Killed in Our Home, Reborn to Change Fate

After dating Gabriel Lowe for three years, we finally saved up enough money to buy a villa for ourselves. I personally designed this villa. But what I didn't expect was that the gas line in my villa would explode on the day Gabriel and I were meant to receive the keys. Not only did the entire villa get reduced into ruins, but the explosion also killed the neighboring family of three. On top of that, the fire even destroyed their antique painting that was worth 500 million dollars. Since I took responsibility for the explosion, I faced massive compensation claims. My mother-in-law and Gabriel had tears streaking down their faces as they promised to help me tide over this crisis, even if it meant selling everything under their name. I was touched by their words, so I used all of my assets in compensating the victims. After that, I spent the next 20 years in prison, only to die of severe illness there. But when I was on the verge of dying, I saw Gabriel with his arm around his first love, Jasmine Wade. Apparently, they were here to visit me. They grinned maliciously at me outside the bars. "The truth is, the family didn't die at all. The painting was a cheap imitation, too. I bribed them so that they could fake their deaths and leave the country. That's how I successfully got my hands on all of your assets. "If I didn't do that, how would I be able to marry Jasmine and move her into the villa?" It turned out that my decades of atonement was nothing but a huge scam targeted at my wealth and life staged by others. When I open my eyes again, I've returned to the day I'm meant to receive my keys. This time, I've personally checked all the pipes, installed seven safety valves, and taken away all the blueprints. Let's see how the explosion will occur now that there aren't any leak points! But at 3:00 pm, the explosion in the villa still occurs… Chapter 1 I shot up in bed, gasping for air. Sweat ran down my forehead, soaking my silk pajamas. My phone screen glowed beside me, the date showing the exact day of the house handover. I had been reborn. Memories from my past life still churned in my mind, and the burning sensation of being scorched by flames seemed to linger on my skin. Gabriel Lowe was still soundly asleep beside me, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth, probably dreaming of striking it rich. I got up and went into the bathroom to splash water on my face. The woman in the mirror looked pale, but her eyes were sharp. This time, I wouldn't let the tragedy repeat itself. I changed into a crisp work outfit, grabbed my toolbox, and headed straight to the new villa. Dawn had barely broken, and the development was so quiet I could only hear birds chirping. After opening the front door, I quickly located all the gas line connections. I pulled out an industrial-grade leak detector and checked for leaks inch by inch. The readings showed everything was normal. Still uneasy, I took out several cans of high-strength sealant and sealed every connection that could have been tampered with. After that, I installed three explosion-proof safety valves on the main line. If there was even the slightest irregularity, the valves would automatically cut off the gas supply. I also replaced the smart lock on the front door, changing the passcode to a sequence of numbers only I knew. To make sure everything was airtight, I gathered all the construction blueprints in the house and took them with me. I even grabbed the spare key from the entryway shoe cabinet. When I finished, I stood in the center of the living room and surveyed my work. This house was the result of my hard work. Every single detail embodied my dedication. Satisfied, I locked the door, checked the perimeter one more time, and only after making sure that nothing could get in did I head to the office. The entire morning, I sat in my office staring at the surveillance footage. The villa entrance remained quiet. No one approached. I picked up my coffee and took a sip, though my hands trembled slightly. If I could just make it past 3:00 pm, everything would be over. Time crawled by. I stared at the screen at 2:50 pm, my heart pounding so hard I could feel it in my throat. At 2:55 pm, my phone buzzed. It was a message from Gabriel. "Honey, come home early tonight. I have a surprise for you." I let out a cold laugh and ignored it. Just then, the image on the screen shook violently. Immediately after, static filled the screen. Before I could react, a deafening boom erupted outside the window. The ground shook, and the glass windows of my office buzzed and rattled. I rushed to the window and looked toward the south side of the city. A thick black column of smoke shot straight into the sky, and piercing sirens wailed in the distance. The television news cut in with a breaking report. "A massive gas explosion has occurred in the southern