Jayden

Inside an elegantly decorated apartment, a figure was sleeping on a medium-sized bed, hugging a pillow and shifting around restlessly. Unshed tears hung on her fan-like eyelashes, her eyebrows furrowed as if she was in pain, and her lips were tightly pursed. All of a sudden, the figure jumped up, clutching her heart and panting like someone who had just participated in a five-kilometer race, her emerald eyes full of sadness, fear, and majorly hatred.

Slowly, her eyelashes fluttered and glance down, hiding the wave of emotions she was feeling but suddenly, her eyes dilated upon noticing the tender hand clutching her chest, which clearly wasn't hers!

"Wh-what...?" Her voice quivered, and she sprang up from the bed and nearly fell as the blanket fell onto the floor but she was in too much in a hurry to care as she stood before the mirror.

"What the..." Leila whispered as she numbly raised her hand to touch the tender face she was seeing in the mirror. It was soft and smooth, not at all like the malnourished face she remembered herself to have–during her illness.

Her gaze slowly landed on the calendar hanging beside the mirror and once again, she gasped in shock.

"It's...2024!"

A disbelieving laugh bubbled up inside her, spilling out in a half-hysterical roar. Anyone walking in might have thought she was losing her mind. But Leila was too elated to care.

The happiness in her chest was overwhelming. She had been given a second chance, a chance to correct all her wrongdoings. Nothing is as beautiful as a second chance to fix your regrets.

Leila placed her trembling fingers on the calendar and looked at the date. By her calculations, she was only 17 and still a high schooler. Julianne hadn't entered the industry, and her father was still very much alive.

Then she calmed down, wiping away the tears on her face as she whispered, holding onto the vanity, "I told you, Julianne, if I ever came back to life, expect your retribution."

She cleared her throat, brushing her hair aside as a vibrant smile spread across her lips. God indeed answered prayers. She walked to the bathroom to take a warm shower and get ready for a battle that would leave only one side standing—either Julianne and her mother or Leila and her father.

Leila almost facepalmed herself upon seeing the old-fashioned clothes in her closet. She clearly had money! Her father was in the fashion industry, and in a decade to come, his company would be one of the top five most famous brands in the world. And here she was, with last season's clothes in her closet. She scoffed at herself and slammed the closet shut before deciding to order a dress.

But when she opened her account balance and saw the meager 750 dollars, she slumped onto the couch, realizing her current situation better.

Right now, she had already moved out of the house since she was going to sit for her final exams soon. Julianne had advised her to move out since the distance between her school and their mansion was quite far.

"Far my ass," Leila rolled her eyes. No wonder she had been killed without her knowing in her past life. How could she have been so stupid not to realize Julianne's intention?

Oh, she remembered how she had even praised Julianne for being so thoughtful for her.

Leila couldn't dwell on those memories as she quietly walked back to the closet. Thank God the closet didn't have consciousness; otherwise it would have rolled its eyes in disdain and mocked her.

After minutes of searching, she finally took out the most normal casual wear that could never be out of season—a white-washed jean and an oversized blue shirt. She didn't forget to apply red lipstick to her pale lips, though.

Ready to leave the house and take a walk to clear her mind, she grabbed her phone and was about to close the door behind her when she suddenly felt a presence beside her. Her heart leapt in shock.

"What the..." She turned swiftly to the intruder, her expression alert.

The intruder, equally startled, took a step back, his blue eyes flashing with shock and helplessness. "Sorry to disturb you, Sister."

Leila stood frozen in shock as the familiar voice buzzed in her ears.

Before her stood a young Jayden Bright!

Jayden was a boy she had saved when he was being bullied at school by his classmates for being a jinx that caused his mother's death. Little Leila had chased away the bullies and then crouched to his height, telling him it's alright, that she too was motherless. She gave him her candy and bade him goodbye, but he surprised her when he stubbornly insisted on following her home.

Even the teachers couldn't stop him and could only call his father. Leila's father was also called, and it was then she found out that he was the Bright family's heir, a family deeply involved in the military.

Even with his father's presence, Little Jayden was surprisingly stubborn and wouldn't go home until Leila finally promised to stay in contact. After that day, they became close and he always followed her around. He addressed her as Sister because she was half a year older than him.

Jayden was still the same as before. He had fluffy brown hair, and his face was as handsome as that of supermodels, with deep facial features, striking blue eyes, and a high nose bridge. His lips were neither too full nor too thin, achieving a balance that simply suited him. His jaw was sharp as if it could cut, and his fair skin didn't make him look feminine but instead even more exotic.

"Sister?" He called out softly, and Leila blinked in surprise.

Wait, when did his voice get this deep?

