Drowned in Devotion

Drowned in Devotion

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Synopsis

Tagline: Forced Love + Double Rebirth + Male Lead's Obsession + Past Life Sacrifice + Happy Ending

In the fourth year of being secretly imprisoned by Adrian, Claire asked him for a divorce. Adrian had silently stripped away all her freedom, controlled every aspect of her life, and trapped her in a cage built in the name of love.

Adrian was obsessive, cold, and possessive to the extreme. On one hand, he maneuvered in the business world, building his own empire; on the other, he kept Claire firmly locked by his side.

A car accident claimed Claire's life but sent her back to the summer of her sixteenth year.

That was the year she and Adrian first met.

Brick walls lined the alleyways, stretching deep into the long streets.

Claire stood at the entrance of the alley, deciding to avoid the place where she had met Adrian.

Everything went smoothly. Claire thought she had successfully dodged the intersection of their lives.

She leaned against the wall, reminiscing about old feelings. She didn't know how long she stood there before finally lifting her feet to leave slowly.

The moment she turned around, she met Adrian's gaze.

He was leaning against the brick wall, quietly watching her.

She didn't know how long he had been standing there.

---

Many years later, Claire learned that in the second year after her death, Adrian had cut off all social ties, settled all his affairs, comforted her family, and on a snowy night, ended his own life in front of her grave.

She had thought that dying for love was just an ancient legend.

---

Chapter 1: Possession

In the fourth year of her imprisonment, Claire asked Adrian for a divorce.

She was twenty-six. It had been ten years since she first met Adrian.

From high school to now, they had married at the right age but never had children. Adrian seemed uninterested in raising offspring, and she was afraid of pregnancy, so it was a mutual decision.

Strictly speaking, Adrian was flawless.

He had looks that rivaled any celebrity, an extremely privileged family background, and a brilliant career.

Adrian's business empire stretched across nearly all of Asia.

But Claire still asked him for a divorce.

The reason was simple: in this beautiful, noble cage, she felt no freedom or sense of self-worth.

After four years of studying French and graduating from university, Claire worked as a translator.

Such work inevitably involved interacting with others. Sometimes, when she got busy, she couldn't pay enough attention to Adrian.

One day, Claire was fired by her boss.

She always remembered her boss's fawning face. Even though he was firing her, he looked terrified, as if afraid she might be dissatisfied.

Such flattery mostly came from her husband's influence.

But it was contradictory. He flattered her so much, yet he risked offending her by choosing to fire her.

Claire wasn't stupid. She knew this was Adrian's doing.

By then, Adrian's need to control her had reached an unimaginable level.

He didn't like Claire looking at others. He didn't like Claire being away from him. The marriage certificate was supposed to be a symbol of deeper love, but it had become a tool for Adrian to legally control her.

That day, Claire came home feeling a little down.

But she didn't argue with Adrian.

They had known each other for years and loved each other for years. She had always tolerated Adrian's possessiveness.

Adrian came home that evening. With one hand, he took off his suit jacket, his long, pale fingers unbuttoning it. The household staff came forward to take his jacket and said softly, "Madam seems to be in a bad mood."

Adrian had a business dinner that night and had drunk some alcohol. Claire didn't like the smell of liquor on him, so he showered in the guest bathroom outside the master bedroom, changed into loungewear, and entered the room with his hair still slightly damp. He cupped Claire's face with one hand.

He coaxed her in a low voice: "What's wrong? Hmm?"

Claire looked up at him. "Why won't you let me work?"

Adrian lowered his eyes. His features were sharp, his eyelids pale and slightly drooping, shedding some of his sharp business edge. He smiled faintly. "I don't want you to work too hard. Stay at home. You can do whatever you want."

Claire knew she couldn't reason with him.

A little annoyed, she lay down and turned away from him.

Adrian dried his hair, lifted the corner of the blanket, and lay down beside her.

He turned on his side, looking at Claire's back.

