**Phoenix of Revenge**

**1.1 The Betrayal in the Previous Life**

Late at night, the raindrops tapped relentlessly against the window, like countless tiny fingers anxiously drumming on the glass. The luxurious villa was shrouded in darkness and the veil of rain. Though the light inside radiated warmth, it did nothing to dispel the chill deep within Amelia's heart. The wind outside, mixed with thunder, seemed to echo her growing unease.

Amelia stood on the second floor of the villa, gripping her phone tightly. The screen was still lit, and she had been trying to call Jason, but there had been no response. A vague sense of unease loomed over her like a dark cloud, making it difficult for her to breathe.

"Where on earth is he?" she muttered to herself, her voice almost drowned by the storm outside.

Ever since her father fell gravely ill, the company affairs had become increasingly complicated, and Jason hadn’t spoken to her properly for days. Even when he was home, he seemed distracted, distant. She didn't want to overthink it, but a gnawing sense of worry tugged at her constantly, like an invisible thread pulling at her every thought.

Lily hadn't come to see her tonight either. Since her father got sick, Lily had been visiting almost daily, helping her through the tough times. But today, she had suddenly canceled their dinner plans, giving a rather flimsy excuse.

Amelia rubbed her temples, trying to calm herself. Just as she was about to head back to her room, she heard faint voices downstairs. Muffled, but just loud enough for her to hear.

“Jason?” Amelia instinctively froze, her heart skipping a beat. Slowly, she approached the top of the stairs, straining to listen. She had never felt her heart pound so violently, as if even the air had thickened with tension.

“We can’t wait any longer. Things need to move faster.” It was Lily's voice, low but filled with a sense of urgency Amelia had never heard before.

Amelia's steps faltered. Lily’s words echoed in her mind. Why was Lily here? She’d said she couldn’t come tonight.

“I know,” Jason responded, his voice heavy with impatience, “but she’s starting to suspect something.”

“Suspect what? You said she wouldn’t question you.” Lily's voice was tinged with frustration.

“Not me,” Jason's voice lowered, forcing Amelia to hold her breath to catch his words, “but she's been digging into the company’s financials. If she keeps this up, she’ll find something.”

“So what are you going to do? You can’t let her keep investigating.” Lily’s tone grew cold, laced with a hint of menace.

Amelia crouched down by the railing, her heart pounding. She gripped the banister, her fingers turning white with the effort. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Jason was worried about her looking into the company’s financial reports? The two people she trusted the most were having a conversation she couldn’t even begin to comprehend.

She held her breath, trying to stay silent as she listened.

“We planned everything meticulously,” Jason sounded anxious, but he tried to keep his emotions in check, “but we can’t take any risks. Her father’s condition worsens by the day. Once he’s gone, the company will be ours.”

A cold chuckle escaped Lily. “Amelia’s just a fool. She actually believes you love her. Once her father dies, we’ll take everything from her, and she won’t even be able to fight back.”

Jason fell silent for a moment before speaking in a low, detached tone, “She trusts me too much. She’ll never believe I’d betray her. And as long as I keep her distracted by her father’s illness, she won’t notice what we’re doing.”

Amelia felt the air leave her lungs as she slumped against the banister, her body going numb. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Jason, her lover, the man she thought she would spend her life with, had been lying to her all along. And Lily, her closest friend, was in on it. Everything she thought she knew—her love, her trust—was nothing but a carefully constructed lie.

The rain and wind seemed to fade into the background. The villa felt cold, and Amelia’s chest tightened, a crushing pain seizing her as her world began to fall apart. She had trusted them completely, but now their betrayal was laid bare, without the slightest hint of remorse.

Lily’s voice broke the silence again: “Are you sure we won’t run into any problems? If she figures out anything, we’ll be in big trouble.”

Jason let out a cold laugh. “Don’t worry. She won’t find anything. And even if she does, she’s just one person. She can’t cause any real trouble.”

Amelia’s breathing grew more rapid, her hands gripping the banister tighter. Her world was collapsing, piece by piece, as Jason and Lily’s words sliced through her heart, exposing their callousness.

She had to find out what they were hiding. She had to know what they’d been planning behind her back. She couldn’t keep living like a fool, oblivious to their schemes.

Slowly, she stood up, her heart racing. Her mind was in turmoil, Jason and Lily's words ringing in her ears. She didn’t want to believe it, but each word felt like a dagger stabbing into her chest.

“I’ll keep her distracted,” Jason said, his voice devoid of emotion. “Once her father dies, we’ll have complete control over the company. She won’t pose any threat.”

Lily laughed softly. “Good. Once everything’s settled, we’ll finally get what we deserve.”

Amelia's body trembled, every fiber of her being wracked with pain. Jason and Lily’s every word revealed their cruelty. Only one thought echoed in her mind: **they can’t succeed.**

She had to stop them. She had to expose the truth.

As she prepared to retreat to her room, footsteps suddenly echoed up the stairs, slow and deliberate. Amelia froze, her heart pounding so hard she feared it might burst from her chest.

“I’ll go check if she’s home,” Jason’s voice came from behind her, his footsteps growing louder.

Amelia's heart sank, and she quickly slipped into the nearby storage room, holding her breath. She carefully closed the door, peeking through a crack just in time to see Jason’s cold, calculating face as he stopped at the top of the stairs. He glanced around briefly, then turned and walked back downstairs.

Amelia remained frozen in the storage room, her body trembling, her breaths shallow. Her world had been turned upside down, and now, only one thought consumed her: **she had to escape.**

She couldn’t let Jason and Lily find out that she knew everything.

Back downstairs, she heard Lily ask, “She’s not here?”

“Seems like she went out,” Jason replied, a hint of relief in his voice.

Amelia leaned against the cold wall of the storage room, feeling utterly drained. Her mind was a whirlwind of chaos, her chest aching as if something heavy was crushing her.

She couldn’t bear to listen anymore. Each word from Jason and Lily felt like it was tearing her soul apart. She couldn’t face Jason, the man she had once loved so deeply. She couldn’t accept that Lily, the friend she trusted most, had betrayed her so cruelly.

Outside, the thunder grew louder, lightning illuminating the hallway, but all Amelia could feel was an overwhelming darkness.