Chapter 1

For ten years, I lived as an invisible daughter in my own family.

My parents and brother never forgave me for the death of Emily, the adopted daughter they truly loved. They gave me a room, money, and their last name—but never their affection.

When our cruise ship sank, they sacrificed themselves to save me.

For one foolish moment, I thought it meant they had finally chosen me.

Then my brother spoke his last words.

“We’ve regretted bringing you home for years. If we hadn’t found you, Emily would still be alive.”

“If there’s another life, please don’t come looking for us again.”

Only then did I understand. They hadn’t saved me because they loved me. They were only repaying the daughter they wished they had never found.

So I released the life ring and let the ocean take me.

When I opened my eyes, I was back before the day I reunited with my biological family.

This time, they remembered our previous life too.

Certain I would still beg to become their daughter, they offered me money, a house, and a place in their lives—as long as Emily remained their only daughter in public.

They thought I would eventually accept.

They didn’t know I had decided to give them exactly what they wanted—a life in which I never became their daughter.

Chapter 1

I looked at my parents and my brother approaching in the distance.

Then I lowered my head and signed my name.

“I've made my decision. I'm in.”

The two officials exchanged a glance, clearly pleased by how decisive I was.

“There’s one more thing you need to know.”

One of them closed the file in his hands, his expression turning solemn.

“Because this research involves classified national security information, your current identity records will be sealed and your civilian identity will be officially deactivated.”

“When the program is complete, your identity and professional credentials will be restored. You’ll also receive the commendations you’ve earned.”

The other official added,

“If you need more time, we can give you some. You can use it to take care of any personal matters before you leave.”

I lowered my eyes.

“Thank you, but that won’t be necessary.”

“I’m an orphan. I don’t have anyone waiting for me.”

“Serving my country is the only thing I’ve ever wanted.”

The words left my mouth, and strangely, I felt completely at peace.

In my previous life, I had placed far too much weight on the word family.

So much that I endured ten years of rejection just to hear them acknowledge me.

Even when they pushed me away again and again, I kept telling myself—

They just need time to get used to me.

If I can be a little more understanding.

A little more considerate.

Someday, they'll truly see me as their daughter.

But not this time.

I wasn't going to wait anymore.

There was only one thing I wanted to do:

Finish the research my mentor had left unfinished.

I left the review room.

The officials had said it would take about two weeks to complete the transfer and seal my records, and they encouraged me to use that time to rest.

But the moment I reached the corner of the hallway,

I stopped.

Because three people were already waiting there.

Mr. Bennett.

Mrs. Bennett.

And Ethan Bennett.

My heart clenched.

Something was wrong.

Ethan looked at me for a long moment before speaking.

“We came here because we need to talk to you.”

Mrs. Bennett 's eyes were red as she stepped forward.

“Claire, we remember what happened in our last life.”

“This time, we won't let you down.”

Ethan continued,

“We know what happened in our last life, so there’s no point pretending we don’t understand what you want.”

I looked at him without speaking.

“The Bennett family can give you a house,” he said.

“We’ll set up a trust for you equal to Emily’s. If you want to continue your research, we’ll give you whatever support you need.”

Mrs. Bennett stepped closer.

“You can still call us Mom and Dad. You can come home for dinner, spend holidays with us, and be part of our lives.”

Her voice softened.

“We do want you, Claire.”

For one brief moment, something in my chest tightened.

Then Ethan continued.

“But publicly, the Bennett family will still have only one daughter.”

“Emily.”

The feeling disappeared.

Mrs. Bennett hurried to explain.

“Emily died after losing her place in this family last time. We can’t let that happen again.”

“You survived without us once,” Ethan said. “Emily didn’t survive the thought of losing us.”

He spoke as if that settled everything.

“You can’t take the Bennett name. You can’t attend public family events, and no one can know Emily was adopted.”

“But in private, nothing has to change,” my mother said. “You can still have us.”

I looked at the three of them.

“So you’ve already chosen her.”

Mrs. Bennett’s face tightened.

“That isn’t what we said.”

“It is,” I replied. “You’re offering me money and private visits while she gets my name, my parents, and my place in the family.”

Ethan frowned.

“We’re trying to protect both of you.”

“No. You’re protecting Emily and assuming I’ll accept whatever is left.”

His expression hardened.

“You spent your entire life looking for us. Even after everything that happened, you stayed with us for ten years.”

He lowered his voice, almost gently.

“We know you still want this family.”

There it was.

They remembered the ten years I had spent waiting for them to love me, and instead of regretting them, they had turned them into proof that I would never leave.

“We’re not asking you to give us up,” Mrs. Bennett said. “We’re only asking you to let Emily keep the life she already has.”

Ethan nodded.

“You’ll have a home, financial security, and parents who care about you. That’s already more than you had when you came to us last time.”

He genuinely believed they were offering me something generous.

I suddenly remembered how desperately I had tried to please them in my previous life.

Every time they ignored me, I stayed.

Every time they chose Emily, I told myself to be patient.

No wonder they were so certain I would accept their conditions now.

“You’re right,” I said. “I stayed for ten years.”

Relief flickered across Ethan’s face.

“That was my mistake.”

His expression changed.

Mrs. Bennett reached for me.

“Claire, don’t say that. We’re not rejecting you.”

“You’re asking me to be your daughter only when no one else is watching.”

“We’re asking you to understand,” Ethan said sharply. “Emily needs us more than you do.”

I looked at him.

“And because I survived without you, you think I can survive being abandoned again.”

“No one is abandoning you.”

“If that were true, you wouldn’t need to hide me.”

Silence fell between us.

That was their answer.

I lowered my eyes to the research files in my hands.

“I don’t need your house, your trust, or your private version of a family.”

My mother’s eyes filled with tears.

“Then what do you want?”

“In my last life, I wanted you to choose me.”

I shook my head.

“This time, I don’t want anything from you.”

Ethan’s mouth tightened.

“You’re angry. Once you’ve had time to think, you’ll understand why this is the only fair solution.”

Even now, he thought I was negotiating.

He thought refusing their offer was only another way of asking for more.

I didn’t explain.

In two weeks, my records would be sealed and I would disappear into a classified program for at least ten years.

By the time they understood that I had meant every word, I would already be gone.

I turned and walked away.

Behind me, I heard Ethan call my name.

“Claire!”

I didn't look back.

Chapter 2

I returned to my office and stared at the files spread across my desk.

I couldn't read a single word.

Memories from my previous life came rushing back anyway.

I had grown up in foster care.

Back then, I was never jealous of the kids who got new clothes after being adopted.

What I envied was the way they would run into someone's arms whenever their new parents came to pick them up.

“Mom.”

I used to wonder in secret,

If I ever found my biological parents, would I finally have a family of my own?

In my previous life, when I found the Bennetts and went to meet them, I was overjoyed.

I followed my parents and brother home, convinced that I had finally found somewhere I belonged.

But the moment I opened the front door,

I discovered there was already another daughter in the house.

Emily was a few months younger than me.

The Bennetts had adopted her as a baby, and she had grown up spoiled and adored.

From the very beginning, Emily made no effort to hide her hostility toward me.

Whatever I had, she wanted.

Most of the time, I simply gave in.

But one day, Mrs. Bennett gave me a necklace.

It was the first gift she'd ever given me.

Emily immediately reached for it.

Everyone in the room looked at me,

waiting for me to do what I always did—

give it to her.

But I stood there without saying a word.

The silence stretched across the living room.

Finally, Mrs. Bennett sighed and turned to Emily.

“Emily, that's your sister's. Give it back.”

I took the necklace back.

But before I could even feel happy about it,

tragedy struck.

Emily stormed out of the house.

She was killed in a car accident on the way.

She died instantly.

From that day on,

everything changed.

My family stopped smiling at me.

They stopped asking how I was.

Eventually, they stopped speaking to me altogether.

They still gave me everything I needed materially.

But beyond that,

our house became a freezer.

I cried and begged them not to treat me that way.