His fingers slowly wound through her hair as he coaxed her softly: "Claire."

"Those jobs aren't suitable for you. They're too tiring. I feel more at ease when you're at home. If you really want to work, you can come to the company. Do whatever you want. I'll pay you ten times your salary, hmm?"

The company Adrian was talking about was the empire he had built with his own hands.

Claire couldn't go there.

She was already tired of all the flattery and ingratiation that wasn't meant for her.

Seeing that Claire was still silent, Adrian moved closer. He reached out and gently pinched her chin, the motion light but with a hint of force, making her turn around. Then he kissed her deeply.

Adrian knew every inch of her body.

Effortlessly, he stole her breath and claimed her body.

This was instinct, honed over many years.

Adrian's voice was low as he coaxed her: "Baby, don't be angry."

Adrian didn't often use such an intimate term. Claire's body softened, and she gradually sank into the desire.

In the end, she still loved Adrian.

She had met Adrian when they were young.

No one could help but love someone so radiant.

The work issue was pushed aside. Claire stayed in the villa estate for almost three years.

She was virtually imprisoned.

Her entire life was consumed by Adrian.

By the time she realized it, she had gradually lost her social connections, lost her friendships, and was trapped in a beautiful cage.

By then, their relationship had frozen to a breaking point.

The trigger was when her only friend, Rosie, invited her out. But Adrian had deleted the message. It was only later, when Claire received a call from Rosie and heard the complaint in her friend's voice, that she learned the truth.

She and Adrian argued.

The more Claire resisted, the more she tried to break free, the tighter Adrian held on. Claire chose cold silence. She didn't want to talk to Adrian.

Adrian couldn't stand even a hint of her coldness. He hadn't smoked in a long time, but that night, he stood on the open balcony and lit a cigarette. In the darkness, the ember at his fingertips was especially striking.

He stood outside, but his eyes were locked on Claire.

Like a predator fixated on its prey.

Claire frowned silently.

It wasn't that she disliked the smell, but she genuinely believed smoking was bad for his health.

After a long time, when the smell of smoke on him had faded significantly, Adrian came back into the room and surrendered to Claire. "It's my fault, Claire."

Adrian knelt on one knee. His fitted suit clung to his waist and hips, and the kneeling position subtly revealed the smooth lines of his muscles.

Broad shoulders, narrow waist—a stunning figure.

He said in a low voice, "I won't delete your messages anymore. I won't restrict your social life. Forgive me, okay?"

"Claire, please don't ignore me."

"When you don't talk to me, I really... I really feel so much pain."

Adrian was skilled at using such effortless acting to win Claire's sympathy and earn her trust, time and time again.

Then he would tighten the cage even more.

But Claire didn't realize that at the time. She chose to forgive Adrian.

Later, when she made plans to go out with Rosie, Adrian carefully prepared everything for her. He smiled and stroked her cheek. "Be back before eight. It's dangerous outside."

Claire forgot about it.

She hadn't seen her friend in a long time. They went from the restaurant to the KTV, and finally, gathering her courage, Claire went with her to a bar. The dazzling atmosphere of the bar and the energetic crowd all captivated Claire's attention.

She had been away from such social settings for too long. She completely lost track of time.

Then the music in the bar suddenly stopped. A group of uniformed police officers rushed in, dispersed the crowd, and shut down the bar.

The bar owner pleaded, insisting it was a legitimate entertainment venue with no illegal activities.

But there was nothing he could do.

Because Adrian wanted to destroy him.

That bar had no chance of surviving in that city anymore.

Claire said goodbye to Rosie and checked her phone. It was just past nine, a normal time. But Adrian had been calling her intermittently for the past hour.

His last message said: *Come home.*

Nothing else.

Just those two simple words, fully revealing his mood.

Adrian was tense, barely holding himself together.

Claire let out a silent sigh.

To be fair, she was also at fault in this situation.

