Back to My Original Life

In New York’s Upper East Side, there were two heirs. One was a speed-obsessed daredevil dominating the racetracks, the other was a brilliant actuary who controlled the flow of capital.

Born into powerful families and polar opposites in temperament, yet they grew up side by side as each other’s only best friend.

They had fought over girls and bickered endlessly over racing bets.

However, at fifteen, there was one thing they did in perfect unison. They each put on the same roughly carved bronze badge.

They were trinkets Mia had idly made during a craft class, marked only by a faint “M” scratched on the back.

Back then, Mia was seated in the last row of the classroom. Her background was a complete mystery to everyone.

Yet they wore that badge for ten whole years.

Whether standing on the F1 podium or locking in billion-dollar trades at the exchange, the cheap little badge on their chests never changed.

Until Ella showed up.

She was the cherished daughter of a rising conglomerate family. She hand-stitched two gold-thread fabric patches and gifted them to them.

The patches looked so ordinary they looked like the kind of trinket you would find three for a dollar at a flea market.

And yet, they both replaced their bronze badges with her plain patches.

Mia did not say anything. She simply folded away an old newspaper clipping with a photo of the three of them smiling together.

That night, she called her father in Sicily.

Her voice was emotionless.

“Papa, I accept the marriage arrangement.”

POV: Mia Valente

My father’s voice brimmed with excitement on the other end of the line as he said, “Great! I’ve been telling you to come home for three years, but you insisted on staying in New York. I’ll book the wedding venue right away. Let me look at the earliest date we can get—”

I cut him off.

“Make it a week from now.”

“But that’s so soon! Don’t you want to spend some time getting to know your fiance first?”

I replied flatly, “There’s no need for that. It’s just a marriage of convenience. I’ll come home the day before.”

He was about to say something else when someone pushed the door open.

Without another word, I hung up.

Ella walked in while carrying a huge bouquet of roses. She nonchalantly asked, “Mia, are you going somewhere? But we have the ball next week!”

I glanced at the roses in her arms. My tone was calm but distant. “Sorry, but I’m a little allergic to pollen. Could you take the flowers out first?”

After saying that, I opened the window.

Ella, however, started crying behind me. Then, she accidentally knocked the vase to the floor and shattered it.

Roses were scattered everywhere. She stammered through her tears. “Mia, I didn’t know you were allergic. Leo and Max always bring you flowers. I just thought you must love them. I didn’t mean any harm. I’ll clean up the mess. Please don’t be mad at me, okay?”

Before she could finish her sentence, Leo De Luca and Max Moreau, who had seen everything from outside, burst into the room.

Leo lunged for Ella’s hand in concern, while Max kicked some of the broken shards toward me without hesitation.

In the chaos, one of the shards grazed my leg. The sting made me crouch down instinctively.

However, neither of them so much as glanced my way. Their eyes were fixed solely on the fragile, innocent Ella.

Leo, always the hothead, noticed the small cut on her hand and snapped at me. “What the hell is wrong with you? She’s not your darn maid. She always cleans up your room for you whenever you’re busy. Did you really have to hold it against her over something so trivial?”

Max adjusted his glasses. There was a flash of concern in his eyes. “That’s enough, Leo. Let’s just get her to a hospital.”

Leo shot me a searing glare. Then, he grabbed Ella’s hand and walked toward the door.

Before they stepped out, Ella timidly said, “It does hurt a little, but I don’t want Mia to be upset. Maybe you should check on her. I’ll be fine with just some ointment.”

Max shook his head. “What if it gets infected? Better to have a doctor look at it.”

Even Leo, usually too hot-blooded to care, nodded in agreement.

Ella, however, glanced back at me with a torn look on her face. “But Mia doesn’t look well.”

Leo snorted. “She’s just faking it for us to feel sorry for her and stop blaming her. Ignore her.”

“Not everyone is as kind as you are,” Max added softly as he tucked a strand of hair behind Ella’s ear without sparing me even a glance.

As I watched their figures disappear down the hall, I knew it was time for me to leave.