Not to shut me out.

But Mrs. Bennett only looked at me coldly.

“Why couldn't you just let her have it that one time?”

Ethan looked at me as if I were a complete stranger.

“Why did you have to push her that far the moment you came home?”

From then on,

I lived in that house for ten years

as if I didn't exist.

I wiped the tears from the corner of my eye.

But now that I'd decided not to return to the Bennetts,

Emily wouldn't have to die this time.

And I wouldn't have to spend another life walking on eggshells in a family where I never truly belonged.

Just then,

my office door opened.

I looked up.

The man standing in the doorway made my breath catch.

“Professor Hayes,”

After two lifetimes,

I'd gone far too long without seeing him.

Professor Daniel Hayes stood there.

His hair was grayer than I remembered,

but his eyes were still as warm and kind as ever.

He was a renowned physicist,

the director of our research institute,

and the mentor who had guided me into the world of research.

I'd grown up in foster care, and Professor Hayes had been my sponsor.

He supported me throughout school and eventually helped me get into the institute.

Yet in my previous life,

I still chose my biological family.

He never tried to stop me.

He simply placed a hand on my head and said,

“Go. As long as you're happy, that's all that matters.”

Later, he joined the Alaska Space Program.

After that,

I never saw him again.

And now,

he was standing right in front of me,

smiling gently.

“I just heard that you've applied for the Alaska Space Program.”

“Have you really made up your mind?”

“You've spent so many years wanting to find your biological parents.”

“If you've changed your mind, it's not too late.”

“Don't make a decision in the heat of the moment. I don't want you regretting it someday.”

I looked at him,

my chest aching so badly I could barely breathe.

He had always been like this.

Always thinking about me first.

Even when he didn't want me to leave,

he never once tried to make the decision for me.

I shook my head firmly.

“I've made up my mind.”

“If they never came looking for me all these years, I don't want to go looking for them anymore.”

“I just want to build a life of my own.”

Professor Hayes was silent for a moment.

Then he smiled.

“All right.”

“Then your mentor will take you with me.”

The days that followed passed peacefully as I waited to leave for Alaska.

But then,

without warning,

the secret I'd spent my entire life keeping quiet was exposed.

The news broke:

I was the Bennett family's biological daughter.

Chapter 3

For a while,

the backlash was everywhere.

Almost everyone was condemning the Bennett family.

They knew their biological daughter had been out there all these years,

yet instead of looking for her,

they had simply carried on with their lives as if nothing had happened.

Ethan Bennett stormed into my office and threw a newspaper onto my desk.

“Was this your plan all along?”

I looked down at the headline announcing that I was the Bennett family’s biological daughter.

“What are you talking about?”

“First, you rejected the house and the trust. Then you walked away as if you wanted nothing from us.”

His voice was tight with anger.

“And now, suddenly, every newspaper knows who you are.”

I looked up at him.

“You think I leaked it.”

“Who else would benefit from it?”

He stepped closer.

“You knew public pressure would force us to acknowledge you. You knew people would accuse Mom and Dad of abandoning their biological daughter.”

His expression filled with disgust.

“You made us believe you were walking away when you were really waiting for a better way to force yourself into the family.”

I stared at him.

So that was what he believed.

Even my refusal had become evidence of manipulation.

Even my silence was part of some plan to take Emily’s place.

“We offered you a house, a trust, and the same financial support Emily receives,” Ethan continued. “There was only one condition.”

“Pretend I’m not your sister.”

“Keep your identity private,” he corrected coldly. “You had nothing to lose.”

“Except my name.”

“You said you didn’t want the Bennett name.”

“I don’t.”

He gave a bitter laugh.

“Then why is the whole country talking about you as the Bennett family’s real daughter?”

Real daughter.

Not biological daughter.

Not another daughter.

In Ethan’s mind, acknowledging me could only mean replacing Emily.

He had never imagined that both of us could belong.

“You’ve already decided what happened,” I said.

“Because I know you.”

“No. You remember the woman who spent ten years begging this family to love her.”

His jaw tightened.

