Her Rebirth.

Tw: stalkerish behavior

Saturday and Sunday passed in a blur, and before Amelia knew it, Monday had arrived, the day she was supposed to leave.

The weekend had been quiet, almost peaceful. She had spent most of her time with Kai and Poppy, though she made sure to shower Poppy with extra attention. After all, she was going to miss the little feline the most.

Kai stood near the door, dressed sharply in a tailored black tuxedo, his hair neatly combed back, and silver-rimmed glasses perched carefully on his nose. He looked every bit the businessman he was supposed to be today. Unlike their usual routine of taking the nameless silver car, today, he would be using the company’s Rolls-Royce as he had an important deal to attend.

As he adjusted his cufflinks, he glanced at Amelia. "Are you coming with me?"

Unlike other mornings, Amelia had no intention of following him today. She shook her head, feigning nonchalance. "Sorry, but I’m planning to go in a bit later today."

Kai’s gaze sharpened slightly. "Why?"

"I have some projects I need to finish up."

For a brief moment, silence stretched between them. Then, Kai smiled. It was a slow, knowing smile, and it didn’t quite reach his eyes.

Amelia felt a shiver creep down her spine.

Why was he smiling like that?

Did he... know something?

Kai took a step closer, his towering presence making it impossible to ignore the weight of his gaze. But unlike the countless times she had instinctively backed away, this time, she held her ground.

Though she was scared, she had a feeling that if she backed away, she was definitely going to be pinned to a wall and feel all of him. How did she know? Because that’s what he did during the weekend, and she couldn’t afford that for her already shaky heart.

Kai studied her for a few seconds before letting out a small sigh. "You’re no longer fun to tease," he murmured. "Anyway, bye."

With that, he turned and walked out the door.

Amelia forced herself to wave him off, watching as he disappeared from sight. The moment he was gone, she exhaled, feeling the tension in her body loosen.

It was time.

She went upstairs, packed her belongings, and cleaned the apartment meticulously. When she was finally done, she dragged her luggage down the stairs, pausing at the bottom. Her gaze swept over the place, a quiet sigh escaping her lips.

She really was going to miss this place.

A soft meow snapped her from her thoughts. Looking down, she found Poppy rubbing against her legs, his fluffy tail curling around her ankles.

She bent down, lifting the cat into her arms, stroking his fur gently. "Goodbye, cutie-pootie," she whispered.

Poppy purred, nuzzling into her touch, completely unaware of the permanence of her farewell.

Setting him down, she moved to the cupboard, took out some cat food, and filled his bowl. At least this way, he wouldn’t go hungry before Kai returned.

She sighed, glancing toward the kitchen table. Taking a deep breath, she pulled out a small envelope from her bag, carefully placing it on the polished wooden surface. Inside was a stack of crisp bills, payment for the time she had spent under his roof.

Beside it, she laid down a folded piece of paper, the edges slightly crumpled from how tightly she had been holding it.

The ink on the page was neat but carried a trace of hesitance.

Kai,

I’m leaving.

Thank you for letting me stay here, but it’s time I moved on.

I don’t like owing people, so I’ve left some money. I hope it suffices for the time I was here.

Take care of Poppy.

—Amelia

She lingered for a second, staring at the words. They felt inadequate and cold but what else could she say? That she would miss this place? That she would miss him?

No.

Exhaling sharply, she turned away, dragging her suitcase to the door.

Just as she was about to leave, Poppy latched onto her legs, meowing insistently as if begging her to take him with her.

Amelia knelt beside him again, gently stroking his fur. "I’ll be back soon," she lied with a soft smile. "Be a good boy, okay?"

After a moment, he finally released her, though his wide green eyes followed her every move.

With one last lingering glance at the apartment, Amelia stepped out the door.

The second she was outside the estate, she hailed a taxi. Sliding into the backseat, she told the driver where she was headed.

"Crestview, please."

As the car began to move, Amelia turned her gaze to the window, watching the trees blur past. She rested her chin against her palm, convincing herself, over and over again that this was the right decision.

Her heart had just begun to heal.

She couldn’t afford to let it break again.

The drive felt both too long and too short. Before she knew it, the taxi rolled to a stop in front of a large sign that read Crestview.

