Reborn, Don’s Girlfriend Flees

When?I?walked?into?Marco?and?Liliana's?engagement?party,?everyone?braced?for?chaos.

The?little?principessa?was?going?to?flip?the?table,?refused to accept an orphan girl as her Cognata.

Marco felt a bit guilty, a trace of remorse flashing across his face.

He avoided my gaze.

But the moment he saw me walking toward Liliana, his expression darkened instantly. He stepped in front of her, shielding her with his body.

His eyes held a silent plea, trying to soothe me:

"Serana, mind your manners. This is Liliana... my fiancée."

But?I?just?smiled—bright?and?sweet.?Perfectly?behaved.

"I'm?so?happy?my?Cognato?found?someone?he?truly?loves.?I?was?wrong?before, I?hurt?Liliana,?and?I?want?to?apologize.?I?brought?her?a?gift."

Then?I?raised?my?hand?and?clapped?gently.

Behind me, my bodyguards filed in, each carrying a velvet box—jewelry, haute couture, designer bags. All priceless.

The?room?went?dead?silent.?Everyone?was?stunned?by?my?sudden?turn.

Even?Marco?looked?surprised.

I?turned?to?Liliana,?gathered?my?skirt,?and?dipped?my?head. Then—

I walked?up?to?her,?watching?her?shocked?face,?and?pressed?a?light?kiss?to?her?cheek.

"Very?soon,?you'll?be?my?Cognata.?I?wish?you?happiness."

Marco?came?back?to?himself?and?patted?my?head,?relieved.

I could read the confusion on Marco 's faces.

After all, I had been glued to Marco's side since I was a child.

I would bake cakes for him, nervously following recipes and adding the ingredients, only to end up burning my hands.

Every year, I prepared gifts for him and meticulously arranged his birthday banquets.

‘I was going to marry you.’ I had been saying it for four years.

But now... those words were nothing but a child's naive jokes.

The?party?buzzed?with?warmth.?Everyone?followed?my?lead,?offering?their?blessings.

Only?I?knew—this?wasn't?how?it?went?before.

In?my?past?life,?I?cried?and?screamed.?Marco?could?only?soothe?me,?make?promises:

"I'm just repaying a debt. Her parents saved my life. I need to compensate her. I swear, I'll divorce her afterward and marry you."

He?said?it?so?many?times.

But?on?the?engagement?day,?I?still?couldn't?take?it.?I?caused?a?scene—a?disaster.

Marco?had?no?choice.?He?broke?it?off?with?Liliana?and?agreed?to?marry?me.

On?our?wedding?night,?Liliana?threw?herself?into?the?sea?right?in?front?of?us.

Marco?shattered.?Completely?collapsed.

He?blamed?himself?for?failing?to?protect?his?savior's?daughter.?And?he?blamed?me—for?my?jealousy,?for?pushing?Liliana?to?her?death.

After?that,?he?wouldn't?even?look?at?me.

I?cried. No matter how hard I cried and begged, he turned a blind eye.

I finally broke down, and in a daze, I tumbled down the stairs.

I?didn't?expect?to?wake?up?again.

This?life,?I?won't?make?the?same?mistakes.

Feeling?Marco's?warm?hand?on?my?head,?I?swallowed?the?bitterness?rising?in?my?throat.

I held out my hand to him with a forced smile—cheerful, light even as my nose burned with tears:

"I?accept?her?as?my?Cognata,?Cognato.?Now?can?I?have?my?mother's?ring?back?"

I'd?given?it?to?him?when?I?was?sixteen.?Everyone?at?school?was?talking?about?summer?flings,?but?my?heart?was?already?his.?

The?campus?queen?who?never?gave?any?guy?a?chance—they?all?wondered?why.

It?took?me?everything?I had to?work?up?the?courage?to?confess.?

That?ring?was?my?mother's—meant?for?my?wedding.?I?thought?he?wouldn't?accept?it.

Didn't?expect?him?to?say?yes.

