Reborn Twice: This Time, I Married His Uncle

"I won't marry him!"

"I refuse to marry him!"

The two voices overlapped, ringing through the room at the exact same moment. Ashlyn Quinn froze. Slowly, she turned her head and looked at the person standing beside her-her twin sister, Bella Quinn.

She knew that, in her previous life, Bella had never said those words.

The realization struck Ashlyn almost instantly. Bella had been reborn, too.

For a brief second, neither sister moved. Their eyes locked, and the shock reflected in each other's gaze.

In fact, they had already been reborn twice. Yet after everything they had endured, they had somehow returned to the very beginning once again.

Ashlyn shifted her gaze and let it fall on the man who had come to propose. He looked exactly as he always had-elegant and striking, with a handsome face carved from perfection. His thin lips held a faint, gentle smile, and everything about him carried a quiet air of refinement.

But the instant Ashlyn saw him, her heart clenched painfully. It felt as though she had been dragged back into an abyss she could never escape, the despair sinking deeper with every breath.

The memories of two lifetimes came crashing down on her all at once, a nightmare she could not get away from.

Nicholas Reynolds had been her childhood companion, the boy who had grown up beside her. They had been classmates ever since kindergarten.

He had been exceptionally talented and unbelievably handsome. He was the dream man of countless girls who had admired him from afar. And for more than ten years, he had also been the person she had secretly loved the most-the one she had hidden deep inside her heart. She had never once dared to confess her feelings to him.

That was why, in her first life, at the sight of him standing before her and proposing to her, happiness had overwhelmed her. She had been so consumed by it that she never stopped to question anything. Without hesitation, she had accepted his proposal and married him, joining the Reynolds family with everything unfolding smoothly.

In the beginning, Nicholas had treated her like she was the most precious person in the world. He had turned her into the woman others envied, showering her with affection and endless tenderness. Those sweet moments had slowly broken through every defense she had, until her entire heart and soul had belonged to him.

But that love had only been an illusion. In reality, Nicholas had seen her as nothing more than a tool to exploit. He had stolen her research results, forced her to create deadly toxins, and squeezed every last bit of value from her. Then, while she was carrying his child, he had let her bleed out on the operating table, leaving her fighting for her life.

Before her death, she had seen him standing there with his eyes fixed on her, watching as he refused every chance of saving her. She had screamed at him, demanding an answer.

But all she received was a glacial, indifferent smile.

"You were never the woman I wanted to marry. You took the place that belonged to her, so why would I ever allow you to give birth to my child? Being able to die as my wife is already more than enough of an honor for you."

Only then had she realized the truth. Even the hemorrhage that had killed her had been his doing.

Nicholas had never loved her at all. The woman he had intended to marry that day had never been her.

That was why, in her second life, when Nicholas appeared before her with a marriage proposal, she had turned around and pushed her sister toward him instead.

"You are the one he truly wants to marry. So you should marry him instead."

Since Nicholas had never wanted her as his wife, the only person left was Bella. The Quinn couple had only two daughters who were old enough to be considered marriage candidates.

Fine. If that was what he wanted, then she would grant him that.

She had personally pushed their marriage forward, believing she had finally broken free from the fate waiting for her. She left Haverik behind and started a new life overseas, convinced that everything would end there. But when she received news from them again, she learned that her sister was dying.

She hurried back to the hospital, only to freeze as soon as she saw Bella. The woman before her looked like she had endured hell itself, every trace of her former self nearly gone.

Bella immediately bellowed, "Ashlyn, why the hell did you do this to me? Nicholas never loved me! He never planned to marry me from the start. He took every design I created, used me until I had nothing left to give, and now, he's trying to kill me!"

Before Ashlyn could get a single word out, Bella threw herself at her. She wrapped her arms around Ashlyn and pulled her backward, taking both of them out the window and into free fall.

Only then did Ashlyn realize the truth. Bella had never been the woman Nicholas wanted, either.

Then who had he truly wanted to marry all along?

It was as if fate itself had twisted into a merciless cycle. And somehow, Ashlyn had been given another chance at life-finding herself back at the beginning of everything, when Nicholas had arrived to propose marriage.

She slowly turned her head and met Bella's gaze.

The confusion in Bella's eyes mirrored her own.

As Nicholas' expression grew icier with every passing second, Ashlyn quickly spoke.

"I didn't mean to be rude. Since you came here personally to propose marriage, the Quinn family would never refuse you. Give me one month. I'll take care of everything and give you the answer you want. When the day comes, you only need to show up and take your bride."

"Good."

