Kayros's glacier eyes linger on Jessica longer than they should have. He feels his pulse quickening against his will, a displeasing yet fateful emotion surging through him when he looks at her burgundy eyes.
Elias hugs his legs, "Mommy swaid daddy is hwurt. Eli scward!" His muffled baby voice stabs into Kayros's consciousness as his eyes snap toward Ophelia, who stands numb across from him.
Jessica's eyes follow Kayros as she gives Ophelia a nod before helping Aaron dress his wound.
Ophelia's nails dig into her flesh.
Jealousy makes her want to rip Jessica's hands away from Kayros, but a cold splash of panic makes her freeze.
Ophelia… can't move.
Jessica softly scolds Kayros, "You are so unconscious about your safety."
The same dialogue Jessica says in the novel makes Ophelia's throat tighten and her chest feel suffocated.
Kayros looks back at Jessica, a playful smirk playing on his lips. "Maybe you can try to be gentle, Major Jessica."
Again…
And within a few days, the picture becomes clearer…
Everyone and everything is going exactly according to the novel. From the first meeting between Kayros and Jessica to the continuous crossfire between Jessica and Kayros—like a cop and thief—becomes inevitable.
Ophelia's panic grows stronger as she helplessly watches her beautiful life crumble. Her husband, the love of her life, the man who loved her so devotedly and calmly, is now obsessing over Jessica exactly the way Eyes of Glacier's male lead obsessed and worshipped Jessica.
The maids, servants, even Marcus, start worshipping the ground Jessica walks on. Every time Jessica visits, everyone gets busy pleasing her, and Ophelia becomes a forgotten piece. Even her three-year-old son starts following Jessica around, making cookies for her, crying to Kayros to bring Jessica.
Ophelia tries to soothe her son one night when he has a fever. But the little boy cries for Jessica, face red, body burning. Kayros frantically calls Jessica, and she comes—she always comes when the stakes are high.
And the moment Jessica enters the room, passing Ophelia gently, Elias stretches his small hands toward Jessica, breaking Ophelia's heart into millions of pieces.
Jessica holds the child like he is hers, like for the past three years she has been his mom, as if… Ophelia is just nobody.
Kayros's face is hard to read. Ophelia's heart sinks more.
That night she loses it.
"WHY IS SHE HERE, KAYROS?" She screams as thunder lights up the night sky.
"You saw it. Elias was asking for her." He looks away, his fist tightening around the medical kit.
A sob leaves her throat, her voice shaking. "And you? WHAT ABOUT YOU?" She screams as if something inside her is dying. "WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS AFTER HER, KAYROS?"
Kayros's heart aches, jaw clenching tightly. "I don't know."
Ophelia stiffens.
And suddenly—for the first time in a while—Ophelia notices the lines of exhaustion and confusion on his face.
"I don't know, Sweetie…"
Her chest tightens.
He never stopped calling her Sweetie, yet the word that once carried love now carries traces of the past that existed before the plot started… before Jessica came in… before the novel began moving with Elias as the only character who didn't exist in the original story. And Ophelia… she is somehow resisting the burning urge in her mind that is screaming at her to return to Vincent and do the evil.
A bitter laugh echoes in the bedroom that once carried the testament of their love.
"Am I supposed to understand you?" she whispers painfully, stepping forward and throwing the medical kit from his hand across the room, scattering all the glass bottles and spilling pills.
Kayros turns to face her, his blue eyes exhausted and tired. "I would never ask you to understand it because this is something I can't understand." He speaks honestly for the first time in the past three months—since he has felt the natural pull toward Jessica.
He steps closer, shaking his head slightly. "Sweetie, I am trying, okay? I am trying desperately, but this—" he points at his chest, "—this isn't listening to me. I know I love you, I believe I love you," his eyes turn glassy.
Ophelia's heart cracks even more. Deep down she knows this isn't his fault. She knows Kayros and Jessica are meant to be—but this is her reality. The man she loves more than anything in the world… the man whose love made her forget revenge…
"Do you love her?" she asks, the words dying at the end. Kayros stays silent, letting a tear fall.
"I don't know. But everything with her feels natural and I have no idea what to name it. It's almost…" his lips wobble; he wipes his humiliating tears. "It's almost like she is meant to be here in your spot as mine."
Another loud thunder rattles everything, including both of their souls. Ophelia's stomach drops. Everything freezes… including her breath.
And that is the moment Ophelia starts changing.
Starting the following morning, fear overrules logic; panic overshadows rationality. Ophelia makes Jessica her foe. Her every move to sabotage Jessica starts making her look like a bloodthirsty villainess, making everyone in the Natheniel family hate her.