But the demands Adrian made, everything he did, was unreasonable from the start.

No husband should restrict his wife's time outside.

No one should be trapped at home forever, without freedom.

But she had to go back and face Adrian's endless possessiveness.

---

Chapter 2: Adrian, Let's Get a Divorce

A driver was already waiting outside the bar. When he saw Claire, he respectfully opened the back door for her.

Claire leaned against the car window, quietly scrolling through Adrian's messages.

She had only been at the bar for an hour before it was shut down.

Claire slowly sat up straight, suddenly realizing something. Even if Adrian had connections everywhere, there was no way he could have pinpointed her location so quickly. The driver hadn't brought her here, yet he was waiting for her at the bar entrance.

Everyone knew where she had gone.

Adrian knew everything about her.

Claire sat up abruptly.

This wasn't normal.

There was no way Adrian could have known where she was in such a short time.

Claire spoke up. "Stop the car."

The driver hesitated. "But sir—"

Claire's voice was cold. "Stop the car."

The driver had no choice but to obey. At the estate, Madam was more important than anything else—that was the consensus among all the staff.

By the roadside was an electronics repair shop that was still open. Claire gripped her phone tightly and walked inside. The owner was a young man.

Claire handed him her phone, her voice sounding off as she said slowly, "Can you check if this phone has been tracked?"

She didn't like jewelry, and since she rarely went out, she didn't carry many items with her. The only thing that could have been tracked was her phone.

The wait felt excruciatingly long. Claire kept hoping she was just overthinking.

There was no reason for Adrian to go this far.

But when the results came back, the owner looked worried. "There's a deeply hidden virus in your phone that can track your real-time location. Do you need... me to call the police for you?"

Claire shook her head silently, wearily.

She paid and walked out. The driver was still waiting.

Claire got into the back seat, closed her eyes briefly, and said, "Let's go."

Adrian's call came almost immediately.

There was no way he didn't know Claire had discovered the truth.

Claire answered the call, but Adrian didn't speak right away. The streetlights were dim, and the Maybach glided smoothly along the road.

The only sound on the other end of the line was the click of a lighter being pressed.

Adrian was lighting another cigarette.

Whenever their relationship hit a rough patch, cigarettes seemed to become a constant companion for Adrian.

Claire sighed softly. "Let's talk when we get home."

Adrian hummed in response, his voice low and hoarse.

Claire couldn't help but remind him, "Smoke less."

After all, she probably wouldn't have the position or the chance to say things like that to him anymore.

Yes.

In the fourth year of this near-forced relationship, Claire planned to divorce him.

She wanted an independent, complete, and free life.

She didn't want to be the Madam Harrington, locked away on a pedestal.

---

The house was unusually quiet that evening.

The driver left respectfully. The household staff didn't come forward to take her coat as they usually did.

The living room lights were dim. Adrian sat quietly on the leather sofa, idly playing with something in his hands.

When he heard the door open, he lifted his pale eyelids and looked at Claire. "You're back?"

Claire stood at the entrance but didn't step inside.

Adrian let out a faint laugh. "Why don't you come in?"

He stood up and walked slowly toward Claire. His long, slender fingers opened the box in his hand, revealing a glossy purple jade bracelet. He said in a low voice, "I went to an auction today. It was boring. I'd rather have stayed home with you. But then I saw this and thought it would suit you."

He took Claire's hand naturally and gently slipped the bracelet onto her wrist. The bracelet was a little small, and it hurt as it passed over her hand.

Adrian frowned but patiently used hand cream to lubricate her skin. Finally, it slid onto Claire's wrist.

Her pale wrist looked even more delicate against the purple jade.

Adrian's thumb gently brushed over her palm. Her skin was cool to the touch. He said softly, "Is it cold outside? Your hands are a little cold. Why didn't you wear another layer?"

Claire looked at him in silence.

She hadn't spoken a word since she stepped back into this house.

Adrian couldn't bear even a hint of her coldness.

