Her Rebirth.

Amelia led Kai through the hallways, her heels clicking softly against the marble floor. She had no intention of airing their issues in front of her coworkers, especially not after such an important event. They finally arrived at a quiet corner, away from prying eyes.

She turned to face him, arms crossed. "Kai, why do you think I’m avoiding you?"

Kai’s sharp eyes stayed on her, unreadable at first. Then, with a soft chuckle, he leaned against the wall, his hands tucked into his pockets. "Do I really have to spell it out?"

Amelia didn’t answer, so he did.

"Ever since that night, you barely come home." His voice was calm, but if one listened closely, there was a dangerous edge to it.

She pressed her lips together. "Kai—"

But he didn’t let her finish.

"If it’s because of the kiss—" he interrupted, a smile on his lips though it didn’t quite reach his eyes, "—then don’t bother. It was just on a whim. I was just teasing you, okay? So stop avoiding me."

Amelia’s fingers clenched slightly. "Teasing, huh?"

That was what she had hoped for.

That the kiss had meant nothing. That it had been a fleeting moment, a meaningless impulse.

So why did it feel like something inside her ached hearing him say it?

Kai’s lips curled into a playful smirk.

"Or else... I might have no choice but to lock you up. Just so I can be the only one who sees you."

Amelia’s breath hitched for a second. Even though it was said playfully, why did it seem like he was being serious?

She quickly masked her confusion with a scoff. "You sound crazy."

Kai only chuckled, unbothered.

He was crazy, alright.

She exhaled. "Fine. I’ll come back home."

Kai smiled,va real one this time. "Good. That’s all I wanted to hear." 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

He took a step back. "I have to leave now. Something important came up."

Amelia simply nodded, watching as he turned away and walked off, his figure disappearing into the distance.

She didn’t move for a while.

Her heart felt oddly heavy.

---

When Amelia returned to the others, she was met with the sight of Ray and Sera at each other’s throats.

Damien caught sight of her and immediately walked over, letting out a dramatic sigh of relief.

"Thank God you’re back, Amelia! I thought I was going to run mad."

She raised an eyebrow. "What happened?"

Damien gestured helplessly toward Ray and Sera, who were still bickering like children. "These two have been at each other’s throats for ages. If you were any later, I swear I was going to throw them both out myself."

Amelia turned to them.

"You’re as annoying as a mosquito in the summer," Ray snapped.

"And you’re as dumb as a rock," Sera shot back.

"A mosquito has more intelligence than you!"

"And a rock is more useful than you!"

Damien pinched the bridge of his nose. "See what I mean?"

Amelia sighed, clearly unimpressed. She had just come from dealing with Kai, and now she had to deal with this.

Damien, as if suddenly remembering, glanced around. "By the way, where’s your fiancé?"

She hesitated for a second before answering. "He went back."

Damien studied her expression for a moment but didn’t comment. Instead, he just shrugged. "Lucky guy. He escaped this circus."

"Are you actually incapable of shutting up?" Ray shouted angrily.

Sera scoffed, flipping her hair dramatically. "No, I just enjoy watching you get all worked up, brat."

Ray looked like he was about to explode when Amelia finally spoke up.

"Ray."

At the sound of her voice, Ray immediately turned, his expression brightening.

"Amelia!" He greeted her enthusiastically, but her cold, indifferent gaze made his smile falter.

"Why are you here?" Her voice was devoid of any warmth.

Ray’s excitement dimmed instantly. He looked down, as if ashamed. "I... I really came to cheer you on."

Amelia remained silent.

Ray fidgeted. "I know... I can’t make up for everything I did to you. But—" his voice grew more desperate, "just let me try, okay?"

Amelia studied him.

Even if she wanted to hate him, to act indifferent, the emotions of the original Amelia wouldn’t let her.

But that didn’t mean she would forgive him easily either.

Ray was one of the people who had indirectly led to Amelia Cosgrove’s death. That wasn’t something she could simply forget.

She let out a sigh, her cold demeanor softening only slightly.

Before she could say anything, she turned to Sera.

"And why are you here?"

Sera folded her arms and huffed.

"You bitch, I don’t like you, but I thought we at least built some kind of bond. Why didn’t you invite me?"

Amelia raised an eyebrow. "And why exactly should I invite you? You just said you don’t like me."

Sera rolled her eyes. "Duh. So I can be your anti-fan."

Amelia stared at her. "...You’re ridiculous."

Sera smirked. "No, I am iconic."

Amelia: "..."

---

The glow of the television screen illuminated Lilac’s room, the news anchor’s voice filling the space with excited chatter about Amelia Cosgrove’s rising success. Clips of her triumphant fashion show played on repeat, accompanied by headlines celebrating her as a rising star in the industry.

Eve clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms as she turned toward her daughter. "Didn’t you say you’d take care of Amelia?!" she snapped, her voice laced with frustration. "And yet, look at her! She’s all over the news, people are cheering for her!"

Lilac, who had been quietly sipping her tea, didn’t even blink. Her cold gaze remained fixed on the swirling liquid in her cup.

Eve’s irritation flared at her silence. "Lilac! Don’t you have anything to say?!"

Finally, Lilac lifted her gaze and met her mother’s eyes with an indifferent stare. "You’re too whiny," she said flatly.

A shiver ran down Eve’s spine at the sheer indifference in her daughter’s tone.

Lilac placed her teacup down with a soft clink, leaning back in her seat. "Don’t worry," she said smoothly. "I already have a plan in motion."

Eve swallowed, both reassured and unsettled by the way Lilac spoke, calm, composed, as if she had already calculated Amelia’s downfall.

And knowing Lilac, she probably had.