Her Rebirth.

Amelia still stood in the doorway, her rabbit ears flopping forward as her thoughts raced in panic.

What was Kai doing there? How had he found her?!

Then, Sera’s voice rang from inside the apartment.

"Amelia! What’s taking you so long?!"

Amelia flinched slightly. "Oh no..."

Before she could say a word, Sera peeked out in her black cat-themed nightgown, a satin tail swishing behind her. She came to a sudden halt when she spotted Kai standing at the door.

Her eyes widened. "Oh."

Her gaze flicked from Amelia to Kai and then back again. Understanding came then, slowly, a mischievous grin curling on her lips. She leaned close to Amelia and then said very loudly, "Looks like I left the shower on. Oops."

She winked at Amelia, who was still frozen in place, and without waiting for a response, Sera turned around and ran down to her own apartment, her laughter echoing faintly as the door clicked shut behind her.

Kai tilted his head, watching Sera vanish with genuine amusement.

"I like her," he said, glancing at Amelia. "She’s smart."

Amelia sighed, calmed herself down, and crossed her arms over her chest, locking eyes with Kai. "Why are you here, Kai?" Though her confidence did little to hide the fear evident on her face.

His eyes didn’t leave her face. "To bring you back home."

Stunned by his reply, Amelia felt her little heart fluttering and, without thinking, she scrambled for a reply. "But this is my home."

Kai smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. "Really?" he asked softly. "Isn’t there something you should say first?"

She sighed and pressed two fingers to her temple. "You mean the letter." It was expected that he would bring it up, but still, Amelia would rather he did not.

Kai didn’t respond. He just stared at her, as if waiting for her to continue speaking.

Amelia knew that the conversation was not an easy one, so she stepped aside reluctantly, and her voice became quieter. "Come in."

Kai entered slowly, and the air grew heavier the moment he crossed the threshold. The door closed behind him with a soft click, but somehow, it felt like it had locked the world out.

"I’m sorry," she eventually said. "For leaving like that. But I had no choice."

Kai’s head tilted slightly, his smile widening. "No choice, huh?" he repeated, voice smooth but cold underneath.

Amelia glanced away, her fingers tightening at her sides. She didn’t want to answer.

She heard his footsteps approach before she felt the heat of his presence behind her. His voice curled into her ear—it was a sexy baritone.

"Well... that doesn’t matter," he said, slow and husky. "Because you’re coming back with me today. And if you do that, I might be generous enough to forgive your offense."

She turned slightly, eyes narrowing. "I’m not going anywhere with you."

Kai’s gaze darkened. The corner of his mouth twitched downward.

"Be good, Amelia," he warned, his voice dropping into something darker. "Don’t make me chain you down. You know I will."

Her breath hitched, and the air shifted.

Suddenly, his pressure slammed into her like an invisible force it was oppressive and inescapable and it made her knees wobbled. She couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe,not from fear, but from the intensity of it. Of him.

And then he moved.

In one smooth motion, he scooped her up, his arms sliding beneath her legs and back, cradling her like she weighed nothing. Her eyes widened, her lips parting in shock.

"Kai—" she began, but stopped when their gazes locked.

She saw it then, clearly, the obsession, the possessiveness. The darkness he didn’t even bother to keep hidden from her anymore.

Her mind rang, warning her that at this point Kai was dangerous, but also... the unwavering, all-consuming focus drew her in, into a trance. In his eyes, there was only her.

And every warning bell in her mind that had gone off became silent.

Because deep down, something about the way he looked at her, like she was the only star in his midnight sky, made her feel seen. Wanted. Claimed.

And she didn’t hate it.

Not one bit. Instead, she found herself relishing, enjoying the thought that just maybe she was the only one in his heart, the only one he had eyes on, the one he wished to possess.

It was her.

---

Kai carried her down the high-rise apartment with ease, his grip firm yet careful, as though she were both fragile and precious. When they exited the building, his driver was already waiting by his black Rolls Royce. Without a word and without even flinching, the man opened the back door as if this was just one of his master’s many antics.