He lowered his head and was silent for a few seconds.

The next moment, he wrapped his arms around Claire's waist, lifted her onto the shoe cabinet, and placed his hands on either side of her, forcing his way between her legs.

He kept closing in.

Adrian stared at her intently. Even though he was smiling, there was an overwhelming pressure in his gaze. He said in a low voice, "Claire, say something to me, hmm? Please don't ignore me, okay?"

Claire met his eyes.

Adrian's eyes had always been what fascinated her the most.

That aloof, untouchable gaze that looked down on everyone—except when it fell on her, it softened.

Everyone could see that Adrian loved her deeply.

Claire had been immersed in that sea of love for years.

But that love couldn't come at the cost of her entire freedom.

Claire wanted an independent, complete life.

She finally spoke, uttering her first words of the night.

"Adrian, let's get a divorce."

---

Chapter 3: I Will Never Let Go

Claire got together with Adrian when she was eighteen. Her entire youth was extraordinary and radiant because of him.

They had been together for so many years. They had their share of arguments. On the surface, Adrian seemed to be the one in control, but in reality, every argument ended with him backing down.

Claire had felt resentment and had said harsh words in anger, but those were just normal conflicts between lovers.

She had never truly thought about ending their relationship.

She was also sad. She also felt suffocated.

But Claire was not a delicate bird meant for a cage. She wanted the freedom to soar.

When she said to Adrian, "Let's get a divorce," it wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision or an emotional outburst.

She needed a way to temporarily escape her current suffocating life.

But Adrian's reaction was far beyond what she had imagined.

His anger didn't show on the surface. He didn't lose his composure.

Instead, he looked at her with dark eyes, quietly.

After a long moment, Adrian let out a soft laugh.

He raised his fingertips and tucked a stray strand of hair behind Claire's ear. His fingers traced along her ear, stroking her earlobe slowly and deliberately until her fair ear turned red. Only then did he move his hand to her neck.

His thumb pressed lightly but firmly against the most important artery in her neck, which was pulsing, a sign of life.

Adrian's eyes smiled, but they were unfathomable. He said softly, "Claire, you've been out too long today. You're tired. Get some rest tonight. I can apologize. I can atone. But don't say things like breaking up so easily."

Claire parted her lips to say that she had already thought it through.

But Adrian's thumb moved up and gently brushed over her lips, silencing her.

He looked like a demon crawling out of hell, a cold, rational shell containing a broken, shattered soul. Adrian suppressed his dark emotions with great effort and spoke with barely contained reason. "We've been together for so many years. Breaking up isn't that simple."

He listed all the complicated realities: "How would we explain this to our parents? They're getting older and can't handle too many upheavals. And then there are all the relatives and friends, the tangled web of interests. Do you want to see it all fall apart?"

In their marriage, Claire and even her entire family were on the receiving end of the benefits.

Over the years, their wealth had piled up higher and higher. Claire's parents had no material worries in their middle and later years. In fact, they were steadily climbing the social ladder, respected and flattered by everyone.

Countless relatives had climbed up by using Claire's name. To Adrian, it was just the charity of someone at the top.

Small favors were like manna from heaven to those families.

As Adrian said, it wasn't that simple.

He looked into Claire's eyes and said casually, "You've had a three-year gap in your career. If you leave here, there probably won't be any suitable job offers coming your way. What will our Claire do then, hmm?"

Adrian's tone seemed casual, but Claire knew he wasn't joking.

The realities he mentioned—parents, work, interests, money—all formed an invisible cage that locked Claire in.

She had absolutely no way to leave him.

What was even more frightening was that she didn't even know when this cage had been built.

Over the years, drop by drop, it had silently imprisoned her.

"And Rosie. She's an old classmate. Our Claire is so kind. She probably wouldn't want Rosie to end up like that bar owner, with nothing left, would she?"

Claire looked up, stunned.

