My stepbrother, Adrian, hated me for ten years after his "white moonlight"—his first love—fell to her death. Even when I used despicable means to possess him completely, he never truly forgave me. Until I ran away to a war-torn country in a fit of rage and got caught in a riot. Adrian didn't hesitate. He shielded me with his body and took the bullet meant for me. Dying in my arms, his last words were: "I spoiled you too much." "I truly regret... being your brother." Everyone said I was crazy. That I ruined Adrian—a man who was upright, noble, and full of promise. So, I knelt on the long stone steps of the temple for fifty years. Begging for a second chance. This time, I will let him go. I only pray for him to have a life of peace and happiness. 1 "Sophie, look at this filth you wrote. Doesn't it make you sick?" "How could you... have these kinds of thoughts about your own brother!" A voice I hadn't heard in a lifetime exploded in my ears. I opened my eyes to see Adrian holding my diary, his face flushed crimson with rage. That diary was filled with my twisted desires for him. Lust. Obsession. Sin. But instead of the crushing shame I felt the first time, I started sobbing with relief. I really was reborn. I was back to the day of our first big fight, the day he discovered my secret. Seeing him alive, vibrant, and breathing in front of me made my body tremble uncontrollably. Thank God. He's alive. Adrian noticed something was off. His anger flickered, replaced by confusion. He pointed to the floor. "Take all of this... and burn it." In my past life, hearing those words made me snap. I went hysterical, pinned him against the wall, and kissed him. Adrian was horrified. He fled, and from that day on, he drifted away from me. That forbidden kiss broke something inside me. My obsession grew darker, and my hatred for Lily—the girl who "stole" him—festered until it caused a tragedy. So this time, I wiped the tears from my face. I picked up the box filled with my diaries. "Okay." "I'll burn them." 2 Those diaries held the record of over a decade of our lives together. My mom and Adrian's mom were best friends. But my mom had terrible taste in men. She married an abuser. When I was five, my mom died from her injuries. My dad, a drunk, drove his car into a ditch on the way to turn himself in. Adrian's mom adopted me. But tragedy struck again when Adrian and I started middle school. She passed away, leaving us alone in that big, empty villa with only a few servants. Adrian was only a few months older than me, but while I was a troublemaker, he was the responsible one. He spent his childhood cleaning up my messes. When I got gastroenteritis, he stayed up all night watching my IV drip. When I got into fights, he backed me up. When I was scared of thunderstorms, he’d drag his pillow and blanket into my room to keep me safe. Even after Lily died because of me, even when he hated me to the bone... When the riot broke out, he still shielded me without a second thought. My brother was perfect. The only problem was that he loved me as family. And I loved him with a guilty conscience. In my past life, our housekeeper, Mrs. Wu, wept uncontrollably when she heard of Adrian's death. The driver, Uncle Zhang, pointed at my nose and cursed me. "Sophie, you're insane! You're cursed! Are you only happy when everyone around you is dead?" I remembered Adrian's last words again. "I truly regret... being your brother." He regretted it. And so did I. They said the temple on the north side of the city was miraculous. I wanted to pray that in the next life, Adrian would never meet me. But maybe my sins were too heavy. The Abbot refused to see me. So I knelt. Year after year. From black hair to white. The bloodstains on the stone steps were from my knees and forehead. Finally, when I was old and withered, the Abbot agreed to see me. He said: "What has happened cannot be changed, but perhaps a new life awaits." "You are his fated calamity. If it is not resolved, all efforts are in vain." He pressed a small silk pouch into my wrinkled hand. "It will guide you to the moment of rebirth." When I woke up clutching that pouch, I knew it wasn't a dream. This life, I won't make the same mistakes. I'll pay any price to keep my brother safe. 3 The next morning on the way to school, the car was suffocatingly silent. Neither of us mentioned the diary. As I got out, Adrian finally spoke. "You hurt Lily a few days ago. Go apologize to her today." His tone was stiff. He expected me to throw a tantrum. But I just nodded calmly. "Okay." Adrian looked surprised, but he didn't say anything else. During lunch break, I went to find Lily as promised. I found her with Adrian. The afternoon sun was warm. The girl was laughing, playfully punching the boy on the chest. Then she saw me. She immediately shrank behind Adrian, clutching her bandaged hand, looking terrified. Adrian instinctively shielded her. "What are you doing here?" His voice was guarded. He'd already forgotten he told me to come apologize. I couldn't blame him. I was crazy. My possessiveness over Adrian was legendary. He was handsome, gentle, and rich. Plenty of girls liked him. And I chased every single one of them away. I mistook Adrian's tolerance for love. I deluded myself into thinking he felt the same way. Like in my past life, when I drugged his water. I forced him to cross the line. Even though he resisted, I read pleasure in his broken moans. I ignored the fact that it was just a physiological reaction. Lily was special to him. Even ten years after her death, he never forgave me. I swallowed the bitterness rising in my throat and bowed deeply to Lily. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have hurt you, and I shouldn't have humiliated you in public." "Can you... forgive me?" Lily glanced nervously at Adrian. Seeing he stayed silent, she whispered, "It's okay. I forgive you." I looked up and met Adrian's eyes. They were swirling with emotions I couldn't read. 4 In my past life, I hated Lily for another reason. I saw her hanging out with Tyler, the school bully. Tyler was Adrian's nemesis. He loved making Adrian's life miserable. I suspected Lily was a spy sent to toy with my brother's feelings, so I targeted her. This time, I needed to know the truth. I needed to get these two back on track. So, I started pestering Lily, claiming I felt guilty and wanted to be friends. At first, she was wary. But eventually, she let her guard down. I asked her casually, "What do you think of my brother?" Lily's ears turned pink. "Adrian... he's helped me a lot. And he loves animals. He feeds the stray cats and pays for their vet bills." "I think he's really kind." So it was true. They liked each other. Lily was the classic "tough weed" heroine—poor family, scholarship student, hardworking. My brother was the prince—handsome, top of the class, rich. A match made in heaven. Even knowing this, my heart felt like it was soaking in lemon juice. That night, Adrian knocked on my door. He didn't come in. Last time he barged in, he found the diary. He was scarred. "I'm just looking at colleges," I called out. "Nothing else." Since my rebirth, I felt Adrian distancing himself. Even without the kiss, he couldn't handle knowing his little sister lusted after him. And even without the kiss, I couldn't stop loving him. He cleared his throat awkwardly. "Why haven't you been coming home with me lately?" I was surprised. Because I need to get used to life without you, I thought. Even looking at colleges, I was picking ones far away from him. He and Lily would go to the same top-tier university. I needed to be as far away as possible. I lied. "I get along with Lily. We walk home together to chat." Adrian stared at me so intensely my scalp tingled. "Am I interrupting something?" I asked defensively. He frowned and flicked my forehead. "What are you thinking? There's nothing going on." He ruffled his hair, looking annoyed. "Whatever. It's good... that you're making friends."
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "387628", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel