The Lady Nun Vows Revenge by Caroline Rowland

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

A coming-of-age ceremony? Seriously? The thought struck Eliza like a jolt. Didn't

I already go through that nightmare ages agoť'

She could still feel the sting of that day-sharp and cold, like a blade etched deep into her soul.

The mocking laughter of the guests. Her brother's venom-laced jabs. Her fiance's cold, merciless withdrawal. And worst of all, the crushing disappointment in her parents' eyes, their words like knives

She'd lived it. Bled from it. And died with the memory still burning in her bones

も

"So why the hell is it happening again? Her brows knitted, her chest tightening

with confusion. Is Sophie really trying to pull the same dirty trick? What-ruin me all over again, until I break for good!

Eliza's breath hitched, her whole body trembling as the panic rose. But then- something stopped her cold.

She blinked. Her hands... they were fine. Not a single scar. Not even a scratch Her heart pounded as she looked down. Her feet were meady, untouched.

Her face paled. No. No way. This... this can't be real"

Her tendons-every single one-had been cut. She remembered the pain, the screams, the hopelessness. There was no healing from that. None

Something was very wrong. She turned slowly, scanning the room with growing dread. And then recognition began to dawn.

The furniture. The curtains. The scent in the air. Everything matched a place she thought she'd never see again.

Her eyes landed on the old dressing table in the corner. Slowly, hesitantly, she walked toward it. Her reflection emerged in the bronze mirror- clearer with every step.

And what she saw made her breath catch in her throat. A young face. Smooth. Untouched. Not a trace of the disfigurement Sophie had left her with...

Her clothes, her hair-everything screamed innocence. This was her, before the fall. Before the disgrace. Before the pain.

No. It can't be. Did I come back? Did I really wake up an the day of my coming- of-age ceremony? The thought hit her like thunder.

Her breath came out shaky, almost a laugh. She covered her face with trembling hands, on the verge of hysteria

"That's right... I died." Her voice cracked, barely above a whisper. "I died by Matthew's blade"

And yet, here she was. Alive, Breathing. Not a ghost-but reborn into the same nightmare she thought she'd escaped.

“Well, ain't that just perfect, she thought with a bitter smile. "Heaven's got a twisted sense of humor

She had sworn-sworn on her grave-that she'd never have anything to do with the Stonors again. She was done with them. And now, fate had dragged her right back into their web.

Her teeth sank into her lower lip, hard enough to draw blood. The metallic taste snapped her back into clarity. Her gaze umed icy.

Maybe this was fate's way of screwing with her. But maybe this was her second shot..

She'd faced death before. Now, she was done being afraid.

Eliza used to be the most favored lady of the Duke's estate-the apple of everyone's eye

moment she

little sister to her four

say

of her life, she lived like a pearl in a

the year she turned fifteen, That was when her father returned with a strange little girl and made a shocking announcement this was his long-lost daughter, Sophie Stonor-their younger

on, her

Her brothers, once her knights in shining armor,

every bug, every kind word that used to belong

439 PM &

Chapter 2

Eliza h had no idea what she'd done wrong. She tried everything- swallowed

enough. All it brought her was pain-

teared up. Benedict would drag Eliza

once snapped her arms and legs without blinking.

Anthony, the youngest, destroyed her face and smeared her narse until she couldn't

hesitation, erased her from the records, and left

beloved heiress to disgraced outcast, it took only three years

nothing left--no name, no home, no hope. She'd finally decided to leave Hasen City behind and start fresh somewhere far away, where no one knew

- sent men after

with her just yet. Right before she could leave, Sophie accused her of stealing a

and demanded

part of her still

lide... She gambled her last breath

And low

breath, shutting her eyes, tight she

she thought bitterly. Maybe I was just fooling myself all along. That's fine. I made the wrong choice in my last

clink echoed in the quiet room. Something had fallen

down and blinked in surprise-it was a familiar

knees and gently scooped it up, cradling it in her palm like it was the most precious thing in the world. Carefully, she brushed the dust of its surface-only to

was broken.

clearly. The pendant had been two interlocking emerald hearts-a symbol of unity, of love. But now, only half

to the pendant. The break was smooth, too clean to be

fall.

she murmured. "What if... it's supposed

fingers along the edge of the

of dizziness overtook her, and

no longer in

in a vast, silent realm blanketed in white mist. The

this place_?"

down and touched the ground. Grass.

I be inside the pendant And

space wasn't large. There was a field of soft grass, a crystal-clear

the hut. It was empty and dustless. Like no one had ever

the stream, something on the other side caught her eye, making her pause in her tracks. The

her reyes widened in amazement. No, it

were rare and prized specimens, ginseng, golden root, St. John's Wort, elderflower, and even the

Chapter 2

rare medicinal herb-priceless treasures in the

just the ones she recognized. There were dozens more that she'd never even

most wasn't the herbs themselves-but how they