Adrian smiled faintly. "That bar was shut down. The owner left the city. For him, it was a decent outcome."

Adrian lifted his fingertips, and people's worlds turned upside down.

That was reality.

From start to finish, Claire hadn't said a single word. Adrian had her trapped in his arms, his thumb still pressing on her lips, so she couldn't speak anyway.

Every word was a threat.

If Claire really left, everything Adrian had said would come true. In the end, Claire would be forced by circumstances to return to his side.

So Adrian leaned down, pinched her chin, and gently kissed the corner of her mouth. He said, "Why choose such a troublesome path?"

Claire turned her head to avoid his kiss, pushed hard against his chest, and then raised her hand to slap Adrian across the right cheek.

She used a lot of force. A red mark quickly appeared on his pale cheek.

He turned his head slightly from the impact but then turned back, completely unfazed. Instead, he took her hand and asked in a low voice, "Does it hurt?"

Claire's eyes were red. She looked at Adrian and said softly, "I said I want a divorce."

The emotion in Adrian's eyes gradually dimmed. This was the second time Claire had mentioned divorce. She kept pushing him to the edge of his sanity.

He curled his lips slightly, but there was no smile in his eyes. "Then I'll tell you this: it will never happen."

"I will never let go. I will never let you leave my side."

---

Chapter 4: The Car Accident

That night, Adrian was especially rough.

The wounds from their biting kisses—neither of them backed down.

Blood and pain cast a hazy veil over their love.

All of Claire's valid documents were taken away. Adrian's methods grew more extreme by the day. The household staff began to restrict her movements. Her life was completely confined to that house.

Years of covert imprisonment had finally turned into outright captivity.

The atmosphere between Claire and Adrian grew colder and colder.

Adrian was too greedy. He wanted Claire to stay by his side, and he wanted her to love him and never leave.

It was during this time that Claire truly realized how powerful Adrian was and how disconnected she had become from society.

Adrian could completely erase her existence, lock her in the house, and keep her as his Madam Harrington and nothing more.

No one would find it strange.

Even her parents could be fobbed off with a plausible excuse from Adrian.

So Claire stopped asking to leave. She stopped demanding a divorce.

Instead, one night, after Adrian was sated, she surrendered for the first time. Claire turned around, curled up in Adrian's arms, and whispered, "Can I go out tomorrow? I'm really bored staying at home."

Adrian initially refused, but after Claire kissed him several times, he relented. He had an important meeting the next day and couldn't accompany her, so the driver would have to go with her.

He would never let Claire go out alone.

Claire didn't refuse. She obediently curled up in Adrian's arms. As long as she could get out, she was confident she could leave Adrian.

All her documents were locked in the safe in Adrian's study. The password was her birthday—Claire could guess it easily.

Things went more smoothly than she had imagined.

Claire thought she was just lucky.

She didn't know that Adrian simply couldn't bear to stop her.

He did want Claire to stay home, but he also didn't want her to be unhappy. He was too easy to appease. A few soft words from Claire, and he crumbled.

But if he had known that leaving would mean losing her forever, Adrian would never have agreed to let Claire out of his sight.

---

It was an ordinary dawn.

Adrian got up as usual, his back to Claire as he put on his shirt and suit.

In her mind, Claire had already planned her escape. She had barely slept all night, but she wasn't tired.

She slowly got up and, as she had done countless times before, tied Adrian's tie for him.

Adrian looked into her eyes and asked softly, "Claire, don't leave me. Let's go back to how we were before, okay?"

Standing at the top of the social ladder, revered by thousands, Adrian would never show such vulnerability to anyone but Claire, begging for just a little bit of love.

At the moment of parting, Claire couldn't be that cruel. She told a white lie and slowly nodded. "Okay."

At that moment, Adrian was genuinely happy.

His eyes sparkled like stars.

But he didn't know what Claire was thinking.

One was trying desperately to hold on, while the other was drifting away.

Was there ever a moment of hesitation?

Yes, there was. Every time Claire looked at Adrian, she thought, maybe she should just stay with him. After all, she had loved him for so long.

Leaving would tear open the wounds of both of them.

But in the end, she held firm to her choice.

Claire was free. She would rather be like a real bridge, weathering the wind and rain, honing her own strength, and growing stronger with time, than be forever confined to one corner of the Harrington estate.

Before Adrian left, Claire took his hand, stood on her tiptoes, and gently kissed him.

She said, "Adrian, goodbye."

Those words would become the most terrifying yet cherished nightmare of Adrian's remaining life.

Claire left with only her documents. She planned to go to a shopping mall, use Rosie as an excuse, and slip away from the driver to head straight to the airport.

She wanted to return to the city where her parents lived.

But things never go as planned.

It was rush hour, yet the usually congested roads were strangely clear and orderly.

It was a road with the lowest accident rate, yet on that morning, it welcomed a driver who was fatigued from a night of drinking and a car that had lost control.

A nine-car pileup, all because of one hungover driver. The damage was immense. Before Claire could even be rescued from the car, surrounded by blood and the panicked cries of the crowd, her consciousness slowly faded.

In the moments before death, one's life really does flash before one's eyes.

She thought of her parents. She thought of her friends. She thought of Adrian.

She thought of their love, which was complete yet incomplete.

What a shame, Claire thought. Adrian loved her so much. What would he do now?

But there was nothing Claire could do anymore.

She slowly closed her eyes.

Saying goodbye to this life.

Saying goodbye to everything she cherished, loved, and missed.

Saying goodbye to it all.

---

Chapter 5: Rebirth

Where does one go after death?

Buddha says: karma cycles. Life is death, and death is life.

Life and death in this world are all karma. Without delusion, the heart is at peace.

Claire didn't think she had such a profound understanding of life and death. She wasn't a Buddhist. She believed death was dissolution, separation.

If a life of good deeds leads to heaven and a life of evil leads to hell, then based on her actions, Claire would probably be stuck in the human world.

So—

"Claire! What's going on? You've been spacing out a lot lately. Is the pressure of high school getting to you? Are you tired from class?"

Mrs. Liu touched Claire's forehead, then her own. "You don't have a fever. Are you feeling unwell? Dizzy?"

Claire snapped back to reality and carefully studied her mother, who was ten years younger. Back then, she was a bit thinner, with a worried expression. She took the half-picked green beans from Claire's hands, quickly finished the job, and walked to the kitchen to hand them to Mr. Qiao.

Mr. Qiao was stir-frying tomatoes and eggs. Mrs. Liu handed him the beans and said, "Claire hasn't been herself lately. She was fine when she came home on Friday, but after she woke up on Saturday, it's like she lost her soul. She keeps zoning out."

Mr. Qiao, being easygoing, didn't think much of it. "It's probably the pressure of high school. No. 1 High School is strict. Claire just started her first year. It's normal for her to be a little out of sorts. I'll talk to her at dinner."

That seemed like the only explanation. Mrs. Liu nodded reluctantly. "We should talk to her. Her grades aren't as important as her health."

Claire was sitting at the door. It was evening. The sunset stretched long across the sky, casting a golden glow.

She brushed the bean scraps off her hands and called out to her parents in the kitchen, "Mom, Dad, I'm going to rest in my room for a bit."

Mrs. Liu came out to say that dinner was almost ready, but Mr. Qiao pulled her back and whispered, "She's tired. Let her rest. We'll call her when it's time to eat."

---

Claire lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, then looked around the room. Light pink wallpaper. Sticky notes on the wall above her desk.

English vocabulary, grammar, and math formulas. A thick stack of textbooks on the desk. Next to them, a small notebook recorded the daily homework for the first two weeks of school. After completing each task, Claire would cross it off with a thick line.

It was incredibly satisfying.

Sixteen-year-old Claire was an ordinary high school student, drowning in six subjects and classes, running between school and home. Her life was boring but fulfilling.