And one of her ploys to kill Jessica… costs Czar's life, when he steps between Jessica and the black-masked gangsters operating under Ophelia's secret command.
News of Czar's death freezes Ophelia right before Kayros breaks into her room, anger and pain written all over his face.
"HOW CAN YOU BE SO EVIL?" He shoves her against the wall, tears streaming from his eyes at the pain of losing one of his best friends.
Ophelia feels the familiar fear she felt in her 2nd life… because Kayros's once-warm eyes are now full of hatred. His hands tremble on her shoulders. "You killed him!"
Ophelia inhales sharply, her eyes blurry with unshed tears. "I didn't kill him."
"You wanted to kill Jessica and then Czar came in between! IS THAT YOUR LOGIC?" He slams his hand on the wall beside her, making her flinch, but Kayros shows no remorse.
"HOW CAN YOU BE SO BLIND IN JEALOUSY?" He shakes her.
Ophelia screams painfully, "WHAT ELSE AM I SUPPOSED TO DO? SEE YOU CHOOSING THAT BITCH OVER ME?"
Kayros's eyes darken dangerously. "Language."
Ophelia's blood runs cold; the danger in his eyes makes her chest tighten. His grip on her shoulders tightens. "You are such a villain, Ophelia."
Ophelia sneers, but it carries fear and pain. "You know… you never looked at me like you look at Jessica."
Kayros's stone-cold face stills, realizing what she implied.
Her tears spill down. "You were never obsessed with me. You were never possessive about me. YOU NEVER CARED ABOUT ME!" she screams, shaking.
"I CARE ABOUT YOU! WHY DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND I CAN'T CONTROL MYSELF AROUND HER?" he shouts back defensively.
"STOP BULLSHITTING ME! YOU NEVER LOVED ME! YOU JUST USED ME! YOU KNEW HOW MUCH I WANTED TO BE LOVED AND YOU ACTED LIKE YOU DID SO I'D BE OBSESSED AND DEVOTED TO YOU!"
Kayros's hands fall from her shoulders, his face contorting in pure agony.
"Are you questioning my love?" His voice is so small that Ophelia wants to take back her words. She knows—deep down—that everything is out of their control. That the past three years, every laughter, whisper of love, and warmth was real… from both sides.
She knows it, but God, it hurts.
"I am. You never wanted me like you're wanting her. Passionately, obsessively, devotedly," she chokes, sliding down the wall.
Kayros stands numb, like his soul has been taken away. He just stares at her blankly.
"Stop acting like a jealous wife. That's good for all of us."
Even as he says it… both of them know:
Everything is already ruined.
In the following days, Ophelia becomes even more intense in her pursuit of ruining Jessica. To the point that she ends up repeating a similar bloodbath.
Killing her father, she takes over Blackwood.
Poisoning Sarah, she drives Rhys to lunacy.
Making scandals against Ivy, she ruins Ivy's future.
"You killed your father and Rhys's secret lover to take over Blackwood—just to make things hard for Jessica?" Kayros asks in pure disbelief.
Ophelia simply combs her hair sitting in bed. "I don't know what you are talking about."
Kayros's eyes darken. "Don't touch Jessica."
Her combing stills. Tilting her head, she says, "Will you care if I start giving importance to another man over you?"
Kayros's expression remains dark. "You are being childish."
"Yes or no?"
"No. I don't care what you do as long as you stop embarrassing me and making more enemies every other day."
His emotionless declaration makes Ophelia see red—anger and fury twisting inside her.
"Of course you wouldn't care. You probably wouldn't even care if I go and fuck my ex-boyfriend who cheated on me!" Bitterness drips from her voice.
Kayros's chest tightens. "Ophelia!" he warns.
But Ophelia, too hurt by the idea that Kayros doesn't even feel jealous over her, does something stupid—or more likely, instinctive.
Her rationality and knowledge of two lifetimes and a novel get cornered by envy and the desperate need to make Kayros care.
She strikes a deal with Vincent: to make him the mafia king in exchange for killing Jessica.
With him, she starts the same actions she did in her 2nd life—the same actions the original Ophelia did.
Only this time, the motivation isn't Vincent's love.
The motivation is getting loved by Kayros… being chosen by Kayros.
Her relationship with Kayros deteriorates. The entire Natheniel family sides with Jessica—the real female lead, loved by her powerful father, mother, and brothers. The female lead who is a powerful military figure and would do anything for Kayros.
"You think doing this will bring Kayros to you?" Jessica looks at Ophelia pitifully.
Ophelia glares dangerously, but hope has died months ago. Jessica's confident smile makes Ophelia's rage boil even more.
"You know… last night, Kayros was with me."