residential district. The entire building has been leveled. The number of casualties has not yet been confirmed." Chapter 2 I'd sealed every possible leak. So why did it still explode? I grabbed my car keys and rushed out of the office, speeding all the way to the scene. Before I even reached the development, police tape blocked the road. The area had turned into a disaster zone, the air thick with the acrid stench of burnt debris. I shoved past the security guard trying to hold me back and stumbled forward. The scene before me was even worse than in my previous life. The villa hadn't just collapsed—the neighboring house had been half blown apart too. Several firefighters emerged from the rubble carrying a stretcher. A white sheet covered the body, but charred limbs still hung over the edges. "A family of three. All gone," someone nearby murmured. "It's horrible. I heard the child was only five." My head buzzed. In my past life, that family of three had faked their deaths. So how did they actually die this time? A crowd had gathered in front of the wreckage. The moment I appeared, Gabriel spotted me. His eyes were bloodshot, tear tracks streaking his face as he lurched toward me. "Evelyn! Look what you've done!" With that furious shout, he slapped me hard across the face. My head snapped to the side, and I tasted blood. Gabriel's mother, Patricia Wilkinson, collapsed to the ground, sobbing hysterically. "Oh God, this is terrible! I told you not to mess with the gas lines during the renovation, but you wouldn't listen! Now look what happened! You've killed people!" Camera flashes exploded around me as reporters shoved microphones in my face. "Ms. Summers, was this accident caused by a design flaw?" "We heard you illegally modified the gas lines for aesthetic reasons. Is that true?" Before I could answer, several people burst from the crowd. They were the victims' relatives. "Murderer! Give me back my brother!" A middle-aged man lunged at me like a madman. He grabbed my hair and yanked me to the ground. Pain shot through my scalp. My blazer tore open, buttons scattering everywhere. Gabriel made a show of trying to pull him off, but secretly shoved me, making me fall harder. "Stop! Please stop! We'll pay compensation!" he shouted, playing the part of a responsible partner taking charge. At the edge of the crowd, several men in suits watched with cold detachment. They were the debt collectors, those so-called antique dealers who'd been circling the neighboring family. "We want 50 million dollars. Not a cent less," the leader said flatly. Just then, the fire department released their preliminary findings. A captain approached me, his expression grave. "Evelyn Summers? We found severed fragments of the main pipeline at the scene." He held up an evidence bag containing a section of broken pipe. "The cut is fresh. Violent, deliberate tampering caused the leak. And…" He paused, his gaze sharpe. "Your fingerprints are the only ones on this pipe." My head jerked up, and I stared at the evidence bag. Impossible. This morning, I'd only inspected and reinforced the lines. I hadn't cut anything. Satisfaction flickered in Gabriel's eyes, but it was gone in an instant. He turned to me with a pained expression. "Evie, why would you do this? I know you wanted to save money, but you can't gamble with people's lives!" Accusations crashed over me like waves. "Monster!" "She killed a whole family just to save money! Someone like that deserves to be executed!" I opened my mouth to defend myself, but my voice was drowned out by their fury. This was a carefully orchestrated trap, and they wanted more than just my money. The police stepped forward with handcuffs. "Evelyn Summers, you're under arrest for criminal negligence resulting in death and involuntary manslaughter. You need to come with us." As the cold metal snapped around my wrists, I desperately tried to figure out where things had gone wrong. I lifted my head, my gaze cutting through the crowd. Beyond the police tape, beneath a tree, stood a woman in a white dress. Jasmine Wade stood there with a coffee cup in hand, watching me with a dark, triumphant smile. Our eyes met, and Jasmine raised her cup in a mock toast. Her lips clearly mouthed the words, "Go to hell." Chapter 3 The interrogation room's fluorescent lights were blinding. The detective across from me flipped through his notes, brow furrowed. "Evelyn Summers, honesty will work in your favor. Why did you cut the gas pipe?" I took a deep breath, forcing myself to remain calm. "I didn't cut any pipe. I went to the villa this morning to reinforce the safety valves and seal the connections." I met the detective's eyes. "I have proof. Before I left, I recorded a full inspection video with timestamps. It's already uploaded to the cloud." The detective stopped writing and looked up. "Where's the video?" "On my phone." He shook his head. "When