Elara's fists were still clenched, her knuckles white.
Her pulse hadn't slowed. Her mind raced, a thousand thoughts crashing over each other.
A second life. A system. A chance to fix what had been broken.
She swallowed hard.
"What… what do I have to do?" she whispered.
Ding.
The blue screen shimmered before her eyes.
[First Task: Correct a past mistake in your family's estate.]
[Reward: 500 Gold + Skill Upgrade "Persuasion Level 1."]
[Failure: Time Rewind Penalty.]
Elara blinked. She frowned. "My family's estate?"
Her mind flashed to the manor, the servants, the hidden debts, the subtle betrayals that had slowly poisoned her life. Everything that had gone wrong before.
The screen pulsed.
[Task Details: Convince your father's business partner to release the withheld funds without alerting your husband.]
Elara froze. Her chest tightened. The thought of facing her father's partner—the man who had once sneered at her incompetence—made her stomach twist.
She had barely survived her first life. Could she really do this?
Yes, a small voice inside whispered.
Her hands shook as she touched the screen. A soft hum echoed in her head. The system seemed alive, almost aware of her hesitation.
[Task timer activated: 72 hours]
Seventy-two hours.
Elara's heartbeat spiked. She could feel the weight of it pressing down, the gravity of her second chance.
She stumbled back from the mirror and pressed her palms to her face.
"I… I can do this," she said, though her voice wavered.
No mistakes this time, she reminded herself. No more blind trust. No more pain.
She closed her eyes, imagining her first life. The betrayals. The death. The cold, uncaring faces. Every moment of weakness.
And then she clenched her teeth.
Not this time.
The system's glow faded, leaving the room bathed in soft daylight. Elara's fingers itched to move, to plan, to act. But she knew better than to rush.
She needed a strategy. Patience. Precision.
And a first step.
Elara picked up a small notebook from her desk, dusting off years of neglect. Her handwriting was shaky at first as she wrote:
Step 1: Investigate the estate's finances.
Step 2: Identify weak points.
Step 3: Plan my approach to the business partner.
She paused, staring at the page. Each step felt small, but it was progress. Action over despair, she reminded herself.
Then she heard a knock on the door.
Elara froze.
It wasn't a sound she remembered from before. It was cautious. Hesitant. Familiar.
"Who's there?" she called, trying to steady her voice.
The door opened slowly. A tall figure stepped inside, features sharp, eyes unreadable.
"Elara Vale?" the man asked, his tone polite but distant.
Elara swallowed. Her pulse quickened.
"Yes…" she replied.
The man bowed slightly. "I am Tobias, your father's business partner. I've been… expecting you."
Expecting her?
Her mind raced. The system had said she had 72 hours. How could he already know?
[System Alert: Potential interference detected. Exercise caution.]
Elara straightened. She forced her trembling hands to relax at her sides.
"I… I have matters to discuss with you regarding the estate," she said, voice calm.
Tobias studied her for a moment, lips pressing together. Then he nodded once. "Very well. Let us talk."
As they stepped toward the estate's main office, a fire kindled inside Elara.
This time, she would not be a pawn.
This time, she would not be weak.
The second chance had begun—and nothing would stop her.