Aria stared at her reflection like it might blink first.
The woman in the mirror was beautiful—high cheekbones, long lashes, flawless skin. She looked... expensive.
And completely unfamiliar.
She touched her face slowly, fingers brushing over her cheek like she might peel it off and find her real self underneath.
"Well, damn," she muttered, "I actually got reincarnated."
It sounded stupid out loud, but saying it made it real.
The last thing she remembered was cold pavement and the taste of blood in her mouth. And now… this. A silk nightgown, a mansion, a bed she could drown in. And a husband who looked like he was carved from marble and frozen in emotional ice.
She was Aria Lin now. Or... Aria Quinn? The memory fuzzed slightly at the edges.
But she remembered the novel. The side character who died in chapter five, quietly, tragically, without anyone really caring.
Her heart thudded harder in her chest. Not this time.
The door clicked open.
A woman in a fitted black suit stepped in, stiff and alert. Probably a robot in a past life.
"You're awake, Madam Quinn."
That title still felt too big for her skin.
The woman gave a shallow bow. "Dr. Lu will be up shortly. Is there anything you need?"
Aria hesitated, then offered a soft, practiced smile. "What's your name?"
"Lin Mei. I'm your personal assistant."
There was a pause, like Lin Mei was waiting for her to say she remembered.
"I don't," Aria said instead. "But I'm learning."
Lin Mei blinked, just once, before nodding and backing out like a well-trained soldier.
Alone again, Aria looked at herself one more time.
"This body might be beautiful," she whispered, "but I refuse to die in it like the last Aria did."