you were brought in, you didn't have a phone on you." My stomach dropped. It had been chaotic. I'd been shoved into the police car in the confusion. Gabriel, or someone working for him, must have taken my phone then. "What about my briefcase? I had blueprints inside, and my tablet." The detective pulled out a clear evidence bag containing my briefcase. "We have the bag, but there's no tablet inside." He put on gloves and reached into a compartment, pulling out something heavy. It was a small electric pipe cutter. Rust-preventive paint residue from gas pipes covered the blade. "We found this in your bag." His voice turned cold. "It has your fingerprints on it." I stared at the cutter, the absurdity of it all washing over me. Gabriel really had spared no expense framing me. "That's planted evidence," I said evenly. "The development has security cameras. Check them. I left the villa at 7:00 am. The explosion happened at 3:00 pm. Someone else must have gone in between those times." The detective sighed and slid a file across the table. "We checked the footage. From the time you left this morning until the explosion, no one entered that villa through the main gate or underground garage. You were the only person who went inside." I froze. How was that possible? Unless Gabriel had another way in. He had a spare access card I'd given him ages ago. And the development had a side entrance where the cameras had been broken for months. Someone familiar with the layout could easily avoid the main surveillance and climb over the wall through that entrance. The situation was dire. My fingerprints on the weapon, gaps in the surveillance footage—everything pointed straight to me. Just then, the interrogation room door opened, and an officer stepped inside. "The suspect's family has posted bail." Half an hour later, I walked out of the interrogation room. Gabriel stood in the lobby looking haggard. The moment he saw me, he rushed over and pulled me into his arms, tears flowing on cue. "Evie, you've been through so much. I know you didn't do this. They must have it wrong." He was sobbing, but then, his voice dropped to a whisper. "Hon, the neighbors are demanding 50 million in compensation. If we don't pay, they'll go to the media and make sure you rot in prison." He pulled back and took a document from his jacket. "This is a property transfer agreement. Sign over your assets to me, and I'll sell everything I have to cover the rest of the debt. I'll shoulder this for you." I looked at the document. His signature was already there. Only mine was missing. In my past life, I'd signed right here, moved to tears by his so-called sacrifice. Then he'd kicked me straight into prison. I raised my head and looked at Gabriel's face, so full of manufactured concern. "Let's talk about this at home. I'm dizzy." Wild joy flashed in Gabriel's eyes before he masked it. "Of course, of course. Let's go home. I'll make you some tea." We returned to our temporary apartment. Gabriel bustled around, fetching my slippers and draping a blanket over my shoulders. Patricia sat on the couch, her face dark and unreadable. But I could feel her eyes boring into me, cold and expectant, like she was just waiting for me to drop dead. Chapter 4 "Evie, drink some chamomile tea. It'll help calm your nerves," Gabriel said, walking over with a cup of tea, his face full of concern and sympathy. I took the cup, deliberately letting my hand shake so a few drops spilled. "My hands are shaking too much. I can barely hold a pen," I said and pushed the document away. "Let me rest for a bit. I'll sign after I finish this." Gabriel nodded eagerly. "No rush. Drink first." He stood beside me and watched as I brought the cup to my lips. Using the motion of tucking my hair behind my ear as cover, I quickly poured most of the tea into the large potted plant next to the couch. Then I made a show of wiping my mouth and set the empty cup back on the table. "I'm so tired." I pressed my hand to my forehead and slumped against the couch. Within a minute, my breathing slowed and evened out. Gabriel shook my shoulder. "Evie? Hon?" I didn't move. Once he confirmed I was out, the concern melted off his face, replaced by something twisted and ugly. He straightened up and spat, "Fucking finally." Patricia jumped up from the couch, her voice dropping to a harsh whisper. "Get her to sign now! We can't wait any longer!" Gabriel grabbed my hand, trying to force my thumbprint onto the document, but I'd tucked my hands beneath me. After a few attempts, he couldn't pull them free. "Stubborn bitch," he muttered. "Whatever. I gave her enough to knock her out for hours. When she wakes up, we'll make her sign. Right now, we need to cover our tracks." The two of them walked into the study and shut the door. I opened my eyes. They were perfectly clear. I slipped off the couch without a sound and padded barefoot to the