“You stayed because this family mattered to you.”

“I stayed because I hadn’t learned when to stop hoping.”

“And now you expect me to believe you suddenly want nothing from us?”

“Yes.”

His eyes hardened.

“You don’t walk away from a family you spent your entire life searching for.”

There it was again.

The certainty beneath every accusation.

He believed I could lie, manipulate the media, and hurt Emily.

But he could not believe I might genuinely choose to leave him.

“You keep mistaking my leaving for a strategy to make you chase me,” I said.

I met his eyes.

“It isn’t.”

Ethan went still.

Then his expression turned cold again.

“Emily already died because of you once. Now you’re trying to take away the only life she has left.”

“The only life she has,” I repeated quietly. “Is that my name?”

“You know that isn’t what I mean.”

“No. I know exactly what you mean.”

I pushed the newspaper back toward him.

“You believe I still want your house. Your name. Your parents. So every time I say no, you assume I’m only demanding more.”

I held his gaze.

“You don’t know me, Ethan. You only know the woman who once refused to leave you.”Ethan was about to respond when someone suddenly rushed through the door and stepped between us.

Professor Hayes spread an arm in front of me.

“Mr. Bennett, Claire is my student. I know her character.”

“She would never do something like this.”

Ethan gave him a cold once-over.

“You're her professor?”

“Then you can't be much of a mentor if you tutored someone this…”

“Mr. Bennett.”

Professor Hayes cut him off sharply.

“Watch your mouth.”

I looked at Professor Hayes standing between us, and my anger slowly faded.

“Professor, I've got this.”

Then I turned back to Ethan.

“If you don't have proof, please leave.”

The tension hung in the room for several seconds.

Then there was a knock at the door.

My assistant peeked inside.

“Dr. Morgan, we found the surveillance footage you asked us to check.”

“There was another unauthorized visitor at the institute two days ago.”

She glanced at Ethan.

“He came in right behind your family.”

Ethan's expression froze.

He took the visitor log from her and read through it.

At last, it became clear.

My identity hadn't been leaked by me.

The Bennett family's business rivals had done it.

Ethan's expression shifted several times before he finally spoke.

“I'm sorry.”

He avoided my eyes.

“I was wrong about you.”

I remained calm.

“Now that you've found the truth, Mr. Bennett, please leave.”

Ethan stood there for a moment.

This time,

he didn't ask me to come home.

The next day,

he came back.

But he didn't enter my office.

He stood outside the conference room and watched me lead a project meeting.

Several senior researchers gathered around me, discussing the latest data.

Someone raised a concern.

I immediately proposed a solution.

When the meeting ended, Professor Hayes patted my shoulder.

“I'll leave tonight's classified transfer to you.”

“Got it.”

Ethan had been standing outside the entire time.

When I finally walked out, he spoke quietly.

“You're leading this project?”

“Yes.”

He was silent for a long time.

“I went home and looked through your records with Mom and Dad.”

His voice was strained.

“Your papers, your awards, your position. We had no idea.”

He paused.

“Mom and Dad were proud when they found out.”

“They want you to come home.”

I said nothing.

Ethan lowered his eyes.

“I also saw the dates on everything.”

“You won those awards without us.”

“You published those papers without us knowing.”

“You built this entire career on your own.”

His voice dropped.

“The Bennett family had nothing to do with any of it.”

“But when we finally found you,”

“The first thing we did was ask you to keep hiding who you are.”

He looked up at me.

“So Mom and Dad thought we should at least make it up to you.”

“We'll transfer a house into your name.”

“Emily can stay at home, and you can live there.”

“You won't have to deal with each other.”

“That way, things will be fair to both of you.”

I looked at him.

“Fair?”

Ethan nodded.

I held his gaze.

“Then why don't you make Emily move out?”

Chapter 4

Ethan's expression darkened instantly.

“Claire, how can you still be this cruel?”

He shot to his feet.

“Can't you just give Emily a little leeway? She grew up in the Bennett family. This is her home. Who are you to tell her to leave?”

I looked up at him, expressionless.

