My father hired a pair of orphaned sisters as bodyguards for my brother and me. The older one, Stella, was quick, sharp-eyed, and fell for my brother, Liam, the moment she saw him. That left me with the younger sister, Maya. The one with the silence. I didn’t want to see her sent back to the group home, back to the bullies and the loneliness, so I accepted her. She never spoke, so I took her to every top psychiatrist on the East Coast. I carved out two hours every single day to tell her jokes, to read to her, anything to get a response, even though one never came. She couldn’t protect me, so I learned martial arts, built myself up from nothing, and begged my father not to send her away. I thought she was just wounded. I thought if I was patient enough, she would heal. Then came the day the yacht overturned. In the chaos of the churning water, she clawed the last life vest off my body. And for the first time, she spoke to me. “I’m sorry,” she said, her voice raw. “But Liam’s is broken.” Liam. My brother. She watched as I began to sink, her hand squeezing mine one last time. “I owe you a debt in this life,” she whispered, her eyes holding mine as the cold water closed over my head. “I’ll repay it in the next.” So, it turned out her silence was only for me. When I opened my eyes again, I was standing in the grand foyer, back on the day we were meant to choose our bodyguards. 1 I stood before the two sisters, frozen. My brother, Liam, glanced at me, his perfect brow furrowed with concern. He bit his lip. “You know what? I’ll take Maya,” he announced, his voice ringing with false martyrdom. “Ethan isn’t as strong. He needs someone quick and alert, like Stella, to protect him.” With a flourish, he stepped away from the visibly sharp Stella and positioned himself beside the silent, withdrawn Maya. I could see the panic flash in Stella’s eyes. I still didn’t move, my mind reeling, trying to process the impossible reality of being back here. In my first life, I had hesitated then, too, after Liam and Stella had made their instant connection. Seeing my indecision, Liam had offered to switch bodyguards with me. Looking at his pained expression now, I remembered how I’d truly believed he was trying to give me the better protector. I thought he was looking out for me, so I refused, adamant that he shouldn’t be disadvantaged. I couldn’t bear to see my brother lose out, and I couldn’t stand the thought of Maya being sent back to that place. It was all a lie. When the yacht went down, Liam had made a show of refusing my life vest, but he’d stood perfectly still while both sisters strapped it onto him. His own bodyguard, Stella, was a certified lifeguard. There was a piece of floating debris right next to him. But he only offered a few token protests. That was Liam’s signature move. He always knew I’d refuse any offer that required someone else to sacrifice for me. He lost nothing, yet he always walked away with the reputation of a handsome, selfless saint. But this time, I just nodded. “Fine.” Liam’s face, perfectly arranged to display reluctant acceptance of my refusal, went rigid. He wasn’t the only one stunned. Maya’s head snapped up, her vacant eyes suddenly sharp, fixed on me. They were filled with a confusion and shock that mirrored my own. “No!” My father’s voice boomed through the hall. “You are the eldest son of the Reed family, Liam. Your safety is paramount. This girl has autism—she can’t even speak. She is not fit to protect you.” A cold, bitter laugh almost escaped me. So, he knew about Maya’s condition all along. Yet he’d brought her here anyway. This whole charade of letting us “choose” was just for show. “But…” Liam started, a wave of relief washing over his features as he subtly wiped a non-existent tear from his eye. He was about to launch into another performance when Maya spoke. “I can speak.” My head shot up in astonishment. The Maya from my past life, the one who hadn’t uttered a single word for seven years, was speaking now? I saw it then, an awareness in her eyes that didn’t belong to a girl her age. And I knew, with chilling certainty— She was reborn, too. So much for repaying me in the next life. Given a second chance, the first thing she did was ensure she wouldn’t be stuck with me again. But she didn’t know. I didn’t want her anymore. “As for my capabilities,” Maya continued, her voice steady and clear, “you are welcome to test them again, sir.” I didn’t doubt her skills for a second. After I died, my spirit had watched her, a phantom observer. I saw her fight to protect Liam until help arrived, saw her single-handedly drive a gaff hook through the head of a bull shark. The irony was laughable. In my first life, I’d learned to fight for myself, terrified my father would deem her useless—this "helpless" girl—and send her back to the orphanage. Of course, once Maya dropped the act, it took her only three moves to pin the national martial arts champion my father kept on staff to the floor. My father’s resolve began to waver. The pained expression on Liam’s face vanished, replaced by a glimmer of interest. Between the two sisters, Maya was always the more beautiful one. If it hadn’t been for her supposed condition, Liam would have chosen her from the start. “Very well,” my father conceded. “Maya will serve you, Liam. Stella, the second son will be in your care.” At our father’s decree, Stella shot a glance in my direction. Her eyes landed on the scar that marred the left side of my face, and her nose wrinkled in a flicker of disgust. She took a step back and bowed her head. “Sir, I would rather you sent me back to the orphanage.” 