Only then did the tension leave Nicholas' expression slightly. He looked at her with a hint of approval. "I knew it, Ashlyn. You've always understood what matters most. We've grown up together since we were children. You should have known how I felt about you a long time ago. You wouldn't turn me down. I'll make the necessary arrangements and have everything ready before then."

With that, he turned away, his expression once again cold, and left without looking back.

The moment he disappeared from sight, Walter Quinn, Ashlyn and Bella's father, finally released the breath he had been holding. Nicholas truly lived up to his reputation as the heir of the powerful Reynolds family. Despite his young age, the presence he carried was already suffocating. Just standing there under his pressure had nearly made Walter's heart stop.

It was only after Nicholas left that Walter stopped holding back his fury.

The next second, he slammed his cup onto the table, his anger exploding as he glared at Ashlyn and Bella.

"You two are getting too arrogant, aren't you? How dare you reject Mr. Reynolds? Have you both lost your damn minds?" His voice grew harsher with every word. "If you offend the Reynolds family, neither of you will be able to bear the consequences!"

While he was scolding them, his gaze suddenly shifted as another thought came to him.

He continued, "For your punishment, this month's allowance-"

Before Walter could finish his words, Ashlyn interrupted without hesitation, saying, "Dad, since one of us is about to marry into the Reynolds family, there are a lot of things we need to prepare this month. We can't let Mr. Reynolds think the Quinn family isn't taking the matter seriously. As for the allowance..."

The rest of Walter's words died in his throat. He held back his anger, turning the situation over in his mind several times. In the end, he could only force out a single sentence.

"Go to accounting and get it yourselves."

With that, he turned away and left in a fury.

Only after Walter's car disappeared beyond the gates did Bella finally speak. Standing beside Ashlyn, she let out a derisive laugh.

"Congratulations, Ashlyn. Looks like you've found yourself a truly amazing future husband."

Ashlyn turned her eyes toward her sister.

The two of them had never truly gotten along. Bella had always been the type to snatch away whatever belonged to her, turn everything into a competition, and hide her jealousy behind sharp remarks.

That was exactly why, in her second life, Bella had been so desperate to marry Nicholas, thinking that she was taking him away from Ashlyn.

At that time, Ashlyn had believed that was simply who Bella was. But after living through two lifetimes, she finally saw the truth. Bella's actions had never come from nowhere. Their stepmother had been pulling the strings behind the scenes all along.

If that was the reason behind everything, then Ashlyn was willing to give Bella a chance this time.

Only one chance.

She let out a cold laugh.

"Who told you I would marry him?"

At those words, Bella's expression changed completely.

"What are you talking about, Ashlyn?" she snapped, her eyes widening. "Don't tell me you're trying to make me marry him again. Let me be clear-I refuse. Mr. Reynolds came here for you. You're the one who has known him since childhood. I'd rather die than become his wife!"

A slight smile touched Ashlyn's lips. She threw Bella's own attitude back at her with the same mocking tone.

"Didn't you always love taking what belonged to me? This marriage is practically a gift handed to you. If I decided to keep it for myself, would you really be able to accept that?"

"You... I don't care what you say; I'm not marrying him. If you dare make me, I'll tell Mom what you're doing-"

At that moment, the sound of a slap suddenly cut through the room.

Ashlyn's palm struck Bella's cheek without hesitation, leaving Bella frozen in shock.

"You really are stupid! Is she even your mother? Within the Quinn family, we are the ones who share the same bloodline. Our mother died by suicide when we were three years old!"

Their mother's death had never been an accident. Walter and that woman, Alicia Quinn, had driven her to the edge until she could no longer endure it.

Alicia had always been far more calculating than she appeared. From the moment she married Walter, she had quietly planted distrust between the sisters. She had even manipulated Bella into calling her "Mom" years ago. And Bella, blinded by the affection, had actually treated her own enemy as family.

The shock of the slap left Bella frozen in place. She clearly had never expected Ashlyn to hit her. Then, fury erupted across her face. She scrambled onto the sofa and lunged forward, ready to strike back. But Ashlyn caught her wrist before she could land a blow and pulled her closer.

"Ever since Alicia married Dad, you and I have only grown more distant. Do you honestly believe she has ever truly cared about you? Go investigate the national art competition you entered when you were in ninth grade. Find out the real reason your submission was eliminated."

The moment the words left her mouth, Ashlyn released her grip and shoved Bella back. Bella stumbled onto the sofa, staring at her in a daze.

Then, with the very same cold attitude and dismissive tone Bella had always hated most, Ashlyn delivered the words that struck where it hurt the deepest.

"You've been competing with me since we were children, always trying to take what's mine. But have you ever actually won? Not once. So tell me, what makes you think this time will be any different?"

With that, she turned around and walked away.