Chapter 1

Roxanne's POV

My chest tightened when I saw that Stefano Giullani was still alive.

The current Stefano wore a black suit with the family crest on the cuff, and he still gazed at me with the same annoyance as before.

It was completely different from the mature, noble version of him in the future.

My nose stung as my mind flashed back to his mocking words in my past life.

"My Padre used my position as the heir to force me into marrying you. Roxanne Salvator, don't ever think that I will love you."

I came back to my senses and suppressed my sadness as I approached him.

If only I had been reborn back to the moment we first met… I would never have let Stefano see me then.

I said softly, "Stefano, you don't want to marry me, do you? The person you want to marry is Lucia Caruso."

Stefano's hand twitched slightly before he glanced coldly at me. Then, as if I had struck a nerve, he quickly looked away.

"Since you already know, why did you still say yes to my Padre? The priest is already waiting for us in the chapel. What use is there in saying any of this now?"

"We don't have to go," I said.

Stefano scoffed coldly. "What trick are you trying to pull now, Roxanne? I'm telling you, I'm not interested in going along with your drama.

"You go in. Find the priest and come out after you've signed the papers."

With that, he got into the car and shut the door without any hesitation.

My chest ached, and even breathing hurt.

I had liked Stefano for many years. I had liked him even before he met Lucia.

He once saved me from kidnappers and almost got shot doing it. At that time, I thought he must have liked me as well.

Because of that, I often showed up at his house.

His parents were very fond of me. They would often take my hand and say, "Stefano talks to us about you all the time. He even risked his life to save you, so he must really love you."

After hearing it so often, I believed it. That was why, when our families proposed we get married, I didn't refuse at all.

I even picked out my ring in advance.

It wasn't until Lucia got into an accident and I saw Stefano kneeling at her grave, sobbing and refusing to eat or drink, that I understood.

The person he actually loved was Lucia.

In my past life, before Stefano died, he also told me that he never wanted to meet me again in the next life. That made everything even clearer to me—perhaps my love for him was a kind of torment to him.

In my previous life, just before I died, a voice in my mind told me that after being reborn, I had to resolve Stefano's regrets. Only then would he not die because of me.

We would also have no further ties in this life.

When the priest asked me a question, I was lost in thought. I snapped back to the present and realized my hand holding the pen was shaking.

I smiled faintly at him, then lowered my head and wrote Lucia's name on the registration form.

As for Stefano's regrets…

In my past life, I had once unintentionally heard his conversation with his Consigliere, Mattia Romano. He regretted following his parents' arrangement, regretted marrying me, and more than anything, regretted not being able to save Lucia's life at the critical moment.

Writing Lucia's name on the registration form should be considered resolving one of his regrets.