From One Trap to Another: A Rebirth Story

In her previous life, Erin loved Keller so blindly that she threw away her dignity. In the end, he and Sophia joined hands to drag her into hell.

Lynn Medical Group collapsed. She was tortured to death by kidnappers, while Keller stepped over its ruins and married the woman he had always wanted.

Reborn on the day of the business marriage arrangement, she pushed Keller away and announced in public that she would marry Landon, the senior power behind his family.

No one believed Erin could win Landon over until he appeared in the private room himself, draped his coat over her shoulders, and calmly declared, "She is my fiance."

After the wedding, he gave Erin a level of indulgence others could only envy. For a while, she almost believed her second life had finally turned around.

But when the truth came out, Erin realized she had only fallen from one trap into another.

The first second after her rebirth, Erin looked at the luxurious villa living room in front of her and knelt before her parents without hesitation.

"Dad, Mom, I want to change the person in the business marriage arrangement with Reid Holdings." Erin's voice trembled, but every word landed steady. "I will not marry Keller. I want to marry Landon."

The parents' hands holding the coffee cups shook suddenly, their faces full of astonishment.

"Are you crazy? Weren't you so in love with Keller that you lost all sense? Landon is the senior Reid family member actually running Reid Holdings. No one can read him. Why would he agree to marry you?"

Erin closed her eyes, and the brutal scenes of her previous life flashed through her mind like a film reel.

In her previous life, she had married Keller as she wished, only to receive endless emotional neglect.

Keller only had eyes for fragile, pitiful Sophia. For Sophia, he watched Erin get tortured by kidnappers. After Erin died, he even turned the ruins of Lynn Medical Group into Sophia's stepping stone.

Now that she had been given another life, even one glance at Keller made her sick.

"Just because I know the consequences of loving him, I will never marry him."

"Because I know what loving him costs, I would rather die than marry him." Erin opened her eyes, cold and clear. "Dad, Mom, Lynn Medical Group needs Reid Holdings' funding, and Reid Holdings needs our medical resources. It is a deal. Does it matter who we make the deal with? Landon has more power than Keller, doesn't he?"

My father was silent for a long time and sighed: "Landon is in a high position, so he may not agree. Let's go test it out, but don't have high hopes."

As soon as her parents' car drove out of the yard, Erin's phone vibrated.

It was a text from Keller: [The bar downtown. Come here now.]

Erin looked at the words on the screen, sneered, took the car keys and went out. She was worried that she wouldn't have a chance to speak clearly.

The moment she pushed open the door to the private room, a glass of iced whiskey splashed into her face.

Cold liquid ran down her cheeks, and mocking laughter burst through the private room.

"Well, Miss Erin really does come when called. Even a dog has more backbone than you."

"You can come if Keller asks you to come. Why, you can't bear not being around him for a day?"

Keller sat in the middle of the sofa, holding Sophia with red eyes in his arms. He looked down at the embarrassed Erin, his eyes full of disgust.

"What game are you playing now? Spreading rumors that you want to break off our engagement so I will come coax you?" Keller sneered. "Let me make this clear. Even if this is a business marriage arrangement, all you deserve is an empty marriage. I love Sophia. Stop disgusting us."

Erin took out a tissue and slowly wiped the wine from her face.

Unlike in her previous life, she did not go mad with jealousy. Her gaze was calm, as if she were looking at trash.

"You misunderstood." She threw the tissue into the trash. "The engagement is ending. The business marriage arrangement is still happening."

Keller frowned: "What do you mean?"

"It means I am marrying into Reid Holdings, but the groom is not you." Erin looked at him and smiled coldly. "Keller, the next time you see me, remember to call me Mrs. Reid."

The private room went dead silent.

Keller was stunned for two seconds, and then burst into laughter, as if he had heard a big joke:

"Have you lost your mind? You want to marry Landon? You think you deserve him? He will not even spare you a second look!"

Sophia spoke timidly as well. "Erin, do not say things like that just to make Keller angry. A man like Landon would never..."

"Whether it's possible or not, it's not your turn to worry about it." She didn't want to waste any more words, so she turned around and left.

"Stop!" Keller was irritated by Erin's ignoring attitude and stood up suddenly to grab her wrist.

Just then, the private room door was pushed open from outside.

A man in a black couture suit and gold-rimmed glasses stood in the doorway. He was tall and lean, with a cold, restrained elegance. Behind the lenses, his eyes were deep as an abyss and heavy with pressure.

The air in the private room solidified instantly.

Keller's hand froze in midair. His face went white, and even his voice shook. "M-Mr. Reid."

Landon did not look at him. His gaze passed over everyone and went straight to Erin. He stepped forward, took off his coat, and naturally draped it over her soaked shoulders.

"Erin." Landon's voice was low and pleasant, yet distant in a businesslike way. "Your father called me just now. I accept your proposal."

There was silence in the private room, and everyone seemed to be strangled.

"Mr. Reid, are you insane? You want to marry her? She is..."

"She is someone you will have to respect from now on." Landon cut him off calmly, his eyes indifferent. "Keller, mind your manners."

Keller was frozen in place by that look and couldn't say a word.