Amelia stepped out, paying the driver before thanking him politely.

Just ahead, a woman was waiting for her. She was dressed casually, her auburn hair tied into a loose ponytail, her lips curled into an easy smile.

"You must be Amelia," the woman greeted, extending a hand.

Amelia took it, shaking it firmly. "And you must be Lydia."

"Welcome," Lydia said, motioning for her to follow.

They made their way inside, stopping in front of a small apartment. Lydia unlocked the door and gestured for her to enter.

The space was modest but cozy.

Amelia took a slow breath, letting her fingers brush against the countertop as she stepped inside.

She could make do with this.

Now, the real problem...

She glanced at her luggage with a sigh.

...was unpacking.

---

Kai sat leisurely on a chair, one leg crossed over the other. His posture was relaxed, yet before him, a man was bound tightly to a chair, his body trembling with fear. His mouth was gagged, muffling the panicked whimpers that spilled from his lips.

Kai’s gray eyes, behind his silver-rimmed glasses, held an unsettling calm. A smile played at his lips, but it was eerie, instead of giving warmth, it only made one shiver.

Click.

He stood, his movements unhurried as he loaded a gun, the metallic sound echoing in the silent chamber. Slowly, he strolled toward the man.

Stopping just in front of him, Kai tilted his head, amusement flickering across his face. "Let’s play a game." He spun the revolver lazily in his hand. "Russian roulette."

"You’ve heard of it, right?" Kai continued in a playful manner. "It’s a really fun game, and I’m sure you would enjoy it, especially since you like taking very dangerous, albeit foolish, risks."

The man shook violently, his muffled pleas barely audible through the gag. His wide, terror-filled eyes darted between Kai and the gun.

He knew there was no way he was going to be lucky. Kai wasn’t that kind. No, he was a devil.

Kai lifted the revolver and pressed it lightly against his own temple.

Click.

Nothing.

Kai chuckled, his smile widening. "Ah... no bullet. The heavens must be on my side."

Then, without hesitation, he shifted the gun and pulled the trigger again, this time, aimed at the man’s hand, which had been bound by chains to the metallic chair.

Bang!

The man tried to scream past the gag, but only a strangled cry escaped. He convulsed, his entire body trembling in agony as blood pooled beneath the chair.

Kai clicked his tongue in disappointment. "Unlucky you."

His fingers brushed against the trigger once more as he pressed the cold barrel back to his own head.

Click.

Empty again.

Kai smirked. "Seems I’m truly lucky today."

Then, he turned his gaze back to his victim, eyes dark with something unreadable. "Now," he murmured, crouching slightly, "your turn."

He pressed the barrel against the man’s temple and pulled the trigger.

Bang.

A lifeless body slumped against the chair, head tilted at an unnatural angle.

Kai exhaled, unbothered. It was, after all, another mundane task in his mundane life. All he did now was because of the old man and the power he would soon seize from him. He did not really fancy the idea of being under anyone. Well... he didn’t mind being under Amelia, not that she would agree, but still.

A man dressed in black stepped forward, offering him a crisp white napkin. Kai accepted it, wiping the nonexistent specks of blood from his hands. It reminded him of the time he had met Amelia at the bar. If they had told him then that he would be head over heels for Amelia, he would have scoffed in their faces, or maybe he wouldn’t, because he still ended up keeping the pretty little napkin she had given him, even though he never used a napkin twice.

Just then, another subordinate approached, snapping him out of his thoughts. He leaned in to whisper in his ear.

"Miss Amelia is gone."

Kai stilled for a fraction of a second, his fingers pausing before crumpling the napkin in his palm.

"What time?" he asked, his voice smooth and casual.

"Ten a.m."

Kai hummed, as if mulling over the information. Then, he let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head. "Alright," he said lightly, "let’s give her a few days of freedom."

With that, he turned on his heel, pushing open a door that led into his private office. At the center of the room sat his desk, and atop it, a laptop screen flickered to life. The images on display were crystal clear, they were surveillance feeds from inside Amelia’s new apartment, capturing every corner of her new home.

Kai sank into his chair, resting his chin on his hand as his gray eyes traced over the screens. A quiet smirk played at his lips.

"Though..." he murmured to himself, fingers tapping idly against the desk, "things may be quite boring these next few days."