study door. It hadn't fully closed, and voices filtered through the gap. "You said it was just going to be a fake death for the insurance money!" Patricia's voice trembled with panic. "How did the family next door actually die? This is murder! If people find out, we're finished!" "Keep your voice down!" Gabriel's voice turned vicious. "It was that idiot Jasmine! I told her to saw through just enough to cause a small leak for a minor explosion. Who knew she'd lose her mind and cut straight through the main line?" "So what do we do now? That family is actually dead!" "Good riddance!" Gabriel gave a cold laugh. "Dead men tell no tales. That family was greedy anyway. They took the 200 grand to fake their deaths and leave the country. Now that they're actually dead, no one knows we paid them off. "As long as Evelyn signs and takes the fall, that 50 million in compensation is just smoke and mirrors. The money stays with us, and the house becomes ours." "What about Jasmine?" "That bitch is a problem too." Gabriel's voice dripped with irritation. "But we still need her for now. Once we get the money, I'll dump her." I heard every word through the door. So that was it. The scam from my past life had turned into a massacre in this one, all because of Jasmine's stupidity and jealousy. Three lives lost, but to them, it was nothing more than an inconvenience to manage. I took a deep breath and crept back to the couch, settling into position. Gabriel emerged from the study with the document in hand, grinning like he'd already won. He walked over and stood above me, looking down. "Evelyn, don't blame me for being cruel. Blame yourself for being too rich and too stupid," he said and reached toward my collar. I snapped my eyes open. Gabriel jerked back, his hand freezing midair. "H-Hon? You're awake?" I looked up at him, a strange smile curling my lips. "Yeah. I'm awake." I sat up, my gaze cutting across his face like a blade. "Gabriel, what do you think would happen if the police found out who really bought that pipe cutter?" All the color drained from his face. "What are you talking about?" Chapter 5 Gabriel stared at me, unnerved, but quickly regained his composure. "Are you in shock or something?" He reached out to touch my forehead, but I slapped his hand away. "Don't touch me." I walked into the bedroom and locked the door behind me. Gabriel pounded on it, shouting curses, but I ignored him. That night, I slept in my regular clothes with a pair of scissors tucked under my pillow. Early the next morning, Gabriel left the apartment. I knew he was going to placate Jasmine and tie up loose ends. Once I was certain he was gone, I quickly contacted my trusted assistant, Marcus Jones. "I need you to buy a wireless receiver for hidden cameras. Get the best one available." Marcus had worked for me for five years and never asked unnecessary questions. He simply replied, "Yes, Ms. Summers." Half an hour later, we met in a mall restroom. I took the receiver and locked myself in a stall, my fingers flying over the controls. During the renovation in my past life, I'd been paranoid about workers stealing expensive imported materials. So I'd installed a pinhole camera in the most hidden spot in the villa, inside the central air vent in the living room. The camera connected to an overseas cloud server and had an independent power supply that could operate for 48 hours even without electricity or internet. This was a blind spot Gabriel knew nothing about, and it was my only chance to turn things around. The explosion had damaged nearby cell towers, so the network signal was terrible. I connected the receiver to the cloud server and watched the progress bar crawl forward at an agonizing pace. Every second felt like torture. Finally, the video loaded. My hands trembled as I clicked on the playback, rewinding to a few hours before the explosion. In the footage, half an hour after I left the villa, the balcony window opened. Someone climbed in wearing my designer suit, a wig styled exactly like my hair, and sunglasses. But I recognized that sway in her walk anywhere. It was Jasmine. She carried the pipe cutter that would later be found in my briefcase and strutted boldly into the kitchen. Then she turned on the cutter and began savagely cutting through the pipes while screaming into the empty room. "Evelyn, go to hell! I'll blow you sky high, and then you won't be able to compete with me for his attention anymore! "Why do you get to live in a house this nice? Why does Gabriel have to answer to you? Once you're rotting in prison, this house will be mine! The money will be mine!" The sound of gas hissing from the severed pipe was clearly audible. Jasmine seemed startled by the force of it and stumbled backward. Then she pulled a cigarette from her pocket, lit it, and took a drag. She flicked the still-burning cigarette near the leaking pipe. "Go to hell!" Then, she