Blurb：
A heartbreaking second chance romance between Mason and Anastasia Kain. After a lifetime of resentment and a cold marriage, Mason dies from ALS only to wake up back at the beginning. This time, he chooses differently – letting Anastasia keep her amnesia and stay with Philip Strickland, the man she truly loves in this lifetime. Experience the emotional journey of sacrifice, redemption, and letting go in this gripping reincarnation story. Will Mason’s selfless choice bring peace to Anastasia, or will fate have other plans? Dive into this tale of childhood sweethearts torn apart by memory loss and terminal illness.
Content：
Anastasia Kain and I were childhood sweethearts, but we resented each other for a lifetime.
She blamed me for making decisions without her consent. I had awakened her memories and driven her first love to jump off a building.
I blamed her for breaking her promise. She once swore she would love me forever, yet after losing her memory, she fell for someone else.
We were married, but we lived like strangers who happened to share a roof.
However, when I was diagnosed with ALS and the whole city urged her to divorce me, Anastasia carried me on her back and climbed 3,000 steps to reach a cathedral, praying day and night just for me to live a little longer.
When the end finally came, she stayed beside my hospital bed all night, her forehead pressed gently against my cheek.
In a trembling whisper, she said, “Mason, I’ve done everything I could for you in this life. If there’s a next one, please don’t make me remember again. Let me be with him.”
Tears slipped from the corners of my eyes.
Only then did I realize I should never have chained her to me with the love we shared in our youth.
When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day I first found Anastasia.
This time, I chose to let her memories stay buried so that the girl I loved could run freely toward the man she had always wanted.
Chapter 1
“Ms. Kain lost her memory, and she refuses to come back with us. But we’ve contacted one of the top neurologists in the country. He can help her recover soon.”
It was the same conversation, exactly like the last time I found Anastasia Kain after she went missing.
Only this time, there was no joy or urgency in my heart.
I shook my head, telling my men not to help her recover her memory.
Then I did two things.
First, I went to the hospital and got a full, detailed checkup.
Second, I took the ALS diagnosis report straight to her parents and asked to call off the engagement.
Anastasia’s mother, Eloise Kain, gripped my hand tightly and shook her head, her eyes red and swollen. “You can’t do that. Anastasia loves you so much. She’d never marry anyone else.”
I said nothing. Instead, I handed them a photo.
In the picture, Anastasia was standing in front of an aquarium, looking at a man dressed as a merman with a gaze that was soft and full of longing.
“Rather than forcing her to marry a dying man, why not just let her stay as she is so she can be with the one she loves? I don’t want to drag her down with me.”
In my previous life, Anastasia had gone missing by accident. I searched for her for five long years, only to discover that Philip Strickland had taken her in, and the two had fallen deeply in love.
Ignoring her wishes, I forced a hypnotherapist to bring back her memories.
The day she remembered everything, Philip jumped off a rooftop. From that moment on, a gap formed between me and Anastasia that nothing could ever bridge.
Cold, distant marriage followed.
However, when I was diagnosed with ALS, Anastasia stayed by my side for seven years, feeding me and bathing me. She took me to countless doctors and cathedrals, praying for miracles.
But I knew her devotion came from duty, not love.
Fighting back tears, I said hoarsely, “Anastasia and I are over.”
This time, I refused to make the same mistake.
After leaving the Kains’ villa, I went to find Philip.
The moment he saw me, he hurried to send Anastasia away.
Then he turned back, flustered. “I swear, I didn’t hide Anastasia on purpose!”
I said calmly, “You know the truth better than anyone.”
Realizing he couldn’t deny it, Philip pressed his lips tight, his expression shifting from guilt to defiance.
“I know she’s always loved you, and only you! If she ever gets her memories back, she’ll drop everything and run straight to you!
“But I’ve loved her since the first time I saw her in high school! I’ve loved her for years, and she’s never once looked my way. Now, for once, I finally have a chance”
Chapter 2
“I just wanted her to stay with me for a few more days. Just a few days, that’s all!”
By the end, Philip’s voice was cracking, and he was close to tears.
