Her Rebirth.

In the Cosgrove mansion, there was a peaceful atmosphere until Mason walked in, a dark expression on his face.

Lilac eyes lit up looking back to see if she’d see ’her’ behind him but she saw no one.

Then she blinked, forcing tears to fall from her eyes. "Father, what about Sister Amelia? Isn’t she coming back? My days are becoming quite boring without her."

Mason gritted his teeth. "That wench refused to come back."

After causing her to be unable to lodge in any hotel or rent any apartment in the city, he had expected her to come running back, but he hadn’t even caught a sight of her. He was a bit worried that it might get to Grandfather Cosgrove’s ears, as the rumors had already spread around the city. Even if Grandfather Cosgrove hadn’t heard about it yet, it was only a matter of time before he did, and Mason couldn’t let that happen.

Eve, who was at the side, clenched her teeth. What was this stupid daughter of hers doing? They were supposed to ensure Amelia stayed out forever, not try to bring her back in!

Eve took Lilac by the arm and forced a smile. "Lilac, the clothes we ordered have arrived. How about we go try them on?" she said, dragging Lilac upstairs, giving no room for disagreement.

Once they entered Lilac’s room, Eve shut the door and shot a glare at her daughter.

"What the hell do you think you’re doing?"

Lilac looked at her innocently. "What do you mean, Mother? I do not understand what you are saying."

"Oh, drop the act, Lilac. We’re supposed to push Amelia out, not try to bring her in. If she’s out, then there’s a chance that when Mason dies, we will be able to get some inheritance. But if Amelia is here, even if he does leave some for us, who’s to say she won’t go vehemently against it? And you know how Grandfather Cosgrove is, he would listen to whatever she says."

Lilac’s smile widened as she turned to face the large vanity mirror, lazily admiring herself in it. As she brushed back a piece of her black hair, her red lips curved into a small smile. "Oh, Mother, you misunderstand me."

Eve crossed her arms, still furious. "Enlighten me, then."

Lilac let out a soft, almost dreamy sigh as she traced the edge of the mirror with her finger. "We need Amelia back here. Before she left, she had managed to gain a bit of sympathy from the people. Even if she is totally driven out, who’s to say Grandfather Cosgrove won’t interfere in the future? He’s always had a soft spot for her." Her voice turned sharper as she continued, "But if we bring her back... if we completely blacken her name in front of everyone, including that old dog... then no one will stand by her, not even him."

Eve paused, considering her daughter’s words.

Lilac turned to face her fully, her eyes shining with something sinister. "Think about it, Mother. If Amelia is gone, she would become an untouchable figure who could return at any time. But if she’s here, where we can control the narrative, we can drag her down completely."

Eve narrowed her eyes. "And how exactly do you plan to do that?"

Lilac’s smile widened, but it didn’t reach her eyes. "Amelia is wild, isn’t she? So proud and brutish. Even if she seems to have changed, she is still Amelia. We just have to... push her against the wall so badly that she has no choice but to snap back. And knowing Amelia, she can be quite dangerous and violent when cornered. We just have to use that to our advantage." Her fingers tapped lightly against her chin. "Ruin her reputation, stain her name, twist her every move into something ugly. By the time we’re done, even Grandfather will want nothing to do with her."

Eve let out a low chuckle. "I didn’t realize you were thinking this far ahead."

Lilac giggled. "Of course, Mother. Amelia is... quite special. We can’t just throw her away so easily." She turned back to the mirror, her fingers brushing over the reflection as if she were stroking Amelia’s face instead. "That would be such a waste."

Eve felt a flicker of unease at the way Lilac spoke, but she quickly pushed it aside. If it got rid of Amelia for good, then she didn’t care how her daughter acted.

Lilac’s smile softened as she whispered evilly, "I’ll make sure Amelia stays right where she belongs."

---

Some days had passed since Amelia began living with Kai, and she could confidently say they were the best days she had experienced since becoming Amelia Cosgrove. Her life was peaceful, and, most importantly, her incredibly handsome roommate was hardly ever around. When he was, he would take her out to eat, which was a bonus.

While she did have a teeny bit of a problem, the fact that Kai always came back with a strong stench of blood, honestly? She didn’t really care. For one, he was considerate enough to shower immediately upon returning, and two, it wasn’t any of her business why he always ended up that way. Though she had begun to suspect that he was involved in some shady business, as long as it didn’t affect her in any way, she didn’t mind.

Sitting on the couch, Amelia refreshed her inbox for what felt like the hundredth time. Ever since she had sent that email to Marie Denver, she had been on edge, eagerly awaiting a response.

She was really expecting to receive a favorable email because Marie had seemed to take a liking to her during their last meeting and she was the one who proposed that they do meet sometime. However, she could also be wrong and get rejected, humans were unpredictable, after all.

Then, her eyes caught it.

An email from Marie inviting her for a one on one meeting.