turned and fled. That was where the video ended. I stared at the frozen frame, my whole body shaking. That vicious woman had truly intended to level the entire building. I saved the video and made three backup copies, uploading them to different cloud accounts. With this evidence, Gabriel and Jasmine had nowhere to run. Even with the proof in hand, I didn't go to the police immediately. Gabriel had connections at the station. If I turned it in now, there was no guarantee he couldn't bury it. I needed to expose them in front of everyone, where they couldn't wriggle free. Just then, my phone buzzed with a news alert. "Explosion Suspect's Fiance Holds Press Conference to Apologize on Her Behalf." I tapped the livestream link. Gabriel sat at a table on a small stage, wearing a black suit with a white boutonniere pinned to his lapel, his face a mask of grief. Patricia sat beside him, along with Jasmine, playing the role of a concerned neighbor. The audience was packed with reporters and relatives of the deceased family. A banner stretched across the back wall. "Justice for the victims. Make her pay." Chapter 6 Gabriel spoke into the microphone, his voice breaking. "This tragedy happened on my watch. As her fiance, I share the blame. "Evelyn acted recklessly and modified the gas lines without permission, and I failed to stop her. I'm guilty too. To show my remorse, I've decided to liquidate all our assets to compensate the victims' family." Applause erupted from the crowd. Someone shouted, "Now that's a stand-up guy!" Then Jasmine took the microphone. Her eyes were red and swollen, the picture of tragic sympathy. "I'm Evelyn's neighbor and her friend. The truth is, Evelyn told me she planned to commit insurance fraud." The room exploded in gasps and murmurs. Jasmine dabbed at her tears and continued weaving her lies. "She said her company was running out of money and she wanted to blow up the house for the insurance payout. I tried to talk her out of it, but she wouldn't listen. I never imagined she'd actually get anyone killed." Camera flashes went wild. "Insurance fraud! She's a monster!" "That woman is pure evil!" I watched their performance on my phone, then turned it off and straightened my collar. If they'd built the stage, I might as well give them a final act. Half an hour later, I arrived at the press conference venue. I wore a black suit and no makeup, my face pale but my spine straight. Security tried to block me, but I shoved past them. "Move!" I strode into the hall. The moment the doors swung open, every eye in the room turned toward me. The noisy venue fell silent instantly. Gabriel's face changed when he saw me. He jumped to his feet and shouted, "Evie! What are you doing here? You should be at home reflecting on what you've done, not making a scene!" He rushed toward me, trying to cover my mouth while yelling to the reporters, "My fiancee has had a mental breakdown from guilt! Don't listen to anything she says!" Two security guards closed in, trying to drag me away. I looked at Gabriel charging toward me and slapped him hard across the face. The sound echoed through the venue, amplified by his lapel mic. Gabriel froze, stunned. I shoved him aside, grabbed the microphone from his hand, and walked onto the stage. Jasmine shrank back in fear, while Patricia pointed at me and shrieked, "What the hell do you think you're doing, you crazy bitch?" I stood at center stage, facing the cameras and the furious family members. "Since you're all so convinced I did this, let's see who really broke into my house." I turned and connected my phone to the massive LED screen behind me. The color drained from Jasmine's face the moment she saw what I was doing. She seemed to realize what was coming and screamed as she lunged at me. "Don't play that! That's private! Turn it off!" She clawed at the power cables, her movements frantic and wild. I kicked her hard in the stomach. "Get off this stage!" Jasmine shrieked and tumbled down, landing in a heap in front of the reporters. The next second, the screen lit up. The high-definition video began to play. In the video, Jasmine was in a wig, wearing my clothes. She pranced around the villa like a deranged performer. She posed in front of a mirror, mimicking my expressions. Then, her face twisted into something vicious as she cut through the gas pipe. The harsh sound filled the venue through the speakers. The entire room went silent. Everyone stared at the screen with their mouths hanging open, unable to believe what they were seeing. Then her voice boomed through the hall. "Evelyn, go to hell! I'll blow you sky high, and then you won't be able to compete with me for his attention anymore! The words hit like a bomb. The family members who'd been waving banners and cursing my name stood frozen. They turned stiffly to look at Jasmine crumpled on the floor, then at Gabriel standing on stage.