2 “What is the meaning of this?” my father asked, his brows knitting together. “A salary of half a million dollars a year isn’t enough to keep you? You’d prefer to go back to a place where you’ll have nothing?” Stella couldn’t hide the revulsion she felt looking at my face. “I am not worthy of serving the second young master.” I let out a quiet sigh. Ever since I got this scar at ten years old saving Liam, my face had been a source of disgust for others. Perhaps that was part of why Maya had treated me the way she did in our first life. “Stella! Are you just going to abandon my brother?” Liam cried out, grabbing her arm, trying to pull her to her feet. Stella looked at him, her eyes shining with an unmistakable adoration. “I didn’t come here for him.” I remained silent. Liam quickly masked a flicker of pleasure, arranging his face into a frown of disapproval. “No! That’s absurd! I won’t let you go back there to suffer!” “What’s the difficulty?” I said, my voice cutting through the drama. “Why don’t you just take both of them, Liam? It seems they’re both yours for the asking.” Liam’s face flushed. “What… what are you talking about?” From the moment the Chen sisters walked in, my brother’s eyes hadn’t left them. He wanted them both. My father looked at me, his expression thoughtful. “You really don’t want a bodyguard?” “I don’t,” I said plainly. “I’m not interested in either of them.” Both sisters turned to look at me then, their expressions a mixture of surprise and indignation, as if wondering what right I had to refuse them. Maya’s gaze was more complex, something deeper than simple curiosity. I couldn’t read it, and I no longer had the desire to try. “And what about your safety?” my father pressed. “Can you guarantee it yourself?” “Probably not,” I admitted, shaking my head. My father stared, taken aback. “Which is why you should send me to work with Claire,” I continued. “She has a whole security team.” 3 In my past life, I had poured all my energy into Maya. I’d even neglected my role in the family business. I wasn’t like Liam. My father paid lip service to loving us equally, but the trust fund was only ever in Liam’s and my older sister Claire’s names. Claire was out on her own, a titan in the tech world, making the family trust grow exponentially year after year. Liam’s annual dividends alone were more than most people make in a lifetime. Meanwhile, I had to practically beg our father for the money to cover Maya’s medical bills. If I wanted to raise my own standing, I had to get in the game. Claire, my rarely-seen sister who had little time for the family’s disfavored spare, didn’t even meet with me. Her assistant threw a menial position my way, and that was that. I wasn’t angry. I just put my head down and worked. I’d never explored this side of myself before. Now, discovering my own aptitude for business was a revelation, even to me. After I closed the deal with a notoriously difficult investor, Claire finally granted me an audience. She threw me a welcome party, three months late, and started handing over significant parts of her portfolio. The company had hit a plateau and desperately needed new blood. As much as she might favor Liam, she couldn’t afford to ignore me. Slowly, my reputation in the business world began to eclipse Liam’s fame for his good looks. One evening, returning home, Liam blocked my path. “Ethan,” he said, his tone dripping with faux concern. “Don’t you think you’re being a little… loud?” I frowned. “You’re making headlines everywhere. I’m not trying to bring you down, brother, but a rapid success like this is mostly luck. If you crash and burn, you’ll be dragging the Reed family name down with you.” He paused, then glanced meaningfully toward where Maya was standing in the distance. “Besides, with your… your face… being so high-profile won’t attract the right kind of attention from women.” He sighed dramatically. “Look, why don’t you stop bothering Claire? I’ll take you under my wing.” I cut straight to the point. “You’re afraid I’ll steal your spotlight, aren’t you?” He froze. “On what grounds are you telling me to keep a low profile, Liam? As the family’s golden boy? The primary trust fund beneficiary? No matter how you slice it, you’ve already won. What gives you the right to stand on your pedestal and tell me not to fight for my own?” “Ethan, you…” His eyes immediately welled up. I gave him no quarter. “Since you brought up my scar, let me ask you something. Have you forgotten what you did when we were ten? I stepped in to protect you from a mugger. If you hadn’t shoved me forward, I wouldn’t have stumbled right into his knife. This face wouldn’t be ruined.” Liam clapped a hand over his mouth, fat tears plopping onto his hand. “You don’t have to cry. You’re not the one who was wronged. Just go back to being the perfect son.” I turned to leave, but he broke into a choked sob, his whole body shaking with manufactured pain. “That’s not it, Ethan… I never meant for that to happen… I’m just worried about you… How could you think that of me?” His tears hit the marble floor, one by one. “That’s enough!” Stella, who had been standing silently behind Liam, rushed forward and wrapped her arms around him. “You’ve gone too far, Ethan!” Liam immediately tried to placate her, shaking his head through his tears. “It’s okay, Stella, I’m fine… really…” he whispered, his shoulders trembling. A flash of pain crossed Maya’s face. She looked directly at me. “You went too far,” she said, her voice cold and even. “Apologize.” I thought I’d misheard her. But Maya just stared at me, her expression unyielding. Crack. The sound of my hand connecting with her cheek echoed in the hallway. Liam gasped, rushing to shield her. “Ethan! How could you hit her!” I flexed my stinging hand. “You should learn to control your people, Liam. Otherwise, they might forget who signs the checks and who cashes them.” “You!” Stella hissed, her jaw tight with rage. Maya cradled her cheek, her eyes wide