“What about me?”

“Isn't this my family too?”

“I only gave you a hypothetical, and you're already this angry. When have things ever been fair between Emily and me?”

I paused.

“And Mr. Bennett, I'll tell you one more time.”

“My name is Morgan. Not Bennett.”

Ethan opened his mouth,

but couldn't find a response.

He looked away sharply and stormed out of my office.

For the next few days,

Ethan didn't come back.

I was perfectly happy to have the peace and spent all my time preparing for the final phase of the project.

On the last morning,

I received an encrypted call.

“Dr. Morgan, the deactivation of your civilian identity is complete, and your records have been transferred.”

“You'll be transported to the classified facility at 8 p.m. tonight. Please take care of any personal matters before then.”

I had just started packing when Ethan appeared at my office again.

His expression was complicated.

“Mom and Dad said they're willing to consider what you asked for.”

“If you come home first, and you and Emily still can't get along,”

“We'll discuss having her move out.”

I knew they had no intention of making Emily leave.

They only wanted me to come home so they could prove I still would.

I glanced at the time.

There were only a few hours left before my transport departed.

“Fine,” I said. “I’ll go home with you one last time.”

Just to say goodbye.

I was silent for a moment.

“Fine. I'll go home with you one last time.”

A flicker of relief crossed Ethan's face.

“Then let's go. The car's downstairs.”

The streets blurred past the window.

Familiar neighborhoods slowly came into view,

until we finally pulled up outside the house that had trapped me for ten years.

The moment I stepped inside,

I heard crying.

Emily was curled up on the living room couch, clutching Mrs. Bennett’s arm.

“I don't want this!”

“I don't want another sister!”

“This is my home! Why should I have to leave just because she came back?”

“Do you not want me anymore?”

Mom rubbed her back, heartbroken.

“Sweetheart, no one's making you leave. It's okay. Stop crying.”

Dad sat nearby, his brow furrowed.

Then Emily spotted me.

She shot to her feet and pointed at me.

“Get out!”

“This is my house! Who said you could come here?”

Ethan frowned.

“Emily, don't talk to her like that.”

Emily froze.

Then she burst into tears again and threw herself into Mrs. Bennett’s arms.

“Mom, Ethan yelled at me!”

“He's taking her side over me!”

“I don't want to live anymore!”

Mrs. Bennett went pale.

“Don't say that. Don't ever say that.”

“I'm right here. No one's going anywhere.”

Ethan stood there, looking miserable.

Neither of them even looked at me.

Finally, Ethan turned toward me and lowered his voice.

“Maybe you should stay at the other house for now.”

“Once Emily calms down, we can talk again.”

“Didn't you say she was going to move out?”

I interrupted him.

Ethan's eyes flickered.

He sighed.

“Look at her right now.”

“What if something happens again?”

“Claire, just give her one last chance.”

I looked at the four people in front of me.

And suddenly, I laughed.

Not because anything was funny.

Not because I had expected them to choose me.

I laughed because, even now, they still believed I had come here to compete with Emily.

They thought asking whether she would move out meant I wanted her room, her name, and her place beside them.

They had never understood that I was only testing whether their idea of fairness applied to both daughters.

Now I had my answer.

“I never asked you to make Emily leave,” I said.

Ethan stared at me.

“You just did.”

“No. I asked what you would do if the same condition were placed on her.”

I looked around the room.

“You offered me another house because you knew you would never ask Emily to give up this one. You called that fair because you assumed I would be grateful for whatever she didn’t need.”

Mrs. Bennett’s face went pale.

“Claire, that isn’t—”

“It is.”

I glanced at the clock.

My transport would leave in a few hours.

They thought I was counting how much they had given Emily and how little they had offered me.

I was counting down the final hours before none of it mattered anymore.

Ethan instinctively stepped forward.

“I'll drive you.”

“No!”

Emily screamed through her tears.

“No one is driving her anywhere!”

Ethan looked at me helplessly.

After a moment, he said quietly,

“Fine. Be careful.”

I opened the door and walked out.

