Anastasia's eyes fluttered open, and she was met with the familiar opulence of her bedroom. She sat up, rubbing her temples, trying to clear the haze. Memories of her past life flooded her mind – the betrayal, the pain, and the death at the hands of her fiancé, Julian Blackwood.
As she stood, her gaze fell upon the mirror. She approached it cautiously, examining her reflection. Her skin was still soft, her green eyes bright, without the weariness that had crept in during her previous life. She flexed her hands, feeling the familiar yet unfamiliar sensation of her skin.
Anastasia's thoughts whirled as she tried to process her rebirth. She had been given a second chance, and she was determined to make the most of it.
She glanced at the calendar on her nightstand, her eyes widening as she saw the date. It was three months before...
She took a deep breath and headed downstairs, her mind racing with thoughts of her family and the impending disaster. As she entered the living room, her brother, Aaron Kael Hills, looked up from his phone.
"Hey, sis," he said, his expression neutral.
"Aaron," Anastasia replied, her voice soft. "Mom and Dad are still out, right?"
"Yeah, they're at Grandpa's place with Belle," Aaron said, referring to their younger sister, Annabelle Zael Hills.
Anastasia's grip on the couch tightened. "What do you think about Julian?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Aaron's expression turned guarded, and he hesitated before speaking. "I don't know, Anastasia. He's... intense. Possessive. But he's been good to you, hasn't he?"
Anastasia's eyes narrowed. She knew Aaron was trying to be diplomatic, but she saw the reluctance in his eyes. He knew Julian wasn't the best person for her, but he didn't want to hurt her feelings.
Just then, Anastasia's phone rang. She looked at the screen and saw Julian's name flashing. She declined the call, her heart racing. A few seconds later, Jordan's name appeared on the screen. Anastasia declined that call too, her mind racing with thoughts of her past life.
"Hey, sis, what's going on?" Aaron asked, concern etched on his face.
"I need to talk to Mom and Dad about something," Anastasia said, her voice firm. "Aaron, can you arrange a video. Let's talk to them together."
Aaron nodded and quickly set up the video call. As they waited for their parents to answer, Anastasia's phone rang again. This time, it was her mother calling to check in.
When the video call connected, Anastasia's parents appeared on the screen, smiling. "Hey, sweetie, what's going on?" her mother asked.
"Mom, Dad, I need to talk to you about something," Anastasia said, her voice serious. "I want to break off my engagement with Julian. He's cheating on me with my roommate, Jordan. I caught them."
Aaron backed her up. "Yeah, Mom, Dad, Julian's not good for Anastasia. He's possessive, chauvinistic and a serial cheater."
Their parents looked shocked, but they nodded in understanding. "We'll take care of it, sweetie," her mother said. "We'll make sure Julian doesn't bother you again."
Anastasia took a deep breath. "Mom, Dad, I also want to talk to you about something else. I want you to hoard ninety percent of the gold for me. I want you to store it safely, but don't tell anyone about it. Not even the government."
Her father looked curious. "Why, sweetie? What's going on?"
Anastasia's voice was firm. "Just trust me, Mom and Dad. You know I'm not one to ask for something without a reason. Just hoard the gold and don't ask questions."
Her father nodded, his expression thoughtful. "Okay, dear. We'll take care of it. But can you tell us what's going on?"
Anastasia smiled. "Just trust me, Mom and Dad. I know we're law-abiding citizens, and so we'll pay our taxes, give the government their due but keep the rest. We could even stage a farce and say it was stolen. I know this is sudden and sounds awry but please trust me."
Her father chuckled. "Alright, dear. We'll trust you. But can we talk about this more when we see you in person?"
Anastasia nodded. "Yes, Dad. I'd like that."
After discussing a few more things with her parents, Anastasia asked to speak with her father alone. Aaron stepped aside, and Anastasia's father leaned in closer.
"Dad, I need to tell you something," Anastasia said, her voice low. "You know the greenhouse in Grandpa's house? There's a secret room inside it. I want you to store the gold there. It's safe, and no one will think to look there."
As Anastasia mentioned the secret room in the greenhouse, her father's eyes widened in surprise. He knew about the room, but he hadn't expected Anastasia to know about it too.
"Anastasia, how did you...?" he started to ask, but Anastasia cut him off.
"Dad, just trust me," she said. "Store the gold in the secret room. Apart from Grandpa, we're the only two who knows that room. It's safe and no one will think to look there."
Her father nodded, his expression serious. "Okay, dear. I'll take care of it. But what's really going on? You're not just breaking off your engagement with Julian because of a simple misunderstanding, are you?"
Anastasia took a deep breath. "Dad, Julian's been manipulating us. He's been using our family's influence to get what he wants. And I think we have a mole in our company, someone who's been feeding him information and also in the house."
Her father's expression turned grim. "Who is it?"
Anastasia hesitated before speaking. "It's Millie, Dad. She's been working with Julian's family. And in our house, it's Natalie Buckwheat. Millie's daughter."
Her father's eyes narrowed. "I'll take care of it, Anastasia. Give the phone back to Aaron."
Anastasia handed the phone to Aaron, and her father instructed him on what to do. "Aaron, get rid of Natalie and any other moles we might have in the company or the house. Make sure they're gone before Julian even thinks about making a move."
Aaron nodded, his expression determined. "I'll take care of it, Dad."
Anastasia's father turned back to her. "Anastasia, I'll deal with Millie. Don't worry about it. Just focus on taking care of yourself."
"Alright, Dad. I'll be careful. But what about Belle? Is she okay?" Anastasia asked, concern etched on her face.
"Yes, she's fine," her father replied. "She's just enjoying the time at Grandpa's place. We'll be back soon, and we'll deal with Julian and his family then."
Anastasia nodded, feeling a sense of reassurance. She knew her father would protect her and their family.
"Thanks, Dad," she said, smiling slightly. "I feel better now."
Her father smiled back. "We'll take care of everything, Ana. Stay safe, dear."
As they ended the video call, Anastasia felt a sense of relief wash over her. She knew her father would handle everything, and she could finally start to move forward with her plans.