Chapter 1

The singular, most profound regret of Irene Lockhart’s life was falling in love with her guardian.

Irene first met Gabriel Thorne when she was ten years old. It was a rainy day at a funeral; clad in severe black, he held a black umbrella aloft, shielding the orphaned girl beneath its canopy and promising her a home.

When she was fifteen, ostracized by the debutantes at her private boarding school, it was Gabriel who employed thunderous methods to force the school board’s hand, compelling those arrogant girls to bow their heads in apology.

When she was eighteen, Gabriel took two bullets during a kidnapping incident sparked by corporate rivalry. Irene had charged into the blockade without a second thought, using her frail body to shield him from a collapsing beam. It was on that day, inside the ambulance, that she secretly kissed his blood-stained forehead—only to be met, when he opened his eyes, with a flicker of astonishment and revulsion.

The ending that awaited her was no fairy tale; his eyes held only ice and scrutiny.

Later, Gabriel’s fiancée, Chloe Beck, was diagnosed with a rare blood disease. Irene was the only match for a bone marrow transplant. Gabriel, always decisive and ruthless in the business world, sought Irene out, promising to grant any wish she desired if only she would agree to donate.

Irene refused with silence and a hunger strike. Eventually, Chloe died in the hospital from complications.

Gabriel did not shed a single tear, appearing as though the loss of his beloved had failed to break him. Yet, on the seventh day after Chloe’s death, he sent Irene to a closed sanitarium designed to "correct" troubled youths.

He personally clipped her wings, turning her into the "cold-blooded foster daughter" spat upon by their social circle.

On Irene’s twenty-first birthday, she attempted to escape the sanitarium. As the orderlies pinned her into the mud, he stood nearby in handmade leather shoes, looking down at her with imperious disdain. "I will never forgive you. Stop dreaming; your very existence is a mistake."

In the end, as her mind collapsed, he ordered her to be sedated.

In her delirium, she saw him approaching, a renunciation of inheritance agreement in hand. His frigid voice echoed in her ears: "This is what you owe Chloe."

When Irene opened her eyes again, she was back on the day he asked her to donate bone marrow.

……

"I am begging you. This amount of marrow is regenerative for you, but without it, Chloe won't survive the winter."

"As long as you agree to the surgery, I will grant you whatever assets or shares you desire."

Gabriel’s slightly husky voice exploded in Irene’s ears, yanking her violently back to reality.

She had been reborn.

In her past life, Irene had refused him on this day, only to suffer hellish torment as a result. She had once shielded Gabriel from falling debris, injuring her spine; her body was never suitable for such a highly invasive procedure.

However, in this moment, the reborn Irene saw through everything.

If she refused, she would ultimately face destruction. It was better to give him the marrow, repaying the debt of these eleven years of upbringing. From then on, they would owe each other nothing.

At this thought, she took a deep breath and answered calmly, "I’ll donate."

The bellyful of threats and inducements Gabriel had prepared instantly stuck in his throat, while the private doctor standing aside looked troubled.

"Miss Lockhart, are you certain? Your old spinal injury hasn't fully healed. A puncture surgery like this will be excruciating, and the recovery period will be long."

Irene nodded resolutely. Of course she knew it would hurt, but if it meant breaking free from Gabriel, even pain unto death would be worth it.

It wasn't until he watched her sign the medical consent form that Gabriel let out a sigh of relief.

He had expected her to make a scene, never anticipating she would sign so decisively. With this in mind, his gaze softened slightly, carrying a hint of charitable tolerance.

"Since you have agreed to donate, I will keep my promise. What do you want? Real estate? A trust fund?"

"I have only one condition—terminate the guardianship and remove my name from the Thorne family registry. From this day forward, I am no longer a Thorne."

Upon hearing this, Gabriel’s brows knit together, his eyes instantly turning sharp. "Are you serious?"

He had assumed she would use this opportunity to force him to break his engagement with Chloe. He hadn't expected her demand would be a complete departure.

Irene met his gaze and replied coldly, "Yes."

He stared at her suspiciously, then the corner of his mouth curled into a mocking arc as he warned, "Irene, don't play hard to get. Even if you leave the Thorne family, I will never spare you a second glance."

"There is only a relationship of guardian and ward between us. The only person I love is Chloe, not you."

Irene’s eyelashes trembled slightly as she murmured, "I know."

The pain of her past life was still fresh; she knew better than anyone how much he loved Chloe.

So, in this life, she would absolutely not love him again. She only wanted to get as far away from him as possible.

Gabriel was taken aback by her reaction. He looked at her, his gaze lingering on her face for a long time.

Irene seemed different. The burning gaze that used to follow him everywhere had vanished, replaced by a pool of stagnant water. Just as he was about to speak, Chloe’s weak voice drifted from the hospital room.

He instinctively pushed the door open and rushed in.

The light in Irene’s eyes extinguished completely, but she followed him inside.

Chloe’s face was pale as paper. Gasping for breath, she said, "Gabriel, don't force Irene. I know she hates me. Even if she doesn't save me, I can understand."

She was about to continue her act when Gabriel tightly grasped her hand, his tone filled with the joy of something lost and found. "Irene agreed! You’re going to be saved!"

Chloe’s performance came to an abrupt halt. She looked at Irene in shock, then her eyes instantly reddened, tears spilling over. "Did she force you to agree to some excessive condition? Like making you marry her?"

Before Gabriel could answer, she grabbed the water glass from the bedside table in an emotional outburst and smashed it heavily toward Irene. The glass struck Irene’s temple, splashing warm water all over her and leaving a red, swollen mark.

Clutching her chest, breathing rapidly, she cried out, "Irene, you are despicable! He is your guardian; how could you use my life to blackmail him for such a thing?"

"Gabriel, if you marry her to save me, I would rather die right now!"

Chloe was clearly hysterical, and Gabriel didn't even spare a glance for the injured Irene. Instead, he pulled Chloe tightly into his arms, coaxing her in a low voice, "My heart has always belonged to you, Chloe. The mistress of the Thorne family can only be you. She shouldn't even think about it."

Irene wiped the water dripping from her temple and smiled bitterly. She knew she shouldn't watch any longer.

As Irene turned to leave, she heard the conversation behind her.

"She has an old spinal injury; will the bone marrow aspiration cause complications?"

Irene’s footsteps paused, a sliver of hope rising in her chest as she waited for Gabriel’s answer. But in the next second, her hope was utterly shattered.

"Chloe, you know I don't care about the lives of others. As long as you can get better, any price is worth paying."

After leaving the ward, Irene took a few seconds to compose herself, then dialed an international number. "Hello, Professor Smith. I’ve decided to join the 'Aurora Project'."