Landon turned to her and gathered the coat around her shoulders with long fingers. "Let's go, fiance. It is too noisy here."

Erin followed Landon out of the bar and got into the black Maybach.

The car was filled with the faint smell of agarwood, and Erin turned her head to look at the man beside her.

Landon's profile was impeccable, but his aloofness made people shudder.

"Why did you agree?" Erin asked directly.

She didn't believe in love at first sight, and she didn't believe that people like Landon would do business at a loss.

Landon took off his glasses and rubbed his brow. "Lynn Medical Group's research institute has something I need. And you need a backer strong enough to crush Keller. We each get what we need."

"Is it that simple?"

"That simple." Landon put his glasses back on and looked at her. His gaze was honest, but cold. "Erin, I can give you the status of a legal spouse, absolute freedom, and protection. Keller will never be able to touch you again."

Erin's heart moved slightly, this was exactly what she wanted.

"But I have conditions," Landon said calmly. "First, do not interfere with my private life. Second, do not fall in love with me."

Erin froze for a moment, then laughed. "Do not worry, Landon. I know my place."

She was scarred by love in her previous life. In this life, she just wants to build a career and keep the Lynn Medical Group.

She gave up on the luxury of love.

Over the next half month, Landon showed her what textbook indulgence looked like.

If Erin casually mentioned that she liked a restaurant, its head chef appeared at the house the next day. If she glanced twice at a dress from a couture show, the entire collection arrived in her closet the following morning.

Landon solves all her troubles with force and resoluteness. Keller tried to cause trouble with her, but was immediately stopped by Landon and sent to a remote overseas branch for training.

He protected her so completely it was almost airtight, as if he were worshiping an expensive porcelain doll.

But Erin gradually realized that his indulgence was cold.

Landon never had any physical contact with her.

When walking side by side, he always kept a distance of ten centimeters from her; occasionally when handing something over, his fingers would deftly avoid Erin's skin.

He was like a perfectly programmed husband. No flaw could be found, except that he lacked the warmth of a living person.

Until a week before the wedding, Erin went to Reid Holdings to deliver documents to Landon.

There was no one in the CEO's office. Erin pushed open the door to the break room and saw an upside-down photo on Landon's desk.

Instinctively, she opened the photo.

The photo shows two young men.

One was a younger Landon. The other was an extraordinarily handsome young man with a sickly pallor in his brows. They stood very close, and the way Landon looked at him held a tenderness and obsession Erin had never seen before.

Written on the back of the photo were two words: Noah.

"What are you doing?"

A cold and biting voice came from behind.

Erin's hand shook and the photo fell on the table.

She turned around and saw Landon standing at the door, his face terrifyingly gloomy.

He strode over, grabbed the photo, carefully wiped away the non-existent dust, and then looked at her coldly.

"Erin, I remember telling you not to interfere with my private life."

That was the first time Erin saw Landon lose control, because he was touched by the reverse scale.

Erin suddenly understood something.

"Who is he?" Erin heard her voice wavering.

Landon locked the photos in the drawer and returned to his aloof and indifferent look.

"An old friend." His tone was very faint. "Erin, play the role you are supposed to play. Do not ask questions you should not ask."

That photo became a thorn in Erin's heart.

Erin used Reid Holdings' contacts to investigate, but the result left her feeling trapped in an ice cave.

Noah had once been a brilliant young painter in New York. He was also the old love Landon kept hidden in his heart.

Five years earlier, Noah had been in a serious car accident and was left in a vegetative state. He still lay in a top care facility in Seattle, and the core medical technology behind that facility came from Lynn Medical Group's research institute.

Erin was sitting in an empty room, looking at the investigation report in her hand, and suddenly felt extremely ridiculous.

No wonder Landon agreed so readily, no wonder he wanted the medical resources of Lynn Medical Group.

He was not bisexual. He was gay, completely and without question.

He married Erin only so he could use Lynn Medical Group's technology to save the person he loved. At the same time, a conventional marriage would hide his unacceptable orientation from his family and give them an explanation.

She had escaped Keller's trap, only to plunge headfirst into Landon's abyss.

"Knock knock."

There was a knock on the door, and Landon's assistant walked in pushing a row of wedding dresses.

"Mrs. Reid, these are all Paris couture. Please see which one you like," the assistant said respectfully.

Erin looked at those priceless white gauze and felt dazzled.

"Where's Landon?"

"Landon went to Seattle on a business trip and said he would be back the day before the wedding."

Go to Seattle... to see Noah.

Erin twitched her lips: "I know, let it go."

The wedding took place as scheduled.

The wedding of the century shook all of New York. Landon gave Erin the ultimate public respect: Bulgarian roses everywhere, a pink diamond ring worth over a hundred million, and an official place in the Reid family's inner circle.

At the wedding scene, Keller was escorted back from the remote overseas branch.

He was tanned and thin, and his eyes were full of unwillingness and regret when he looked at Erin who was so radiant on the stage.

He tried to rush onto the stage, but was held down by Landon's bodyguard.

Holding Erin's hand, Landon looked down at Keller. His voice was not loud, but it carried through the room. "Call her Mrs. Reid."

