Reborn? Screw the Fake Lover—I'm Snagging My Arch-Rival! - Chapter 17: Chapter 17
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In Ryder's private wine cellar, crystal glasses refracted amber light.
He'd already downed half a bottle of Macallan, but his throat still felt bitter. The alcohol couldn't numb memories that only grew clearer.
"Idiot." Ryder cursed at the air, unsure if he meant Stella from her past life or himself for repeating the same mistakes.
When the glass emptied again, he suddenly started laughing bitterly.
How ironic—this lifetime he'd planned to keep silently watching over her, waiting for her to glance back at him someday.
Fate played its tricks—she did turn around.
But with guilt from her past life.
"Ryder, you haven't learned a damn thing."
He tilted back the last glass, the bottom hitting marble with a sharp clink.
Suddenly, a cold hand gripped his wrist.
Ryder turned to find Stella standing behind him.
She was barefoot on the cold floor, just quietly watching him.
When their eyes met, Stella's pupils contracted sharply.
She'd never seen Ryder like this—shirt unbuttoned, usually perfect hair disheveled across his forehead, eyes bloodshot.
"You..." her voice caught.
"How'd you get in?" His voice was hoarse beyond recognition.
Stella jingled keys in her hand: "Won them in a bet."
Only then did Ryder remember—she'd always kept that spare key.
Ryder looked away: "Here to laugh at me?"
Stella directly took his wine glass and downed the remaining liquid in one gulp.
The alcohol burned her throat, making her frown, but she stubbornly spoke: "I came to tell you..."
"I didn't reject Chase because he betrayed me."
"I chose you, not because of guilt."
Her fingertips traced the old scar on his brow from their fight at fifteen: "It's because this lifetime, I finally see who's worth it."
The wine cellar fell dead silent except for their alternating breaths.
Ryder's Adam's apple bobbed.
He wanted to push her away, but his fingers disobeyed, tightening around her slender wrist.
"Stella," his voice was low, "you know why I never came to your birthday parties?"
She shook her head.
"Because at twenty-two," his thumb traced her jumping pulse, "I watched you walk toward Chase and told myself—if this is what you want, if you can be happy, I'll gladly let go."
Tears suddenly crashed down Stella's face, landing on his hand.
Ryder jerked upright like he'd been burned, but Stella grabbed his sleeve.
"Ryder," she asked through tears, "if I'd still chosen Chase this lifetime, what would you have done?"
His jaw clenched tight before he forced out through gritted teeth: "...Keep watching."
"Until I died in front of you again?"
That sentence pierced their last barrier like a sword.
Ryder suddenly bent down and swept her into his arms, striding toward the stairs. Stella struggled in his embrace: "Put me down!"
"Shut up." He kicked open the bedroom door, tossing her onto the bed with surprising gentleness. "Your feet are bleeding."
Only then did Stella realize she'd stepped on glass shards in the wine cellar.
Ryder returned with tweezers, kneeling on one knee to carefully extract the fragments from her sole. When alcohol swabs touched the wounds, she flinched.
"Serves you right." He scolded while his touch grew even gentler.
After bandaging, Ryder stood to leave but Stella hugged him from behind.
"The first day I was reborn," her face pressed against his back, voice muffled, "I bought a plane ticket to Switzerland."
Ryder froze.
"I waited at the airport all day. But weather delays turned into cancellations." She tightened her arms. "That's when I decided—I'd wait for you to come back. This lifetime, no matter what, I'd hold onto you."
Moonlight filtered through sheer curtains, casting interlaced shadows on the floor.
Ryder slowly turned around, cupping her face. His thumb brushed her wet eyes, expression complex.
"Stella," he asked quietly, "aren't you afraid... we'll repeat the same mistakes this lifetime?"
She stood on tiptoe, kissing the corner of his mouth: "Then we'll meet again in the next life."
That light kiss completely shattered Ryder's defenses.
He gripped the back of her head, deepening the kiss. His cologne mixed with whiskey overwhelmed Stella's senses.
This time when they broke apart, Stella found their fingers somehow intertwined.
And Ryder's palm was burning hot.
At dawn, Stella woke in Ryder's arms.
He slept deeply, the furrow between his brows finally smooth.
She quietly traced his features with her finger—from sharp brow bones to his straight nose.
Suddenly, her phone buzzed with a news alert:
#BREAKING! Ravenwood Industries Implicated in Financial Fraud, Stock Price Plummets 50%
He'd already downed half a bottle of Macallan, but his throat still felt bitter. The alcohol couldn't numb memories that only grew clearer.