I stood there quietly, listening. My eyes, however, drifted past him and landed on Anastasia.
She was staring straight at me; her whole body was tense, and her eyes were dark and stormy. It looked as if something was about to break loose inside her.
The woman who once followed me everywhere had become Philip’s “guard dog” now, ready to attack the moment I so much as looked at him the wrong way.
I didn’t know exactly what I felt. I just knew that this time around, I couldn’t be selfish and keep her chained to me again.
I forced a faint smile and said to Philip, “You don’t have to be scared. I’m not here to break you two up. I came to take both of you back to the Kains’.”
Philip froze, wide-eyed. “Both of us?”
“That’s right.” I nodded. “You’re the man she loves. If I tried to leave you behind, she wouldn’t come with us anyway.
“Go pack up your things. Both of you are coming with me.”
My voice stayed calm and even. “Her parents already know about you. They’re okay with you being together.”
Philip let out a huge sigh of relief, and his face lit up with joy. He grabbed Anastasia’s hand, grinning from ear to ear, then he hurried off to get their stuff ready.
Only then did Anastasia realize I had no intention of hurting Philip. Her shoulders relaxed a little, and she pursed her lips.
“Sorry,” she said quietly. “I thought you were going to do something to him.”
Her moods rose and fell with Philip’s, as if she were tethered to him now.
Back then, when Philip wouldn’t stop pestering her, she would run straight into my arms, acting all pitiful. She would insist that I claim her as mine in public.
“Tell them I’m yours, and say it like you mean it.”
She would even scrunch her face into a fierce little scowl and make me mimic her.
In the end, we would always end up in fits of laughter and roll across the couch, making a ruckus.
But that was all gone now. Anastasia didn’t belong to me anymore.
With a forced smile, I brought them back to the Kains’ villa.
When it came time to introduce myself, everyone hesitated, unsure what to call me.
So, I stepped in. “Hi, Anastasia. I’m Mason Beck. We grew up together, and I’ve always treated you like a little sister. You even promised to set me up with someone, but then you lost your memory, so I’m still single now.”
The people who knew the truth exchanged awkward looks, but Anastasia only laughed. “Alright, Mason. Once everything settles down, I’ll play matchmaker and find you a girlfriend.”
That night, I woke up to the smell of smoke.
When I walked out, I saw a pile of flames in the backyard. The fire was devouring every trace of the life I had shared with Anastasia.
Childhood photos, certificates we’d won together, even the little wooden puppet she had given me when she first told me she had feelings for me Everything was burning, crackling as it turned to ash.
A sharp pain seized my chest. It felt as if something inside me had been ripped apart.
Right then, Anastasia turned and looked at me. “Back then, neither of us had anyone else, so being close didn’t seem wrong.
“But now, Philip lives with me, and it bothers him to see these things, so I burned them. I hope you don’t mind.”
I clenched my fists hard, trying to keep my composure so that she wouldn’t see how much it hurt.
“It’s fine,” I said softly. “You might as well burn the stuff in my room, too.”
Chapter 3
I gathered up Anastasia’s old belongings in my room and tossed them into the fire.
The flames roared, sending waves of heat over me, but I felt as if I were standing in freezing water.
For the next few days, the courtyard was alive with the clanging and scraping of demolition.
The garden of gardenias that Anastasia had planted with her own hands was dug up and replaced with roses, which were Philip’s favorite.
The glass greenhouse where we once played piano and watched sunsets together was smashed and converted into a swimming pool for Philip.
Even the clematis trellis where we had first confessed our feelings was torn down and replaced with a garden pond that Philip loved.
On the day they planted the water lilies in the pond, Philip suddenly blocked me in the courtyard.
He lifted his chin high and deliberately showed off the ring on his ring finger.
“Anastasia found this design in the room,” he said, shaking his finger. “She said she could tell it was meant for her future husband. She stayed up several nights making it herself and used it to propose to me.”
He wiggled his hand. “Do you like it?”
It was the sun and the moon, the design I had loved the most.
I nodded sincerely. “It’s beautiful. It suits you very well.”
But Philip’s face darkened instantly. “I don’t like it.
