The heiress to a powerful tech company, Diane Lily Hoffman, had a tough childhood filled with lies and mistreatment.

 At 14, her cruel stepmother tricked her into thinking her father had sold her to his enemies. From there, the family who adopted her abused her physically and emotionally. 

Using her as a ploy to get rich, her adopted family forced her into what she thought was a loveless marriage with a plastic surgeon named Gabriel. 

Despite what she perceived as a lack of love, she found solace in her married life until her path was chosen for her again and lies were made to drive a wedge between her and Gabriel. 

The divorce was painful and she realised all too late that everything was not what it seemed. 

Unfortunately, the lies her family crafted were too much for Gabriel to ever give her a chance again.

Just as she was about to die, Diane was given a second chance to fix her mistakes. 

Now reborn, Diane is ready to find her real father and ex-husband, seeking revenge on the family that betrayed her and taking back the life and justice she deserves.

“Gabriel… what if it hurts? Will you still hold me close?” Diane’s voice trembled as she stepped back, gripping the edge of her shirt.

“Diane, those scars tell your story, but I’ll rewrite the ending by erasing everything that’s been done to you.” 

Gabriel reached for her hand, and pulled her toward him. “With every cut, I promise to make sure that part of your past is gone.”

“Bullets shot too soon; nobody can save me…” She shook her head, backing away, but he closed the distance, grasping her shoulders.

“I promise, I’ll do everything to keep you safe, Diane.” He squeezed her shoulders gently. “No tears of yours will ever leave another trace.”

“I wish I could have quit you, I wish I never missed you…” Her voice broke as she turned away, but he caught her wrist, spinning her back to face him.

“If you die in this life, let me go too, so this time I can be right there with you.” Gabriel held her tight as if to shield her from the world’s pain.

“It was my heart, it was my life, it was my start, it was your knife…”

The line had gone dead, but the words hung in the air like an executioner's blade.


"Dead things don't always stay buried."


Diane's grip on the phone was so tight her knuckles ached. 


Riot was the first to speak. "Tell me that was a prank call."


Gabriel didn't look away from Diane... "It wasn't."


Diane swallowed past the lump in her throat. "Someone's watching us."


Gabriel exhaled slowly, his mind already started working on something. "Not just watching. Testing."


Riot leaned against the counter, arms crossed, his usual smirk changed immediately with something grimmer. 


"So, let's break this down. Rachel's dead. Adrian is in custody. The media is circling like vultures. Who else is left to screw with us?"


Diane shook her head. "It doesn't have to be someone new. It could be someone we overlooked. Someone we thought was done with us."


Gabriel's tone sharpened. "Then we retrace everything. Start from the beginning."


Chapter 101 - The Ghosts We Bury