Marco?froze.?

His?eyes?went?to?my?hand.?He?remembered?that?night?too.

"Serana...?you?mean?this?one?"

Liliana?pulled?off?her?glove.?That?emerald?ring?was?on?her?finger.

Before?I?could?speak,?Liliana's?eyes?went?wet.?Panic?flooded?her?face.

"Oh?no—I'm?so?sorry.?I'll?return?it?right?now.?Please?don't?be?upset."

She?slipped?it?off, and?as?she?handed?it?to?me,?her?fingers?went?slack.

Clink!

The?emerald?hit?the?floor?and?cracked?in?two.

The?whole?room?gasped.?That?was?the?Moretti?family?heirloom!

I?felt?the?blood?drain?from?my?face.?Stared?at?the?shattered?gem?on?the?floor.

Liliana?grabbed?Marco's?sleeve,?helpless,?tears?falling:?"I'm?so?sorry...?I..."

She?crouched?down?to?pick?up?the?pieces—and?sliced?her?finger?on?a?shard.

A?drop?of?blood?bloomed.

I immediately crouched down and reached out toward her—

"Wait!"

Marco grabbed my arm, his touch gentle, just like always, as if he were afraid I might hurt myself.

But I could see nothing but wariness in his eyes.

"Serana, it's just a ring. Don't do anything rash."

My heart gave a sharp, needle-like sting. Was he really that terrified I'd hurt Liliana?

"Cognato, you misunderstood."

I simply twisted my wrist, revealing the band-aid in my palm.

Marco froze, a look of confusion and disbelief crossing his face.

Swallowing the bitterness in my heart, I smiled as I pulled my hand back, placing the band-aid into his palm.

"It's... just a ring, Cognato. Hurry and tend to her wound."

Marco anxiously pulled her hand toward him. Still, he didn't use the band-aid; instead, he called for a doctor to examine her.

Then his tone softened. He patted my head, coaxing me like a child:

"Good girl, Serana. Don't be sad. I'll buy you your favorite strawberry cake."

I?nodded?numbly.?Took?out?a?handkerchief?and?wrapped?the?broken?pieces.

It was my mother's last gift, and the promise ring that sealed our vow.

A wave of sourness stung my nose, and I could barely hold back my tears.

I no longer liked strawberry cake. Just like I no longer loved a certain someone.

Marco?saw?the?grief?on?my?face.?He?seemed?almost?surprised?that?I?stayed?so?quiet that?I?didn't?throw?Liliana?to?the?sharks.

This?docile,?still?version?of?me?was?a?stranger?to?him.?It?made?him?uneasy.

A?voice?in?his?head?whispered:?you're?about?to?lose?something?precious.

As his eyes swept over my reddened arm, his breath hitched.

Almost?instinctively,?he?offered?to?walk?me?back?to?my?room.

But?Liliana?tugged?his?sleeve,?pleading?softly:

"Darling,?it?hurts?so?much...?Can?you?stay?with?me??For?the?disinfectant?"

He?glanced?at?me.?Then?nodded.

The?butler?led?me?back?to?my?room.?

Finally—silence.?The?noise?of?the?party?faded.

I?didn't?have?to?pretend?anymore.?The?tears?came,?hot?and?fast.

Thinking?about?how?Cognato?looked?at?Liliana?now…

the?same?way?he?used?to?look?at?me. Another?woman?was?taking?that?love?away.

"Principessa?is?hurting?so?much...?why?not?fight?harder??The?Don?adores?you.?We?all?know?that."

I?wiped?my?tears?and?shook?my?head.

"Cancel?my?identity.?Buy?me?a?new?one.?Book?a?flight?to?Italy."

"And?don't—don't?tell?Marco."

The?butler?nodded.?He?opened?the?door—

And?found?a?tall?figure?standing?in?the?doorway.

Marco?stared?at?me,?his?voice?rough,?wrecked:

"Don't?tell?me...?what?"