“We both know who this design is meant for,” he said, staring at me sharply. “You always say you don’t care about Anastasia, but her past feelings for you are a ticking time bomb. I can’t relax with you around.”
“So what do you want me to do?” I asked.
“Well”
Before he could finish, Philip suddenly lunged sideways and plunged straight into the recently dug garden pond, which was full of murky water.
A strong force shoved me to the side. I stumbled and hit the ground hard.
Pain shot through my ankle, and my palms scraped against the gravel, the burning sting running up my arms.
I hadn’t even stood up yet when Anastasia dove in after him like a madwoman.
By the time she dragged Philip to shore, both of them were soaked and covered in stinky mud, looking utterly miserable.
But Anastasia didn’t care about herself. She frantically wiped the dirt off Philip’s face, her voice tense with worry.
“Philip! Are you okay? Did you choke on water? Are your eyes hurting? Did you get hurt?”
It took him a moment to shake his head. He looked at Anastasia, tears streaming down his face. “I’m fine Someone threw the ring you gave me in the water, and I fell in trying to get it back.”
He held out his hand. The ring was gone.
“The Kains don’t really welcome me,” Philip said to Anastasia, his eyes reddening. “Can we just go back to our apartment? At least no one’s bullying me there”
His pitiful expression made her heart clench.
Her expression hardened. “Who threw your ring? Who bullied you?”
Philip pursed his lips and stayed silent. He just glanced at me, his gaze full of fear and grievance, making it obvious who he thought was responsible.
I clutched my swollen ankle, incredulous. “It wasn’t me”
But Anastasia shot me a cold, icy look that made me shiver.
“I had no reason to steal the ring” I croaked, my voice hoarse.
“You know exactly what you did,” Anastasia spat. She helped Philip to his feet and gave a signal to the bodyguards.
“Whoever threw that ring can get it back himself.”
Chapter 4
The bodyguards immediately understood Anastasia’s order. They hoisted me up and threw me into the water.
It was winter, and the pond was freezing. I shivered violently the moment I hit the water. I scrambled for the shore, but a firm hand shoved me back down.
“Mr. Beck, we can’t let you up without the ring,” one bodyguard said, his voice flat and cold. “If you want this to end soon, you’d better find it fast.”
I bit my lip and resigned myself. I floated and fumbled in the icy, murky water, my fingers probing the dirt over and over.
Dirty water seeped into my sleeves, numbing my fingertips until they almost lost all feeling.
From dawn to dusk, I kept searching. I only managed to find the ring just as Anastasia’s parents were about to return.
Clutching it tightly, I made my way step by step to Anastasia’s room and gently knocked on the door.
Anastasia opened it, her gaze heavy. “I’m gonna let it go this time, but you’d better stay away from Philip from now on.”
She flipped her palm, and the ring I had worked so hard to retrieve floated lightly out the window of the hallway, vanishing into the dark night.
“Philip doesn’t like this design. I’ll make him a new one.”
I watched the ring disappear into the darkness and forced a small smile.
That made sense. She had already decided that the past was a burden, and there was no room for a ring marked by old memories.
Despite Anastasia’s parents’ lingering reservations about Philip, they couldn’t go against her insistence.
Reluctantly, they began meticulously planning the engagement party. It was an extravagant affair, every detail designed to impress.
During the event, guests kept sneaking glances at me.
“Tough luck for Mason. The woman he worked so hard to get back is marrying someone else.”
“They grew up together and were perfect for each other. Everyone thought they’d end up together. I honestly never saw this coming.”
“If I were Mason, I’d slap that cheating couple instead of attending their engagement party.”
Meanwhile, Philip, dressed in a top-tier designer suit, strolled toward the center of the ballroom.
Anastasia held his hand, the love in her eyes almost spilling over.
She cleared her throat. Her usual casual tone faded into one of composed seriousness as she announced, “Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to formally introduce”
Before she could finish, the lights in the ballroom flickered twice and went out completely.
In the darkness, the sharp clatter of chairs mixed with screams, turning the scene into utter chaos.
I instinctively stepped back into a corner, but a hand suddenly clamped onto my wrist, and a foul-smelling handkerchief was pressed over my nose and mouth.
A dizzying, spinning sensation hit me instantly. I struggled desperately, and in the last moments before consciousness slipped away, I could only hear the deafening screams around me.
After God knows how long, I heard Philip’s intentionally low growl through the chaos.
“Damn it! Who told you to make a move at the engagement party? Besides, I told you to kidnap me and blame it on Mason. Why did you take him, too?
“You bunch of idiots! It doesn’t matter how realistic you act now. You can forget about the final payment! You’ve ruined my whole plan!”
My awareness slowly returned, and I immediately pieced things together.
It was another one of Philip’s schemes, though this time, it didn’t seem to go as he expected.
During the struggle, I had felt a gun holster on the other person’s waist. These weren’t the small-time goons Philip had hired.
What made my stomach drop further was that the voice of the leader sounded disturbingly familiar.
Chapter 5
The leader sounded like one of Anastasia’s rivals, the same man she had driven to ruin not long ago during a corporate battle.
After a long pause, the kidnappers finally started a video call. “Ms. Kain,” one of them sneered, “you’ve got two people here. One’s your childhood sweetheart of 20 years, and the other’s the man you fell in love with after losing your memory. Who do you want to save?”
Anastasia kept her composure at first, but the moment her eyes landed on the red mark across Philip’s face, she completely lost control. “If you so much as touch a hair on Philip’s head, I’ll make sure every last one of you goes down with him!”
My eyes stayed shut, but a sting burned behind them, and tears quietly trailed down my cheeks.
I didn’t know what I was hoping for. I should’ve known what her choice would be.
The kidnapper burst out laughing. “You really thought I was gonna let you pick?”
Before I could react, someone yanked me backward and shoved me into a glass tank. I hit something warm. It was Philip’s body, pressed tightly against mine.
The next thing I knew, the tank was hurled into the sea with a thunderous splash.
Heavy rocks weighed the bottom down, dragging us under fast.
I fumbled for a key, gripped it tight, and smashed it hard against the glass wall.
The raging current tossed shards of glass across my limbs, cutting me, but I clenched my jaw and hauled the unconscious Philip out before I struggled with all my strength toward the surface.
When we finally broke the surface, I was completely drained, but I didn’t dare stop. I pushed Philip onto a piece of driftwood and gently tapped his shoulder.
“You have to live.”
As long as he survived, Anastasia would have something to hold on to.
I was still clinging to the driftwood, trying to swim toward the shore, when the ALS suddenly kicked in, and my arms went numb.
I sank helplessly into the dark water.
I slowly closed my eyes as I watched the surface shimmer above me like fractured glass.
I decided to give up.
Just before everything went black, I hazily saw someone reaching for me through the water.
Was it real, or just a dream? I wasn’t sure.
When I opened my eyes again, all I saw was the harsh white ceiling of a hospital room.
A nurse leaned over me, relief flooding her face. “Thank God, you’re finally awake! You’ve been out for two days!
“If you hadn’t woken up soon, we would’ve had to stop your antibiotics since you didn’t have any ID. With your lungs infected, that would’ve gotten bad real quick!”
My voice came out, hoarse and broken. “Did anyone come to see me while I was out?”
The nurse sighed. “No one. You poor thing. The young man who came in with you only swallowed a bit of seawater. His girlfriend booked him a VIP suite and hasn’t left his side since.”
For a second, I froze, then let out a small, bitter smile.
Right then, a soft knock came at the door. A familiar voice followed.
“Hey, Mason.”
I looked up sharply. The moment I saw the beautiful woman standing there, my eyes flooded again.
“When I couldn’t reach you, I decided to find you myself,” she said.
She crossed the room and wrapped me in a firm embrace, her hand gently running over my hair. “Come on. Let’s go home.”
Katherine Hudson and I boarded a private jet together.
The jet cut through the clouds, soaring far away toward another country.
I wiped away the last of my tears, looked out the window at the fading horizon, and whispered my final goodbye in my heart.
I just wanted Anastasia to be happy with Philip. From here on out, our paths would never cross again.
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