"Idiot." Ryder cursed at the air, unsure if he meant Stella from her past life or himself for repeating the same mistakes.
When the glass emptied again, he suddenly started laughing bitterly.
How ironic—this lifetime he'd planned to keep silently watching over her, waiting for her to glance back at him someday.
Fate played its tricks—she did turn around.
But with guilt from her past life.
"Ryder, you haven't learned a damn thing."
He tilted back the last glass, the bottom hitting marble with a sharp clink.
Suddenly, a cold hand gripped his wrist.
Ryder turned to find Stella standing behind him.
She was barefoot on the cold floor, just quietly watching him.
When their eyes met, Stella's pupils contracted sharply.
She'd never seen Ryder like this—shirt unbuttoned, usually perfect hair disheveled across his forehead, eyes bloodshot.
"You..." her voice caught.
"How'd you get in?" His voice was hoarse beyond recognition.
Stella jingled keys in her hand: "Won them in a bet."
Only then did Ryder remember—she'd always kept that spare key.
Ryder looked away: "Here to laugh at me?"
Stella directly took his wine glass and downed the remaining liquid in one gulp.
The alcohol burned her throat, making her frown, but she stubbornly spoke: "I came to tell you..."
"I didn't reject Chase because he betrayed me."
"I chose you, not because of guilt."
Her fingertips traced the old scar on his brow from their fight at fifteen: "It's because this lifetime, I finally see who's worth it."
The wine cellar fell dead silent except for their alternating breaths.
Ryder's Adam's apple bobbed.
He wanted to push her away, but his fingers disobeyed, tightening around her slender wrist.
"Stella," his voice was low, "you know why I never came to your birthday parties?"
She shook her head.
"Because at twenty-two," his thumb traced her jumping pulse, "I watched you walk toward Chase and told myself—if this is what you want, if you can be happy, I'll gladly let go."
Tears suddenly crashed down Stella's face, landing on his hand.
Ryder jerked upright like he'd been burned, but Stella grabbed his sleeve.
"Ryder," she asked through tears, "if I'd still chosen Chase this lifetime, what would you have done?"
His jaw clenched tight before he forced out through gritted teeth: "...Keep watching."
"Until I died in front of you again?"
That sentence pierced their last barrier like a sword.
Ryder suddenly bent down and swept her into his arms, striding toward the stairs. Stella struggled in his embrace: "Put me down!"
"Shut up." He kicked open the bedroom door, tossing her onto the bed with surprising gentleness. "Your feet are bleeding."
Only then did Stella realize she'd stepped on glass shards in the wine cellar.
Ryder returned with tweezers, kneeling on one knee to carefully extract the fragments from her sole. When alcohol swabs touched the wounds, she flinched.
"Serves you right." He scolded while his touch grew even gentler.
After bandaging, Ryder stood to leave but Stella hugged him from behind.
"The first day I was reborn," her face pressed against his back, voice muffled, "I bought a plane ticket to Switzerland."
Ryder froze.
"I waited at the airport all day. But weather delays turned into cancellations." She tightened her arms. "That's when I decided—I'd wait for you to come back. This lifetime, no matter what, I'd hold onto you."
Moonlight filtered through sheer curtains, casting interlaced shadows on the floor.
Ryder slowly turned around, cupping her face. His thumb brushed her wet eyes, expression complex.
"Stella," he asked quietly, "aren't you afraid... we'll repeat the same mistakes this lifetime?"
She stood on tiptoe, kissing the corner of his mouth: "Then we'll meet again in the next life."
That light kiss completely shattered Ryder's defenses.
He gripped the back of her head, deepening the kiss. His cologne mixed with whiskey overwhelmed Stella's senses.
This time when they broke apart, Stella found their fingers somehow intertwined.
And Ryder's palm was burning hot.
At dawn, Stella woke in Ryder's arms.
He slept deeply, the furrow between his brows finally smooth.
She quietly traced his features with her finger—from sharp brow bones to his straight nose.
Suddenly, her phone buzzed with a news alert:
#BREAKING! Ravenwood Industries Implicated in Financial Fraud, Stock Price Plummets 50%
End of Reborn? Screw the Fake Lover—I'm Snagging My Arch-Rival! Chapter 17. Continue reading Chapter 18 or return to Reborn? Screw the Fake Lover—I'm Snagging My Arch-Rival! book page.