Ophelia turns to face a handsome man whose blood once tainted her hands, whose last breath was taken by her.
With a height of 6'3, wide shoulders, and a well-built muscular frame, blonde hair styled neatly back matching the natural aristocratic vibe, Czar Volkov stands out in the crowd. His posture is relaxed and too friendly for a man who will take over one of Russia's biggest oil companies after his father.
Czar is Ivy's fiancé. Though it started as a family arrangement, Czar soon fell for Ivy, who rarely shows a smile to anyone other than him. And Ivy, who had always calculated her relationships, couldn't resist Czar's unconventional way of love.
Inside the Crescent Boutique, Ophelia remembers how in her past life things went wrong when she met Czar.
"I wasn't expecting to see my soon-to-be sister-in-law here," Czar's confident, charming approach toward everyone often gets mistaken as flirty.
Ophelia knows better. It's just one of Czar's ways of not getting taken too seriously due to his pedigree, and people lower their guards around him. His calm amber eyes don't hide his skepticism toward Ophelia.
"Coincidence."
Ophelia gives a small nod of acknowledgment to Czar, cold and distant as always. She never liked Czar even in her past life.
Mostly… she was jealous of Czar for getting so much attention from Ivy when Ivy never spoke more than a few words to Ophelia.
Czar nods. "What brings you here, Sister-in-Law?" He is still smiling, still trying to look harmless to Ophelia.
Ophelia glances at the wooden door before her and then at Czar, who is waiting for some response from her. Memory resurfaces in front of her eyes.
In her past life, she met Czar exactly in this spot, around this time, when the door opened revealing Vincent, who thought Czar and Ophelia were flirting and got into a fight with Czar.
Ophelia, being blind in love, only tried to make Vincent trust her—which came at the cost of her eventually killing Czar years later for Vincent's ultimate plan of becoming mafia king.
She feels bitter in her mind at the memory of her past life actions, her sacrifices, her desperation for Vincent's love. A cold realization settles down in her heart standing in the same position again.
Ophelia was always a pawn to Vincent's greed and ambition.
As if such realization helps her feel better. Her throat burns from the knowledge of her sworn sister and lover making out inside the closed door.
"Ignoring me?" Czar dips his head to meet Ophelia's lost gaze. Ophelia turns her head to his side. Blank and almost dead gaze.
"No. Just wondering what my sister even sees in a dork like you."
Czar's smile stills for a moment. Blinking rapidly, he takes a step back before laughing loudly. His heartfelt laughter makes everyone in the boutique turn to them.
Ophelia's eyebrow creases in annoyance. "What are you laughing at?"
Czar shakes his head. "Just… this is the first time you talked in one sentence with me."
A sense of surprise makes Ophelia build her guards up. Czar is right, but she doesn't want to admit it.
Before something leaves her mouth, the door of the private room opens revealing Vincent.
Ophelia's eyes widen slightly—not from shock, rather from the memory of him stabbing her in her chest, where she can still feel that burning, heart-wrenching pain.
Her hands get cold. She hates him, but she used to love him more than love itself.
"Ophy… what are you doing with him?"
Vincent's voice carries a tone of accusation just like it did in the previous life, just like she read in the book in her life as Odette. It was Vincent's way of provoking things between Ophelia and Ivy, according to the novel.
"Vincent Dimitri." Czar's uninviting tone is totally different from the one he was using with Ophelia. Tension between two heirs of two of Russia's powerful families makes the air thick and tense.
Other customers keep glancing their way curiously, and the manager is clearly having a panic attack.
Everything is the same.
Same tense air, same accusation, same people. But this time, Ophelia's reaction decides the outcome.
"I was having a conversation with my brother-in-law."
Vincent's eyes widen at her clipped, compressed words carrying the weight of finality. He blinks rapidly, taken aback. Vincent was expecting Ophelia to turn to him with desperation to prove her innocence like she always does at the slightest hint of disapproval in Vincent's voice.
Elosia, standing behind Vincent, is equally surprised. This isn't the Ophelia she knows—or anyone knows.
Vincent schools his expression. "Oh, babe, I was just curious." He walks toward her, kissing her forehead softly, trying to make her melt.
Yet Ophelia remains unfazed, unreadable. Vincent feels a strange sense of unease in his gut.
Elosia slides in with effortless grace, and her eyes fall on Czar; her eyes widen slightly.
Czar's handsome side profile, upright posture, and broad shoulders make Vincent look like a boy before him.
"Is this my sister-in-law's best friend?" Czar tilts his head with his usual charming smile. Elosia's breathing gets caught in her throat.
And this subtle change doesn't escape Ophelia's calm gaze. A twisted smirk tugs her lips as she holds Elosia's arm.
"Vin must be familiar with my brother-in-law. But it's my best friend Elosia's first meeting with him. Brother Czar, this is my best friend Elosia Jonas, daughter of James Jonas."
Czar's amber eyes darken a bit at the mention of Elosia's father, which is masked by his effortlessly charming smile.
"You are just as beautiful as the rumors suggest, Elosia."
Elosia blinks rapidly, her cheeks flushing red.
Ophelia notices how Vincent's jaw clenches too tightly, his grey eyes stormy and full of pure madness seeing Elosia's reaction to Czar.
A cruel sense of calmness wraps around Ophelia's chest. She has carefully played her first card.
Twisting the event from the past.
Elosia smiles shyly, her grip around Ophelia's hand tightening slightly. "You are flattering me, Czar."
Czar laughs, his deep masculine laughter making Elosia's stomach twist with forbidden emotions.
"You have a cute best friend, Sister-in-Law." Czar tucks his hands in his pockets, standing tall.
"Are you flirting, Czar?" Vincent says, his voice dangerous, a vein popping through his neck. Elosia's eyes flutter as she snaps at Vincent.
Czar glances between Elosia and Vincent. Elosia's nervous look and Vincent's rageful gaze, the twisted smirk tugging on Ophelia's lips…
It clicks to Vincent, and he decides to play right into Ophelia's plan—unconsciously or consciously.
Hard to say.
"Oh, it's hard to avoid flirting with beautiful flowers—"
SMACK
Vincent jumps at Czar with a forceful punch, his eyes full of animalistic madness and pure jealousy. But Czar simply twists on his feet, making Vincent stumble and fall on the ground with a loud thud right against the staircase.
Elosia gasps, "VIN!"
Vincent's head hits the sharp corner of the railing, and blood starts running down instantly. Everyone in the boutique holds their breath.
Ophelia's lips press tight with a cruel smile, her hazel-green eyes turning bright with satisfaction, her hands trembling from ecstasy seeing Vincent bleeding, Elosia crying.
And then—
"Oh… since when did Crescent Moon start letting violent gangsters come in?"
A voice deep and serene like a storm over sea, perfect British accent, a tone trained to command the entire underworld one day.
Vincent looks up at the stairs through his bleeding forehead, which is being treated hurriedly by the staff.
Ophelia's smile slowly drops…
(Oh right… he was here back then too…)