"Sister?" He called again, his tone softer as he tentatively observed her face.

"Jayden..." Leila swallowed and secretly clenched her fist. "Can... can I hug you?" Her watery eyes met his gaze pleadingly, unable to stop herself from getting emotional.

Jayden stood frozen, staring blankly at her as if she was an alien.

"You don't want to hug me again?" Leila pouted.

He snapped out of his daze, walking closer as he tenderly scooped her into his embrace. He had gotten even taller, now standing at around 1.9 meters and she only reached his chest.

"Sister, did something happen?" He whispered worriedly into her ear, his hand trembling where she couldn't see. This was definitely the first time she had requested him to hug her.

"No," Leila shook her head. Jayden's voice grew even more worried as he unknowingly hugged her tighter. "Then...then are you going to chase me away?"

Leila broke the hug and pinched his cheek, chiding lightly, "What are you thinking about?"

"Sister..." His ears turned red, but then he seemed to remember something. He held her hands, eyes shining with desperation. "Sister, I am sorry for hitting Julianne. I have already apologized to her. I wouldn't do that again, so Sister, can you...can you forgive me?" He stared at her pleadingly, gripping her hand when she didn't respond. "Sister?"

Leila shook her head, turning away to prevent the tears that were about to spill from her eyes. She was really the most despicable woman in the world. What kind of favor had she done to deserve a brother like him?

To his dismay, she pulled him into another hug, ruffling his hair. He buried his head on her shoulder, catching her faint scent, and his eyebrows relaxed.

"I am sorry, Jay. Can...you forgive...me?" Leila slowly said, clenching her hand around him.

No, she didn't deserve to be forgiven, did she?

"Sister?" Jayden blinked at her in confusion as they separated from the hug. His eyes widened slightly upon seeing the tears falling from her eyes.

"Sister, why are you crying? Did I do something wrong? Sister, did I anger you? Do you want me to leave? Sister, stop crying please," Jayden was feeling so panicky that he couldn't think straight. He hurriedly tried to wipe her tears away with his thumb but they wouldn't stop, and his voice grew even more worried. "Sister, I am sorry, I am sorry, okay? I-I will leave right now, just stop crying, please."

"I am alright, Jay." Leila reached out to stop him and wiped her tears, smiling bitterly. "You are the one who has been wronged."

Jayden was stunned. He blinked at her for a few moments, unable to understand what she was saying but anyway, he was willing to do anything to make her smile, so he simply played along. "Yeah, yeah, I am the one who is wronged."

"Th-then will you forgive me?"

"Huh?" Seeing her begging eyes, he nodded again. "Yes! I forgive you, okay?"

His attitude made Leila smile and feel guilty once again. She really had to repay him somehow.

Seeing her smile, his expression softened.

"Since when have you been standing here?" Leila suddenly raised her head, meeting his gaze ponderingly.

Her sudden question caught him by surprise. He coughed lightly, his hand forming a fist over his mouth as he averted her deep gaze. "Uh... Not long before you came out..."

"Look at me," Leila sternly demanded, holding his face with her hands so he would look at her. She was about to say something when her phone chimed, momentarily interrupting her. She fished out the phone from her pocket and saw the message displayed upon swiping up.

Uncle Bright: [Leila, is Jay with you? I can't reach him]

Leila quickly answered: [Hello, Uncle. He is here with me, you don't have to worry.]

A reply came almost immediately: [I am relieved; he had left the house early in the morning and even skipped class. Now that you said he is with you, that's good. Then I will leave him to you; take care of him, please.]

Taking a deep breath, Leila hurriedly typed back: [Sure, Uncle.]

Uncle Bright: [Thanks, dear.]

Leila stared deeply at the phone before putting it back into her pocket. "You have been standing here since morning? Why didn't you come in?"

"Sister, you forgot. You asked me not to enter here again." He explained, looking a little dejected as he remembered how she had given him the cold shoulder recently.

"Ah... Oh, really?" Leila cleared her throat, unable to remember saying that.

Actually, in her past life, according to the timeline, she had slept peacefully until late evening when Julianne returned from school. They went out to eat together. She didn't remember seeing him standing at the door at all.

"Then from now on, you are free to enter. Don't just stand there like someone who doesn't know the way home, okay?"

"Okay!" He happily answered, his red lips curling up, his gloomy mood turning sunny. Yay, Sister has really forgiven him!

"I am going to eat lunch. Want to go together?" Leila proposed, though it wasn't part of her original plan, but she was really hungry.

"Sure!"

They walked out of the elevator together and went to a restaurant downstairs. They were having a sumptuous lunch when Jayden received a phone call and excused himself, leaving Leila to continue eating alone first.