Ophelia stills.
Jessica chuckles, tucking her hair behind her ear. "He is a beast in bed."
Before Jessica can finish, Ophelia slaps her—only to be pushed back by her four-year-old son.
"DON'T TOUCH GOOD MOMMY!"
Elias shouts, crying, his small hands hugging Jessica. And Ophelia feels her knees give out.
"Baby— I'm your mommy, not—" her words crack as he shakes his head.
"NO! YOU ARE BAD MOMMY!"
Ophelia's lungs nearly give out at her son's words.
And when Kayros rushes into the greenhouse, walking past her to carry crying Elias… and sees Jessica's red cheek…
Ophelia can only smile, defeated.
Her shoulders drop.
"Is that so?... I am a bad mommy…" her eyes take in the picture of Kayros and Jessica soothing Elias.
Kayros breathes in sharply. "Ophelia… go back to your room."
"Why? Your mistress feels bad seeing me?" she mocks painfully.
Kayros's eyes snap toward her. "Jessica is not my mis—"
Ophelia turns on her heels, wiping her tears.
That same night, as Ophelia sits in her bedroom, the Natheniel mansion gets attacked at exactly 3 AM.
The screams and gunshots make Ophelia go stiff. This is exactly the same date she attacked the Natheniel mansion in her past life—and in the novel.
Her room is broken into, and Ophelia is beaten by men she recognizes as Vincent's. Elosia looks at her coldly and scoffs, "Pathetic."
Ophelia feels a sharp pain in her stomach as she is stabbed and dragged by her hair downstairs.
Blood covers the trail. Snow falls outside, the metallic smell of blood and gunpowder thick in the air.
She sees Jessica also beaten. And when Ophelia is thrown to the floor, she sees her son running toward her, crying, "MOMMYYY!"
Ophelia holds Elias against her chest as he cries harder. "I'm scared, mommy…"
Ophelia feels her blood drenching him.
Jessica whimpers painfully beside her.
And then she hears Kayros's broken words:
"You betrayed me."
Ophelia's eyes widen, tears streaming. Kayros is bleeding all over, held at gunpoint by Vincent, who is smoking casually.
"Kayros Natheniel, you married the woman I chewed out. See what she did to you?" Vincent mocks.
Kayros's blood blurs his vision, but his pain is clear.
Ophelia whispers, "I didn't betray you."
"You told him about the secret passage in the mansion." Kayros's bitterness is like a blade. It makes her feel the pain of a thousand deaths.
Ophelia chokes on her tears.
"Now, Kayros, choose who should live. Your son, your wife, or the woman who has been fighting for you?" Vincent pushes Kayros. Kayros almost falls, but Jessica—despite her heavy injuries—stands and catches him.
"Kayros…" Ophelia whispers, but the scene unfolding before her makes her realize—
At the end… she is just a villainess.
Though so many things were different in this 3rd lifetime and 2nd lifetime that followed the novel…
Fate remained unchanged.
Her eyes slowly lose their life. Elias cries into her chest.
She looks at Vincent. "Let them go."
Vincent raises an eyebrow curiously. "Oh? Another bargain?"
Kayros stands weakly. "Stay away from this matter, Ophelia!"
Ophelia's heart has gone numb again.
"Don't worry… I won't let your beloved die…"
Kayros groans in frustration. "Can you please just—"
Before he can finish, Vincent shoots Jessica.
Kayros's eyes widen as she falls.
And then Vincent's gun shifts toward Ophelia.
Kayros moves instantly, pain forgotten. He throws himself over Ophelia and Elias.
With a snap of Vincent's fingers, his men begin firing.
Ophelia's body aches in pain, but even more…
The realization that Kayros threw himself between her and the bullets… it clears the cloud in her mind.
Tears stream from both of their eyes. Amid the bullets piercing their flesh, killing them—
"It has always been you from day one… you should have trusted…"
Kayros mutters, breathless and pained, before falling in a pool of his blood, Ophelia and their four-year-old in the middle—whose heart is still beating faintly.
And as Ophelia closes her eyes, tears streaming—
She has died once again.
Same fate.
Yet… she was loved.
But she never trusted him.
And her last spoken words, staring at Kayros's blood-covered lifeless face:
"I should have just taken my revenge… and protected you…" Her trembling hand rests on his cheek. She coughs blood. "I'm sorry… you died because of me…"
And that is the end of her 3rd life.
Fate remained unchanged.
Had Ophelia simply sought revenge instead of letting herself get lost in happiness—could she have avoided this fate?
Had she remembered the betrayal and not joined hands with Vincent again in her haze—could she have saved them?
…
(YOUR 4TH LIFE STARTS NOW)