with a surprise I had never seen before. I turned and walked away without giving any of them another chance to speak. My plan was to pack my bags that night and leave, to never see Liam or those two women again. But the next morning, a frantic pounding rattled my bedroom door. Stella burst in the second I opened it, completely ignoring the intrusion. She grabbed my arm in a vice grip. “Liam’s been kidnapped! You’re coming with me!” 4 Thankfully, the martial arts I’d learned in my first life served me well. I twisted free, shoving her back. “Show some respect,” I snapped. “And what kidnapping? What does that have to do with me?” “You have the nerve to ask?” Stella’s eyes were bloodshot, as if she’d been up all night. “If you hadn’t said those awful things to him, he never would have run out of the house crying! He never would have been grabbed by his enemies! This is all your fault, and you’re going to go and switch places with him right now!” The front door flew open, and Maya stood there, her face pale and drawn. She looked up at us on the landing. “Is Liam back yet?” Stella held up my arm like a trophy. “No. But the kidnappers are offering an exchange. It was Ethan’s fault Liam was taken. It’s time for him to make amends.” “Let go of me!” I slapped Stella hard across the face. “You’re a bodyguard. Who gave you the right to lay hands on me?” A red handprint bloomed on her cheek, but her eyes held no remorse. “My apologies, sir. But this isn’t your decision to make. For Liam’s sake, we’ll accept the consequences of insubordination.” She tightened her grip on my arm and yelled over her shoulder, “Maya! Help me!” Against Stella, I might have been able to hold my own for a few moments. But Maya was different. The world tilted as I was slammed to the ground. Maya’s black leather boot appeared in my line of sight. I struggled against Stella’s hold, knowing that the outcome of this fight rested entirely on Maya. I looked up at her, my voice raw with desperation. “Maya, help me… I’m begging you, please!” A muscle twitched in her jaw. She closed her eyes for a brief second, and when she opened them, she whispered one word. “Sorry.” Then, a crushing weight as both women pinned me to the floor. 5 On the way to the exchange, Maya rode in the car with me, her eyes never leaving my face. “You were reborn, too,” she said, breaking the silence. “Yes,” I answered, my voice like ice. “And you’re still just as cruel to me as ever.” She paused, then murmured, “I’m sorry.” Crack. The sharp sound of another slap filled the car. “Of all the words in the world,” I said, my voice shaking with rage, “those three mean the least to me.” Her head was turned to the side, her hair obscuring her expression. “I promise,” she said, her voice low and heavy, “this is the last time.” Her hand covered mine, her grip surprisingly tight. “We get him out. That’s all. A bodyguard’s final duty. After that, I swear I’ll move heaven and earth to get you out safely.” I just laughed, a bitter, hollow sound. She squeezed my hand harder. “This is just a tactic, Ethan. I won’t let them hurt you for real.” The exchange took place in a desolate, abandoned wasteland. As Liam and I passed each other, he broke into a frantic run. “Maya! Stella!” I whipped my head around just in time to see Maya rush forward, catching him in her arms. Stella was already at his side, skillfully cutting the ropes from his wrists. Maya held him tight, her hands trembling. I could read her lips, even from a distance. I’m so sorry… I didn’t protect you… A strange, cold feeling washed over me. I thought I had prepared myself for this, for being the one who didn’t matter. A rough hand grabbed me, pulling me back to my new reality. Before I could say another word, a cloth was stuffed in my mouth, silencing me completely. 6 I’d been in the dark room for three days. There was barely an inch of skin on my body that wasn’t bruised or broken from the lashings. The leader of the group threw something against the wall in frustration. “Aren’t you a Reed? The second son? Then why the hell hasn’t a single penny shown up in three days! Are you even who you say you are?” I managed a weak, bitter smile. The Reed family only had one real son. And it wasn’t me. “I’ll give you one last chance.” The man approached me, holding a syringe. “This is going to amplify your pain by a factor of ten. You’re going to call your family. If they agree to send the money immediately, I’ll let you go. If not,” he grinned, “I guess we’ll just have to mail them your fingers.” “What? No… ah!” The fluid burned as it entered my neck, and my breathing instantly became ragged. “Call!” A phone was thrust into my hand. I scrolled through my contacts. My father and sister’s lines were busy. Liam’s went unanswered. Then, Maya… “Hello?” “Maya!” I gasped, clinging to her voice like a lifeline. “You have to bring the money! They injected me with something… they’re going to cut off my fingers!” The sound of loud, thumping music blasted through the receiver. I was stunned. “What… what are you doing?” “Ethan,” her voice was strained. “It’s Liam’s birthday. We can’t ruin it.” My eyes widened in disbelief. “What are you saying?” “Just hold on a little longer. After the party’s over, I’ll come get you.” “But if you don’t come now, they’re going to—” “Ethan,” she cut me off, her tone sharp with annoyance. “It’s just one night. Can you please not cause a scene?” The lead kidnapper let out a cold, cynical laugh. He’d already given up hope. My body trembled, but I forced the words out through gritted teeth. “But you promised. You promised you wouldn’t let them hurt me for real.” There was a moment of silence on her end. “Be good,” she said softly. “Just endure it a little longer.” Then she hung up.
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