Twenty-six-year-old Claire lay on her old bed, beginning to seriously question her mental state.

Was she crazy? It didn't seem like it. She had even managed to write a few test papers in the past two days. It was a bit difficult, but it proved she still had some basic knowledge.

Time travel? Resurrection? Parallel universe?

Claire wondered if she needed to see a psychiatrist. But she was afraid the psychiatrist would think she was making up stories to avoid studying.

After all, explaining that she had traveled back ten years after dying was something even the most resilient psychiatrist would find hard to believe.

It was September 11, 2015, a Sunday. It was the second day that twenty-five-year-old Claire had taken over fifteen-year-old Claire's body. Everything was exactly as she remembered.

She had really returned to ten years ago.

The pain and suffocation of her near-death experience were still vivid in her mind. She was certain that everything she remembered was real.

In novels, characters who come back to life usually have a mission. Some are meant to save the world, others to save someone else. Claire clearly didn't fit either category.

The world wasn't facing a catastrophic threat ten years later. It had always been stable. She didn't have a silent, self-sacrificing, long-dead white moonlight to save across time.

Her life was just inextricably tied to Adrian.

Claire's calm heart was suddenly churning with waves.

Adrian.

The existence she had deliberately ignored for the past two days but that kept appearing in her mind, unavoidable.

Adrian's family was based in the capital. His father was a prominent high-ranking official, the kind you often see on the news. His mother's family was in business, with countless ventures.

A noble family, high-ranking and wealthy.

Adrian was a young master raised in a gilded palace.

Someone like him should have stayed in the capital, following the smooth path laid out by his ancestors, gradually rising to power. But he had spent three years in Nanjiang, taking care of his grandparents who were recuperating there.

Staying in Nanjiang was also a form of training.

Adrian attended Nanjiang No. 1 High School, in the same class as Claire. It was during those three years in Nanjiang that they got together.

Claire stared at the ceiling, her mind wandering. In her memory, Adrian had probably come to Nanjiang No. 1 High School two or three weeks after the semester started. At this point, she hadn't met him yet. They were still strangers.

Claire sat up abruptly. Nothing had been changed. The only variable was Adrian.

If they hadn't met, they wouldn't have gotten together.

If she cut off any possible connection between them from now on, then in the future, Claire would never be involved with anything related to Adrian again.

She would have a peaceful youth, finish university, pursue the career she wanted, and have a complete, independent life.

Claire bit her lip. So, heaven had given her a second chance.

But... Claire slowly closed her eyes, sitting on the bed and hugging her knees. In another timeline, facing her lifeless body, what would Adrian be like?

Would he be sad? Or angry?

Probably both.

Claire thought. After all, they had loved each other so sincerely and passionately.

But this time, Claire didn't want to make the same choice.

She didn't want to be imprisoned in a beautiful, luxurious villa. She didn't want to be inexplicably fired from her job, just to stay by his side.

Even if it meant not loving each other anymore. Even if it meant never meeting again.

Claire slowly clenched her fists. Her untrimmed nails dug into her palms. The pain made her fingers turn white.

Cutting Adrian out of her life was a pain that pierced her to the bone.

---

Chapter 6: Back to High School Days

It took Claire two days to adapt and accept reality. She gradually got the hang of things. After figuring out what she wanted, she quickly adjusted her mood and stopped spacing out.

She didn't plan to tell anyone she was from ten years in the future. Not only would she be seen as crazy, but even her own parents would find it hard to believe. Besides, she couldn't explain how she died ten years later.

It was better to keep the secret to herself.

After all, with ten years of experience, Claire felt she had a bit of an advantage.

When Mrs. Liu and Mr. Qiao were about to have a serious talk with her, Claire had already bounced back. Her appetite had even improved.

Mr. Qiao was always a good cook. Even simple home-cooked dishes were delicious. Claire ate two bowls of rice before stopping.

