Tessa's POV
"Madam is awake."
Those were the first words that drifted into my ears as I forced my eyes open, only to regret it almost instantly, because the harsh brightness flooding the room pierced straight through my vision like a thousand tiny needles, making me groan softly as I squeezed my eyes shut again before daring to open them more carefully.
"Ma'am… you've finally regained consciousness."
A face hovered above me, close enough to make me uncomfortable—round cheeks, bright, eager eyes, and a smile so wide it almost looked unnatural, like she had been waiting far too long for this exact moment.
"Who… who are you people?" I asked, my voice coming out dry and unfamiliar even to my own ears, as though it didn't belong to me. "And… where am I?"
The girl blinked, clearly confused by my question, before answering cautiously, "You're in your bedroom, madam… and we are your maids. Have you… forgotten?"
"Do you need me to call the doctor?" My bedroom?The word didn't sit right with me.
I pushed myself up slowly, ignoring the slight dizziness, and without thinking twice, I yanked the drip out of my vein, wincing slightly at the sting as I finally took in my surroundings properly—and in that moment, something deep inside me shifted.
"No… don't call anyone," I said sharply when she mentioned a doctor, my voice firmer this time, almost instinctively defensive.
Because this… this place was wrong.
The bed beneath me was enormous, far too soft, layered with silk sheets that shimmered under the light, surrounded by an unnecessary number of pillows, while the room itself was at least twenty times bigger than anything I had ever lived in, every corner screaming wealth in a way that felt suffocating, from the gold-trimmed furniture to the glittering decor that looked like it belonged in a palace rather than a home.
And the paintings…
They hung silently on the walls, yet somehow felt alive, as though they were watching, whispering stories to anyone who dared to stare too long.
This wasn't my room.
This wasn't even close to my life.
What…?
My thoughts spiraled, colliding into each other.I thought I died?
I was certain of it.
So where the hell was I, and more importantly… how was I still breathing?
"The will reading starts in an hour, thank God you woke up just in time from your coma," another maid chimed in excitedly, as if this was all completely normal.
"We should start getting you ready, madam. Lady Amelia hates it when you're late for family gatherings."
Coma?
Will reading?
The words echoed in my head like broken fragments that refused to form a complete picture.
"What will reading?" I asked slowly, my brows knitting together as confusion tightened its grip around me. "And how exactly did I end up in a coma?"
The maids exchanged glances, hesitant now, as though they were beginning to question me instead.
"Your father-in-law… Rowan," the first one said carefully. "His will is being read today. He passed away a month ago."
"And you…" the other added, "you were in a car accident on your Oscar night."
For a moment, everything inside my head simply… stopped.
"Bring me a mirror," I croaked, my voice barely holding together.
"Of course, ma'am."
The mirror was placed in my hands almost immediately, and as I looked into it, my breath caught in my throat—not in a scream, not in panic, but in something far deeper, something that rooted me to the spot.
Because the woman staring back at me…
Was not me.
Slowly, almost cautiously, I raised my hand, instinctively reaching for the place where I knew the wound should be—the stab that had ended my life—but there was nothing there, not even the faintest trace of a scar, as though it had never existed at all.
Instead, I was met with flawless skin.
Perfect.
Unfamiliar.
Sharp cheekbones, soft pink lips, striking emerald green eyes, and long, dark hair that fell like silk—beautiful, undeniably so, but not mine.
I forced a small smile, and the woman in the mirror mirrored me perfectly, even winking when I did, as though mocking the reality I was struggling to grasp.
"What the fuck…" I whispered under my breath.
"Madam?" one of the maids asked cautiously. "Are you alright? Should I call the doctor?"Alright?
How could I possibly be alright?
I remembered everything—every single detail as clearly as if it had just happened.
Leo.
Nancy.
The betrayal.
The knife sliding into my body while I stood there in my wedding gown, helpless, broken… dying.
And yet here I was.
Alive.
In someone else's body.
In someone else's life.
Mother…
So you really heard me.
A second chance.
A chance to rewrite everything.
A chance to make them pay.
My fingers tightened slightly around the mirror as my gaze drifted across the room, landing on something that made my thoughts pause yet again.
Awards.
Dozens of them.
No… not dozens—hundreds.
Best Actress in a Leading Role.
Icon of the Decade.
Global Entertainment Titan Award.
Recognition after recognition, each one carrying a name that echoed loudly in the world.
Slowly, I reached up, touching my face again, tracing every unfamiliar feature as the realization settled deep into my bones.
This body…
This life…
Was mine now.
"Ma'am, we really need to hurry. Madam Amelia will be furious if you're late," one of them urged nervously.
Mother-in-law?
Amelia?
So this was what fate had thrown me into next.
"And your husband hates delays as well," another added.
Husband.
Right. The will reading.
Of course.
I let out a quiet breath before forcing myself to stand, my legs slightly unsteady as the maids immediately surrounded me, moving quickly and efficiently as they stripped off the night gown and dressed me in layers of expensive black fabric that clung to my body perfectly, elegant and powerful in a way that felt… fitting.
"Wait," I said suddenly.
They paused.
"What's my name?"The question hung in the air, heavy and unsettling.
"Madam…" one of them started hesitantly.
"My name," I repeated, my voice calmer this time, but far more dangerous. "Tell me what it is."
They looked at each other like they had just seen something they couldn't explain.
"Tessa Lynn Voss, madam," one finally whispered.
"Daughter-in-law of the Voss family… mother to Carolyn… and wife to Mr. Hardin Voss."
Tessa.
Tessa Voss.
The name hit me like a wave.
The famous actress.
The woman everyone knew.
The face that dominated screens and headlines.
And yet… I hadn't even recognized myself when I looked in the mirror.
A different name.
A different face.
A completely different life.
I almost laughed.
Almost.
But the thought that followed wiped away any trace of amusement.
If I was Tessa Voss now…
Then where was the real Tessa Voss?
What kind of life had she actually been living behind the cameras, beyond the perfect image the world adored?
Who… was she, really?
"Tell me something," I said slowly, my gaze steady as I looked at them.
"What kind of person am I?"
The room fell into an uncomfortable silence before one of them cleared her throat.
"You're strong, ma'am."
"Confident… ambitious," another added quickly.
"Very strong," the third muttered under her breath.
I nodded slightly.
So… she wasn't easy.
Great.
Before I could ask anything else, the door suddenly burst open.
A woman swept into the room with a little girl trailing beside her, and the shift in the atmosphere was so immediate it felt almost physical, like the air itself had bent to accommodate her presence, because she didn't just walk—she owned every step she took.
She was tall, poised, and effortlessly elegant in diamond-studded stilettos that clicked softly against the floor, her blonde hair falling perfectly over her shoulders, her blue eyes cold and sharp as they scanned me from head to toe with quiet judgment, while the expensive scent of her perfume lingered heavily in the air, suffocating in its intensity.
"I see," she said coolly, her lips curving slightly. "Finally awake from the dead, huh?"