoring the discomfort coursing through her body, Evelyn scrambled out of bed.
She tore off the pale engagement gown and yanked open her wardrobe, throwing on her casual clothes in a rush.
She pulled open the drawer, grabbed her car keys, and bolted out of the room.
The engagement banquet was being held in the Harrison clan's ancient estate.
Downstairs, the grand hall was filled with elegantly dressed guests, mingling under chandeliers to the sound of waltz music.
Laughter floated through the air—but so did quiet murmurs of suspicion.
Some of the staff wore awkward expressions.
It was already 8:30 PM. The sky outside was pitch dark, and Joseph still hadn't appeared.
Rumor had it that the bride-to-be had fainted out of rage.
The guests had already started to wonder if something had gone terribly wrong.
But Evelyn had no time to care.
She shoved her arms into a tailored blazer as she raced down the stairs, ignoring the stunned gazes of everyone in the hall.
She headed straight for the door.
"Evelyn, where are you going?"
A displeased voice called out from behind her.
Evelyn paused, and a cold glint flashed in her eyes.
She turned her head slightly and met the gaze of the elegantly dressed socialite standing just ahead—draped in pearls and diamonds, the perfect picture of wealth and control.
With a chilling calm, Evelyn replied,
"If Joseph doesn't want this, then so be it. I'm calling off the engagement."
And with that, her slender figure vanished through the doorway—
leaving behind nothing but stunned silence.
The car sped through the storm like a blade slicing the wind, heading straight toward the western outskirts of D.C.
The sky was pitch-black, not a single star in sight. Torrential rain lashed against the windows with the howling wind. The wide highway was eerily deserted, not another car in sight.
Though it was the height of summer, the storms had been raging for days. Flooding in the mountain towns had become all too common in the news.
D.C. was one of the most prosperous port cities in the country and a major economic hub, managing several surrounding towns. Lincoln Norman, as the city's governor and one of the top-ranking officials in the D.C. government, often went out for field inspections as part of his routine.
Evelyn had just been transferred from the military to Lincoln's office as his interim secretary about a month ago.
Originally, she was supposed to report directly to the Prosecutor's Office in the northern district of D.C. But just when she thought she could finally begin her work there, Lincoln personally requested her transfer to replace his former secretary, Benjamin.
It was supposed to be temporary, but she ended up staying by his side for three years.
Evelyn had once fiercely resisted, even resented Lincoln for disregarding her wishes. He never asked her opinion—just made her his secretary. And even later, when she had opportunities to move up, he always suppressed them.
She endured those three years working with him, clashing constantly. She remembered one time they argued so badly she even struck him. It was only after that explosive fight that he finally agreed to let her go.
She'd been nominated to serve as deputy prosecutor in a county-level city under their jurisdiction. But Lincoln blocked the appointment, citing her lack of experience, and forced her to work in the northern district's prosecutor's office instead. It took two more years for her to finally climb to the deputy prosecutor role.
They had been political adversaries.
Evelyn had always believed that. If not for the events of her previous life—what happened after her downfall, and what Chloe revealed to her—she would still believe it.
But why? If he had gone out of his way to suppress her professionally, why did he later reach out a hand to help her?
Evelyn's heart was a whirlwind of mixed emotions. But as she thought about the danger Lincoln was about to face, she knew she couldn't just sit idly by.
They had survived countless battles together—at times hating each other enough to wish the other dead. But when real danger struck… something inside her always hesitated. Just like now.
In her past life, she had taken emergency leave for this engagement. Lincoln, already in poor health, had been severely impacted by what happened next. His condition deteriorated in the following years, and after her death… she had no idea what became of him.
Lincoln had always been a man of depth and mystery. Evelyn had never truly understood what was in his heart, not even after years of working side by side. She only knew he carried heavy burdens and never let anyone close.
She hated him for his ruthless tactics, but… at the same time, she admired his brilliance, his presence…
Her car raced forward at high speed, her delicate features tense with focus. Light shimmered in her star-like eyes, now sharp and intense. The phone on the passenger seat buzzed nonstop, but she ignored it.
She drove through the night for over four hours. By now, she was more than 400 kilometers from D.C. The car entered a winding mountain road, surrounded by steep cliffs on either side.
The rain was still pounding, harder than ever. Water flooded the road; she could barely see the asphalt beneath the rising tide. After rounding a sharp bend, the terrain dipped, and the floodwaters nearly reached halfway up her tires.
Evelyn's heart raced with panic. She glanced at the GPS, then out the window. The wind roared, and thunder crashed—cold sweat broke out down her back.
"Lincoln… you can't die on me."