Chapter 1: The Last Sunrise
The sunlight spilled softly across Evelyn Monroe’s face, warm and golden, like a kiss from the universe itself. She blinked lazily, letting herself soak in the serenity for a moment longer. The world outside her window was humming—a gentle breeze danced through the sheer white curtains, birds chirped like they were celebrating her. And why wouldn’t they?
Today was the beginning of forever.
Her wedding day.
She smiled to herself, reaching across her bed and brushing her fingers against the lace sleeve of her dress, hanging nearby like a quiet promise. Hand-stitched pearls. Soft ivory silk. Custom-fitted to her soul.
“Mrs. Evelyn Carter,” she whispered aloud, testing the name on her tongue.
It sounded almost perfect. Almost.
But somewhere deep beneath the surface of her joy, something restless stirred—a shadow at the edge of sunlight, a whisper too faint to hear. She shook it off. Cold feet. That was normal, right?
Her phone buzzed.
One new message.
From: Bestie of the Bride 💋
Can’t wait to see you walk down that aisle, babe! Make sure you eat, okay? You’ll need the energy for the honeymoon 😏
Evelyn laughed, rolling her eyes. Mia always knew how to break the nerves. She tapped out a quick “I love you” and set the phone down, rising from the bed and padding barefoot across the polished wooden floors of the Carter estate guest wing.
The place was too quiet.
Odd.
The house should’ve been buzzing with stylists, planners, and her mother barking orders at florists who got the lilies wrong. But the hallways were still. Heavy.
She walked down the grand staircase, bridal robe trailing behind her like a whisper. Her heels clicked softly against the marble floor. The house echoed with nothing but her own footsteps.
Then she heard it. A voice.
Low. Male. Urgent.
She stopped at the landing.
“...She doesn’t suspect a thing,” the voice said.
Her breath hitched.
It was her fiancé’s voice. Logan.
“I’ll make sure it’s done before the vows. She’ll never know. We’ll be rich, Mia. And free.”
Evelyn’s heart stopped.
No.
She must have misheard.
But then—Mia’s laughter.
Sweet. Familiar. Acidic.
“Oh, Logan. You’re so bad,” Mia purred. “But I do like it when you talk dirty about murder.”
Evelyn’s knees buckled. She clutched the railing, suddenly ice-cold. The air thickened around her. Her stomach twisted as the truth clawed its way out of the shadows.
Mia. Logan. Together. Plotting to—
She didn’t hear the footsteps behind her.
She didn’t even scream.
A sharp shove.
A blur of light and marble.
A violent tumble through nothing.
Pain never came.
Only silence.
Then—
Darkness.
A rushing sound filled her ears, like ocean waves crashing inside her skull. Her lungs ached. Her eyes fluttered open.
She was… lying in bed?
Same ivory comforter. Same silk dress on the chair. Same light streaming through the window.
She gasped, bolting upright.
She was alive.
The morning sun touched her skin again. But her hands trembled. Her pulse pounded in her throat.
What just happened?
Her phone buzzed. Again.
From: Bestie of the Bride 💋
Can’t wait to see you walk down that aisle, babe! Make sure you eat, okay? You’ll need the energy for the honeymoon 😏
Evelyn dropped the phone like it burned her.
No.
No no no.
This was impossible.
She scrambled out of bed and rushed to the mirror. Her reflection stared back—young, unscarred, breathing. Her wedding day again. Just like before.
Same text. Same weather. Same... everything.
Her mind screamed, but her heart whispered a different truth.
You died. And now, you’re back.
A cold calm washed over her.
This time, she wouldn’t walk blindly into that chapel.
This time, she wouldn’t be fooled by a pretty smile and a soft kiss.
Evelyn Monroe wasn’t just a bride anymore.
She was a woman reborn.
And she had a wedding to stop—and a life to reclaim.