Seeing their hesitant expressions, Claire knew exactly what they were thinking. She smiled and said, "I was just feeling a bit stressed about high school. I was tired, but I've adjusted now. Don't worry, Mom and Dad. I'll study hard in class tomorrow and get along with my teachers and classmates. You can count on me."

Mrs. Liu's heart finally settled. She touched Claire's face and said softly, "Your dad and I were so worried. We thought you were sick. It's normal to feel stressed. You're in high school now. But Claire, if you feel too tired, take a break. Your health comes first. Your dad and I care more about you than your grades."

Claire smiled. "I've figured it out now. Don't worry."

Someone who has already died once knows how to cherish a second chance at life.

After all, death is so pitiful, so easy, so painful.

---

Claire's parents were ordinary working-class people, leaving early and returning late. She had grown up in Nanjiang. Her grades were decent, and she had been admitted to Nanjiang No. 1 High School after her middle school exams.

The house they lived in was close to the school, so Claire could walk to and from school. She sat at her desk, trying to recall her high school years, but sadly, her memories were sparse.

Her impressions of her teachers and classmates were already very faint.

The only person she had kept in touch with was probably Rosie.

Luckily, school had just started, so she had an excuse.

But that wasn't her biggest concern right now.

The most important thing was the endless studying and homework that lay ahead of her for the next three years.

She remembered the pain of high school vividly. She had thought she would have an advantage, but in reality, after university, she had gradually forgotten her high school knowledge. She flipped through the textbooks on her desk and closed her eyes in pain.

No matter how much time had passed, she still didn't like studying.

Claire packed her schoolbag. The next day was a school day. She walked to school from memory, eating the breakfast Mr. Qiao had bought for her.

Class 13, First Year.

Before the subject stream selection, the grade hadn't set up any special classes. Students were mixed together. Claire had been randomly assigned to Class 13.

Her homeroom teacher taught chemistry. She still had some impression of him. His name was Wang Lei. To be fair, he had treated her well and had always paid attention to her. Later, because of Adrian, he had been especially nice to her.

Adrian's background wasn't a secret.

Although Nanjiang couldn't compare to the capital, the pursuit of power and fame was always the same.

Throughout high school, Adrian stood apart, looking down on everyone.

Claire finished her last bite of the meat bun, threw the plastic bag into the trash can by the roadside, and thought: if she had never met Adrian from the beginning, their lives probably wouldn't have intersected at all.

They were from two different worlds.

Claire stood outside the door of Class 13, took a deep breath. Returning to high school, she had to keep her adult soul well hidden.

She slowly pushed open the door and walked in. There were about a dozen students in the classroom. Some looked familiar, but she couldn't remember their names. Others she didn't recognize at all.

And... Claire paused mid-step, looking around at the empty seats. Which one was hers?

Claire froze. What should she do? Pick one at random? Or... she hesitated, looking at the podium. Was there a seating chart there?

But she had already walked this far. Going back to the podium to check would look strange.

While she was in a dilemma, someone patted her on the back. "What are you standing here for? Why aren't you going to your seat?"

Claire turned around. Sixteen-year-old Rosie, wearing her school uniform and biting into a breakfast wrap, looked at her suspiciously.

Claire's eyes stung. Seeing her best friend again after dying once, she couldn't control her emotions.

They had met during high school military training. Girls' friendships always formed quickly. At first, they were strangers standing next to each other. Rosie had quietly cursed the instructor, and Claire had agreed. They hit it off immediately.

Later, they found out they were in the same class, so they naturally became friends and desk mates. This friendship had continued until Adrian locked away Claire's freedom.

Then their connection had gradually faded.

But in her heart, Rosie had always been her best friend.

Rosie waved her hand in front of Claire's eyes. "What are you spacing out about so early in the morning? Morning reading is about to start. Hurry up and go to your seat."

Claire nodded slowly and followed Rosie to the third row of the