Keller bit his lip in humiliation and squeezed out a few words through his teeth: "Mrs. Reid."

Erin looked at Keller's humiliation, but she felt no pleasure from revenge. The large hand holding hers was warm, yet stiff as wood.

Landon was enduring physical contact with a woman.

The moment the toast was over, Landon released her hand and wiped his palm with a handkerchief.

That tiny movement was like a loud slap across Erin's face.

Wedding night.

The wedding room was decorated festively and luxuriously. Erin sat on the edge of the bed wearing red silk pajamas and watched Landon walk out of the bathroom.

He was wearing neat dark pajamas, buttoned to the top button, and was ascetic to the extreme.

He walked to the bed, did not get on the bed, but took out a spare quilt from the cabinet and walked to the sofa in the distance.

"You sleep on the bed, I'll sleep on the sofa." Landon said in a calm voice with his back to Erin.

Erin tightened her grip on the sheets: "Landon, we're getting married."

"I know." Landon turned around, his eyes clear and empty of desire. "Erin, I promised you that aside from love and physical intimacy, I can give you anything. If you feel wronged, my supplementary card has no limit. Buy anything you like."

Erin laughed angrily.

"You think money can solve everything?"

"At least it solves most troubles." Landon walked over, bent slightly, and placed a kiss on her forehead as light as a feather.

There was no warmth or emotion in it. It felt like a bedtime ritual.

"Good night, Erin."

Erin looked at his back walking towards the sofa, her eyes sore.

She had thought she could keep this as a transaction and leave feelings out of it. But the heart was made of flesh. In the past half month, Landon had shielded her from storms and backed her up when she needed it. How could she not feel anything?

Yet that feeling looked ridiculous in the face of Landon's absolute reason and the gender line she could never cross.

Landon is the perfect husband.

He remembered Erin's period and had brown sugar ginger tea prepared in advance. He knew she was allergic to mangoes, so no yellow fruit appeared in the house. When she attended charity dinners, he even chose her jewelry himself.

He took good care of her, but he was very distinct.

Erin tries to break the deadlock.

One weekend, Landon was working overtime in the study. Erin cooked herself, made his favorite scallop and seafood porridge, and brought it to the study.

"Landon, take a rest and drink some porridge." She put the bowl next to his hand, and her fingers inadvertently touched the back of his hand.

His hand jerked back as if it had been burned.

Although he tried his best to hide it, the physical rejection at that moment still stung Erin.

He looked at the bowl of porridge and frowned slightly, but he still picked it up and took a sip.

"It's delicious, thank you." He said in a gentle tone.

Before Erin could be happy, she heard him press the intercom and call the housekeeper in.

"Do not let Mrs. Reid go into the kitchen again." Landon pulled out a wet wipe and cleaned his hands. "Smoke and oil are bad for her skin. We hired Michelin chefs. They are not here for decoration."

The butler nodded repeatedly.

Erin froze. He was not cherishing her. He was maintaining a beautiful ornament and refusing to let it touch ordinary life.

"Landon, I just want to do something for you." Erin bit her lip.

"You do not need to do anything. Just be Mrs. Reid." Landon looked at her like a disobedient child. "Erin, do not cross the line."

Crossing the line again.

Erin suddenly felt very tired.

This soft-knife torture was more hopeless than Keller's open cruelty.

Keller would at least argue with her and get angry. Landon, on the other hand, was even stingy about getting angry at her.

Half a month later, it's Erin's birthday.

Landon booked New York's top revolving restaurant early and prepared fireworks and a private jet as gifts.

Erin wore a haute couture dress and sat at a dining table covered with roses, waiting for him.

At 8 p.m., Landon didn't show up.

Nine o'clock in the evening, still nothing.

Erin called his phone, but no one answered.

It wasn't until ten o'clock in the evening that the assistant rushed over, sweating profusely: "Mrs. Reid, I'm sorry, Landon can't come."

"Something happened to the company?" Erin suppressed the panic in her heart.

The assistant avoided her eyes. "No... Seattle called. They said Noah's vitals suddenly dropped, and the hospital issued a critical condition notice. Landon took a private jet there overnight."

Erin's blood instantly ran cold.

She looked out the window at the sky full of fireworks that bloomed on time. They were gorgeous and dazzling, but they couldn't warm her cold heart.

"Did he leave anything before he left?" Erin heard her dry voice.

The assistant handed her a black card and a velvet box. "Landon said happy birthday. The card has no PIN. The necklace is the Heart of the Ocean, the one he won at auction. He said he was sorry and would make it up to you when he came back."

Erin looked at the priceless necklace and suddenly smiled. Laughing till tears came out.

compensate? What compensation will be given?

On her birthday, her husband had left without even saying happy birthday to her face, all because of another man.

What was she? A professional stand-in with a high salary and premium benefits? Or a shield that could be dropped at any time?

Erin didn't take the card or the necklace.

She took off her high heels and walked out of the luxurious restaurant barefoot.

The night wind blew on me, biting the bones.

She finally understood that Landon's indulgence had never been love. It was charity from above, a compensation mechanism for a business partner.

His heart had died with the man named Noah in that car accident five years ago.