Kai gently set Amelia into the seat, the fabric of her rabbit nightgown brushing softly against the leather upholstery. She tried to scoot herself upright with the thought of reclaiming her lost sense of dignity, but her flustered expression betrayed her, making her look like a woman who was shy in front of her crush. Kai slid in beside her, shutting the door behind him, and the car moved.

Silence settled between them, broken only by the low hum of the car engine and the distant city noise.

Amelia sat quietly, her hands folded in her lap, and her eyes were fixed ahead as she was lost in thought.

Then, she spoke, her voice was quiet, unsure but filled with curiosity, breaking through the silence.

"Kai... what did you mean when you said you’d chain me up?"

His head tilted, and a slow, indulging smile curled his lips. But there was a glint in his eye, his gaze intense, boring through her as if he wanted to cut her open.

"Amelia," he said, his voice filled with an unmistakable sexiness that she couldn’t ignore, "you know I love you... right?"

Her breath caught in her throat. She turned to him, eyes wide.

He leaned in slightly, his gaze never leaving hers.

"And you feel the same," he continued, "don’t you?" A pause. Then, gently, "Isn’t that why you ran away?"

Her cheeks flushed crimson, heat rising to her ears. Her lips parted slightly, but no words came out, so she looked away as an escape from the embarrassment she was feeling.

She hadn’t expected him to say it. And she certainly hadn’t expected him to know.

She had thought she had hidden her feelings pretty well.

"I... I didn’t—"

Kai reached out, brushing a stray strand of hair from her cheek. The touch was really light, but somehow, it made her heart skip.

"You’re not very good at hiding things from me, Amelia," he murmured.

And just like that, the air between them grew heavy again,suffused with something darker, warmer. Her skin prickled, heart racing, not from fear this time... but from anticipation.

He didn’t lean in fully, just enough to let her feel the tension, to know he could kiss her if he wanted. That she could close the gap, if she dared. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

But she didn’t.

Because once again, fear gripped her, and Kai, noticing this, pulled back and whispered in a slightly aggrieved voice,

"Amelia, you are scared again. Do I scare you?"

"No... I’m not scared of you," she said quickly. But feeling his intense gaze on her she admitted "Yes," and she shrank, looking away.

She then heard a low chuckle from above her.

"You are so adorable, Amelia."

She looked up, and immediately her lips were caught softly. Amelia could feel her breath stop, her cheeks turning beet red. Kai pulled away and whispered lovingly,

"Breathe, my little butterfly. Breathe."

Then he caught her lips again, his tongue plunging deep into her mouth, and then his hand slid to her waist, pulling her closer, deepening the kiss into something that made her feel like the car itself had vanished and the world narrowed to just the two of them.

When they finally arrived at Crestview, the driver stepped out and opened the door. Kai exited first, his clothes rough from the little exercise they just had, then turned and reached in with little warning, scooping her up into his arms again.

Amelia squirmed. "I can walk, you know."

He laughed, a low, deep rumble that sent goosebumps up her arms. "You’re too cute like this," he said, brushing his nose against her temple. "Indulge me."

He carried her effortlessly through the door, the doors sliding shut behind them as they entered. Amelia felt her insides getting warm as she took in the house, she really missed this place.

"Where’s Poppy?" Amelia asked, glancing around.

Kai set her down gently onto the couch, his arms lingering around her waist.

"I gave her to Annie while I was away," he said, straightening up. "She’ll bring her back tomorrow."

Amelia nodded, but before she could ask anything more, Kai leaned down, his gaze dropping to her lips.

"But for now," he said, his voice lower and rougher, "how about we stop talking about Poppy..."

His hand slid along her jaw, tilting her chin up so she was looking at him again. That same obsession was back in his eyes, dark and unfiltered.

"...and complete what was started earlier."

She barely had time to process his words before he kissed her.

It wasn’t gentle.

It was searing, possessive, the kind of kiss that made her forget her own name. His hands tangled in her hair as he pulled her closer, and her fingers fisted into the front of his shirt instinctively.

All the tension, all the longing that had been building between them, finally broke in that moment. The kiss deepened, grew hungrier, her gasp swallowed by his mouth, her body molding against his.

Because she knew that she wanted him to be here.

Exclusively hers.