Her Rebirth.

Kai’s hand held Amelia’s shoulders tightly, refusing to let go. His hands trembled slightly as he gritted his teeth.

His little butterfly almost got hurt.

If she had gotten hurt, he wouldn’t have been able to forgive himself; even now, he couldn’t forgive himself.

He had to protect her more, he had to keep her safe. He couldn’t let harm get to her.

Amelia looked up and saw Kai’s face darkening by the second and his grip tightening.

Amelia’s face scrunched up in pain, and she whimpered softly.

"Kai, it hurts... It really hurts."

Kai blinked, snapping out of the dark thoughts pulling him. He looked at Amelia, who looked at him aggrieved, and his knuckles were white, fingers digging into her small shoulders.

His eyes widened in guilt, and he quickly pulled away, saying quickly, "I’m sorry, Amelia, I’m really sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you."

Amelia gave him a small smile, rubbing her arms. "It’s okay. You were just... worried."

He looked away, feeling ashamed, and gently reached for her hand. "Come inside."

---

Inside the café, Annie looked up from behind the counter and immediately rushed over, her eyes filled with worry.

"Amelia! Are you alright? I saw the commotion outside..."

"I’m fine," Amelia reassured her with a small nod and a smile. "Just a little shaken, that’s all."

Kai didn’t say a word, just guided Amelia to a plush sofa by the window, helping her sit. "Wait here for a moment," he said softly. "I’ll be right back."

Moments later, he returned wearing a long black coat, with Poppy nestled in one arm, meowing contently. "Let’s go home."

Amelia’s face softened at the sight of the fluffy cat. "Poppy," she cooed, rubbing her hands along his soft fur. "I really missed you." Poppy stretched his paws toward her, tail flicking with affection as he purred in satisfaction. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Amelia looked up at Kai and blinked. "Wait... your shift doesn’t end until 9. Won’t your boss get mad if you leave now?"

Kai smiled down at her, his eyes crinkling. "I am the boss."

Kai had always loved reading from a young age; it was the only thing that gave him joy in this mundane life of his, as it tended to always pull him out of the painful life he lived to one which he wished to live. When his mother was killed before his very eyes and he was dragged into the Blackwood family, his love for reading increased—it was his medicine.

After he was sent abroad by the Blackwood family, he had stumbled upon a book café and liked it, so he thought, why not have my own? So when he had to come back to Country A because of the Song Family, he bought a liquidating café and renovated it into a book café, where he shared what he enjoyed with others and also used it as a front to hide the traces of all the crimes he had to commit. Besides, who would ever think that a book café was the place where several men had been tortured and killed?

Amelia blinked. "You... own this place?" She had always thought that the café belonged to someone else and Kai worked for them.

He nodded, crouching down beside her gently. "I didn’t want to keep it from you. We’re dating now, so there shouldn’t be secrets between us."

Her lips parted in surprise, cheeks tinged with pink.

Did that mean when she told Annie to lie, that she had told the boss she wouldn’t be doing night shifts during Kai’s birthday, he knew they were lying? Or did Annie know?

Quite curious about this fact, Amelia asked,

"Does Annie know?"

"No," he replied, then reached for her hand, intertwining their fingers. "Let’s go home."

A faint pink rose up Amelia’s cheek as she looked down at their hands intertwined together.

"Home..."

---

Back at the house, Amelia took in the familiar scent of the house, and her lips quirked up into a faint smile. She really missed this place more than she’d realized.

Kai looked at her and asked, "What would you like to eat?" Placing his coat on the sofa.

"Carbonara, please," she said without hesitation, then turned to Poppy, who was already weaving through her legs, purring happily.

Kai smiled and headed into the kitchen while Amelia sat cross-legged on the living room rug with Poppy curled in her lap. Her fingers absentmindedly stroked the cat’s back as she watched Kai weave through the kitchen. She had an urge to go join him, but she knew that if she went, she would just probably be a nuisance. Nostalgia washed through her and she couldn’t help but muse,

I missed this... I missed him...

It wasn’t long before they sat at the table with steaming bowls of pasta. Amelia twirled a forkful, but midway through dinner, she noticed Kai’s gaze hadn’t left her and he was yet to take a bite out of his plate.

"Kai," she called softly. "Why aren’t you eating?"

His eyes darkened slightly.

"I want you to stay here with me," he said quietly. "Or at the very least, let me assign you some bodyguards."

Amelia’s smile fell immediately. "Kai... I can’t. I love working at Liavenne, and showing up everywhere with bodyguards would make things weird. I know you are worried because of what just happened, but don’t worry, I’ll be fine. I’ll speak with the police and hopefully, they’ll catch whoever did that."

"But what if they can’t?" Kai asked, then sighed. "Amelia, I can’t live normally if you’re not safe," he said.

"I understand... But.. I really love working at Liavenne," Amelia whispered. She understood where Kai was coming from, she really did, but working in Liavenne was one of the few things that gave her happiness, so she really couldn’t easily let go of it.

"I see," he said, setting his fork down with a smile. "Then... just eat, okay?"

She paused, suddenly feeling a cold ripple down her spine. That smile... it wasn’t the usual warm one he gave only to her. It felt rather cold and fake.

She placed her fork down slowly. "Kai..."

He looked up at her and smiled again; it was warm on the surface, but it didn’t quite mask the darkness underneath.

"Eat up, little butterfly," he said. "Your food’s getting cold."

Amelia did as told, but her appetite had dimmed, with the unease quietly growing in her chest.