Her Rebirth.

By morning, Amelia felt like she had been set on fire.

Her body ached, her limbs heavy, her head pounding with unbearable heat. The fever had settled deep into her bones, sapping every ounce of strength from her. She barely had the energy to open her eyes, let alone move.

A soft sigh escaped her lips as she shifted slightly, feeling the cool press of a damp cloth against her forehead.

"Finally awake?"

The voice was soft and laced with a tinge of worry.

Amelia’s eyelashes fluttered as she forced her eyes open. The first thing she saw was Kai sitting beside her, his gaze filled with concern.

She blinked, trying to process.

Why was he here?

Then the memories trickled in.

The rain. The cold. The way she had stood beneath the storm, drowning in her nightmares.

A soft groan escaped her.

Kai’s lips curled slightly as he leaned back in his chair. "You’re such a bother."

Amelia scowled, or at least, she tried to. In her current state, it probably just looked like a weak pout.

"I didn’t ask you to take care of me," she mumbled.

Kai chuckled. "And she still has enough energy to be snarky. Good sign."

She wanted to snap back, but before she could muster the strength, Kai reached for a small bowl on the nightstand, swirling a spoon in the warm, golden liquid.

"Drink."

Amelia eyed it suspiciously. "What is it?"

"Medicine."

She hesitated. "I don’t like medicine."

"I added honey so it isn’t bitter." He dipped the spoon into the warm medicine, bringing it to her lips. "Come on, take this."

But Amelia refused to open her lips.

Kai sighed. "Are you seriously being stubborn even now?"

"I don’t want to." Amelia at first refused because she was truly afraid of medicine,it reminded her of the poison she had once taken. But seeing Kai like this, Amelia didn’t know why, but her pride refused to let her be fed like a child.

"I... can do it myself." But when she tried to push herself up, dizziness crashed over her like a wave, forcing her back down with a weak groan.

"Right. You’re doing great," Kai said sarcastically.

Amelia glared at him, hard.

Kai exhaled through his nose, his patience already wearing thin. "And I don’t like watching you burn up like this. So let me feed you."

Amelia pressed her lips together stubbornly, turning her head away.

Kai tilted his head, amusement flickering in his gaze. "Oh? Looks like we’ll have to do this the hard way, then."

Before she could even process what he meant by that, she heard the clink of the spoon being set down. Then,the bed dipped beside her.

Before she could react, Kai’s fingers tilted her chin back toward him.

Her fever-hazed mind barely had time to process what was happening before his lips brushed against hers.

Her breath hitched.

Something warm trickled into her mouth, slightly bitter but laced with honey.

It took her a second to realize, he was feeding her the medicine through his mouth.

Amelia’s body tensed, her hands instinctively reaching up to push him away, but Kai caught her wrist easily, holding her still.

Her heart pounded so hard she could feel it in her throat.

When he finally pulled back, his eyes held a dangerous glint, the corners of his lips curling into something almost teasing.

"There," he murmured, his voice lower, smoother. "Not so bad, was it?"

Amelia’s face burned but not just from the fever anymore. "You—"

"Shh," Kai murmured, brushing his thumb lightly over her lower lip. His gaze darkened, something unreadable lurking beneath it. "You needed the medicine. I simply found a way to make sure you took it."

Amelia’s fingers curled into the sheets, her heart hammering against her ribs. She wanted to be angry, to call him out for being a shameless bastard but all she could focus on was the warmth lingering on her lips, the rapid beating in her chest.

She had felt safe last night, under his umbrella.

And now... now she felt something far more terrifying.

She liked it.

And that realization sent panic coursing through her veins.

Kai must have noticed her dazed expression because his smirk widened. "What’s wrong?" he drawled. "You look like you’ve seen a ghost."

Amelia’s breath shuddered.

Kai.

He was dangerous.

Not because of his power, not because of his ruthlessness.

But because of what he made her feel.

Something terrifying.

Something she had no control over.

Her throat became suddenly dry.

No, she should hate this. She should push him away. She should tell him he was crossing a line.

But the problem was—

She didn’t hate it.

And that realization scared her more than anything. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

No.

She couldn’t afford this.

Not with him.

Not with anyone.

She couldn’t let herself get hurt. Not again.

---

It wasn’t long before Amelia drifted back into sleep.

Kai lingered for a moment, his gaze soft as he watched the slow rise and fall of her chest. He reached out, brushing a damp strand of hair away from her forehead. Her fever had gone down. That was good.

After ensuring her temperature had stabilized, he stood, adjusting the blankets around her before silently leaving the room.

The moment the door clicked shut behind him, the warmth in his eyes vanished, and his expression turned cold.

With steady strides, he made his way to his study and settled into his chair. He flipped open his laptop, fingers gliding over the keyboard. Within seconds, he was sifting through the files that had been sent to him during his absence.

Among them was a document labeled Cosgrove Holdings – Full Report.

He clicked it open.

A detailed analysis unfolded before him, their assets, liabilities, trade secrets, confidential partnerships. Everything about the Cosgrove family and their business empire lay exposed before his eyes.

Kai leaned back, his fingers steepled under his chin as he read through the data.

It wasn’t just financials. The report detailed every connection, every dirty little secret the Cosgroves had tried to bury. It even outlined their weaknesses, pressure points that, if pushed just right, would send the entire empire crumbling into dust.

His lips curled into a humorless smile.

A notification popped up in the corner of his screen. It was a message from Wen.

— Sir, we have confirmation. Lilac Cosgrove was behind the attack on Miss Amelia.

Kai exhaled slowly, his fingers tapping against the desk.

Lilac.

How bold of her.

How stupid of her.

Amelia may have once belonged to the Cosgroves, but she did not hold them dear. If anything, the betrayal of her stepsister had severed any lingering ties, replacing them with resentment. And if Amelia harbored even a fraction of hatred toward her so-called family, then it was only fitting that he would give her the justice she deserved.

No. More than justice.

The Cosgroves, the Blackwoods, every single one of them who had wronged her, he would erase them.

Brick by brick, he would reduce their carefully built empires to dust.

Kai’s fingers hovered over the keyboard before he typed out a single message to Wen.

— Start the preparations. It’s time we erased some names from the industry.