I never looked back.

Chapter 5

Ethan POV

It took our family the entire afternoon to calm Emily down.

After she cried herself out and finally went upstairs to rest, mom sank onto the couch and rubbed her temples.

“She really was wronged today.”

“Considering what happened to Emily in our previous life, it's understandable that we're being protective.”

Dad nodded.

“And we did promise Claire that Emily would move out eventually.”

“She is our daughter too. She wouldn't really walk away from us.”

Mom finally relaxed.

“Good.”

But I remained silent.

I kept thinking about Claire's cold expression these past few days.

And the way she had walked out of the house in the afternoon without looking back.

A growing unease settled in my chest.

What if she really didn't want to come back?

I suddenly stood up and grabbed my jacket.

“I’m going to the institute.”

The car sped through the night.

Streetlights flashed past one after another.

But as I rounded the final corner,

a deafening explosion suddenly shook the night.

A moment later,

flames shot into the sky.

The entire research institute was swallowed by smoke and fire.

My mind went completely blank.

The research institute was on fire...

Claire was still inside!

I stumbled out of the car and ran toward the flames like a madman.

“Sir! You can't go in!”

Two firefighters rushed over and grabbed me by the arms.

“The fire isn't under control yet. It's too dangerous!”

“Let me go!”

I fought against them, my voice hoarse and almost unrecognizable.

“My sister is still in there! Let me go!”

They held me firmly behind the safety line.

As I stared at the flames,

regret came crashing over me like a tidal wave.

If I'd known this would happen, I never should have let Claire return to the institute.

I should have driven her back myself.

I should have stayed with her a little longer.

Maybe then I could have protected her.

But I listened to Emily.

I actually let Claire go away alone.

When she left,

did she look back?

Did she hope someone would come after her?

I closed my eyes.

A broken sob escaped my throat.

When the fire was finally brought under control, the smoke gradually began to clear.

The firefighters took down the safety line.

I practically crawled into the building.

But to my surprise, there were people everywhere.

Researchers stood scattered along the hallway.

Some were wrapped in fire blankets. Others had soot covering their faces.

But they were all alive.

A firefighter nearby explained,

“The explosion happened in a lab where chemicals were being stored. Luckily, it was spotted quickly, and the fire didn't spread.”

“Everyone was evacuated in time.”

I finally let out the breath I'd been holding.

The weight crushing my chest lifted.

Thank God.

Claire was safe.

I hurried forward, pushing through the crowd and checking every face.

Not her.

Not her.

Not her either.

I ran to her office and threw open the door.

Empty.

Her files were still on the desk.

Her computer was still there.

Even her chair was slightly askew,

as if she'd only stepped away for a moment.

I froze for a second before turning and rushing back outside.

“Claire—no, Dr. Morgan!”

“Where is she? Has anyone seen her?”

I stopped a passing researcher, my voice tight with panic.

He looked confused and shook his head.

“I haven't seen her.”

“I think I saw her leave with Professor Hayes earlier, but I didn't pay attention after that.”

I pulled out my phone and called Claire.

Two rings.

Then the call ended.

I immediately sent her a message.

A red exclamation mark appeared.

My grip tightened around the phone,

my knuckles turning white.

She had blocked me?

A burst of anger surged through me.

What the hell was Claire doing?

Was this still about what happened at home that afternoon?

We'd already said we'd reconsider having Emily move out.

Did she really have to block me over something so trivial?

She was just as petty as she'd been in my previous life.

Once I found her, I was going to have a serious talk with her.

Otherwise, if she really came home, how was she ever going to get along with Emily?

I was already frustratedly asking someone for Professor Hayes's contact information when I heard a voice behind me.

It was trembling, almost impossible to hear through the sobs.

“Mr. Bennett…”

I turned around.

Claire's young assistant stood there, her face streaked with tears.

“What did you say?”

I hadn't heard her clearly.

I stepped closer.

Her eyes were swollen and red.

“Claire and Professor Hayes…”

“They were both in that lab just now.”

Her voice broke.

“They… they died in the explosion.”