Chapter 2

Valerie POV

The deafening roar of the bulldozers shook the ground. Dust billowed into the air, blotting out half the sky and making my throat burn with every breath.

My hands were still wrapped in white boxing tape. I stared, heartbroken, at the shattered sign lying in the dirt. Titan Muay Thai Gym.

This place was my father's final legacy. It was where I grew up. Every wooden plank, every heavy sandbag, was soaked with my sweat and tears from countless days and nights.

And now, it was being ruthlessly torn to pieces.

Julian Vance stood by his black Maybach, holding a long-handled black umbrella. He looked tall, sharp, and cold in his bespoke black suit.

It was as if the building collapsing before him wasn't his wife's entire life, but just a pile of worthless garbage.

"Keep digging," Julian's voice was completely devoid of warmth, cutting through the mechanical roar straight into my ears. "I want this lot completely cleared before sunset."

"Julian!" I screamed, lunging forward with bloodshot eyes. Two burly security guards in black suits instantly blocked me, pinning me down.

"Are you insane?! This is my father's gym! You promised me before we married that you would protect it forever!"

Julian tilted his head slightly. His deep, cold eyes swept over my trembling, tear-streaked face.

A mocking sneer touched his lips. "Sienna likes this location. She wants to build a private ballet studio here. A sweaty, violent gym is an eyesore. It doesn't suit her elegance."

The words hit me like a physical blow. The blood drained from my face, and my hands went completely numb.

Sienna Pierce.

The mistress he kept hidden away. The woman who pretended to be too weak to open a water bottle, yet could effortlessly steal everything I owned.

"Just for her?" My voice cracked, shaking violently. I clenched my fists so hard my nails dug into my palms, drawing blood. "Julian, we are married! You're destroying my father's legacy for some girl on the side?"

"This is just a marriage of convenience," Julian interrupted, his tone dripping with impatience.

"Did you actually start believing you're my real wife? Why would I let your father's junk get in the way of making the woman I love happy?"

I collapsed onto the muddy ground. I stared at the man who used to hold me whenever I frowned. Now, my tears finally fell.

"Julian, you used to love me so much. Why? Why did you stop?"

Julian paused for a fraction of a second. He didn't turn around, only letting out a cold laugh. "When did I ever love you?"

Never loved me? How is that possible?

In my past life, I was blind. I ignored Julian's deep love and fell for Luke Sterling, a guy I grew up with. I resisted my marriage to Julian, treated him with cold silence, and even threw fights on purpose just to humiliate him. In the end, I fell for Luke's lies and ran away with him.

But Luke never loved me. He used me to destroy Julian.

He dragged me to Mexico, throwing me into a underground death-match cage, using my life to force Julian to show up.

That day, Julian, a man so proud he couldn't stand a single wrinkle on his suit, walked into that bloody cage just to save my life. He didn't even fight back. He let those ruthless killers break his bones and tear him apart.

Before he died, with a mouth full of blood, he kissed my hand through the iron mesh. His eyes were filled with desperate love. "Valerie... in the next life... will you please look at me?"

Then, I woke up. I had reborn.

I came back to the first year of our marriage.

I was ecstatic. I blocked Luke on everything, quit the dangerous underground fight circuits, and tried my best to be a good housewife. My entire world revolved around Julian. I swore to give him all the love I owed him.

But he had changed.

He stopped coming home. He was cold, cruel, and openly paraded Sienna around town. Now, he was tearing down my gym for her.

Staring at the ruins of my gym, a wild, terrifying thought suddenly crossed my mind.

"Julian," I stared intensely at his back, my voice trembling. "Did you regress too?"

Julian's shoulders stiffened for a split second. He turned around, looking at me like I was a lunatic. "Regress? Valerie, did you take too many hits to the head in the ring?"

His mask was perfect. Not a single eyelash flickered.

I let out a bitter laugh and closed my eyes.

Right. If he had kept the memories of his past life, how could he ever treat me like this? The truth was simple. He just didn't love me anymore.

Fine. If he wanted to let go, so would I.