Her Rebirth.

The room was silent, save for the crackling sound of the broken overhead fan. The room was cramped and unkempt, with noodle packs littered on the ground and rats occasionally scuttering around.

A man breathed raggedly as he lay on the cold ground weakly, blood staining his shirt, some dried, some fresh. Blood crusted over his busted lip, one eye already swollen shut.

Kai stood in front of him, dressed in black, sleeves rolled up. His face was devoid of warmth, and his eyes were sharp and ice-cold. In Kai’s hand was a rusted iron rod, its end already slick with blood.

"I’ll ask one last time," Kai said quietly, though his voice carried a hint of danger. "Who sent you?"

The man spat out a mixture of blood and saliva on the ground, his eyes filled with terror. "I-I told you! I don’t know! I was just paid! I swear—"

Before he could finish, Kai slammed the rod into the man’s jaw with brutal force. The man screamed, gagging and sobbing as blood trickled down his lips. "Please! I don’t know their name, I don’t!!"

Kai tilted his head slightly, his expression unreadable. Then he dropped the bar with a loud clang and crouched in front of him, grabbing his chin roughly and forcing his gaze upward.

"You don’t know their name," he repeated mockingly. "But you know something. Tell me. Now."

The man sobbed, voice shaking. "I-I have their number. I don’t know their name, I swear. They... they contacted me through a burner. Paid in cash. I didn’t ask questions, they just gave me a photo and told me to ruin her."

Kai’s lips curled into a humorless smile. "Good."

He rose, pulling out his phone and handed it over to the man. The man took it with trembling fingers and typed the number down. The room was dead quiet as he dialed the number and gave the phone back to Kai.

Kai turned to two of his men, dressed in black, who had been standing quietly at the edge of the room all this while, and ordered:

"Hold him."

The man’s eyes widened in horror. "W-wait—wait! Please—!"

Two of Kai’s men stepped forward, grabbed him by the shoulders and head, forcing his mouth open.

One of them uncapped a small glass bottle. The sharp chemical stench immediately filled the room. It was acid.

"No, no—please, please—I told you everything!"

Kai stood still, his hands in his pockets as he watched with detached calm. As he dialed the number.

"You raised your hand against her. There’s no forgiveness for that."

The acid was poured in. After two rings, the line connected.

The man thrashed violently, a garbled scream tearing from his throat as the liquid burned its way down. Smoke hissed from his mouth. His body convulsed, and his eyes rolled back due to pain, foaming blood and acid dripping from his lips. Kai watched in silence, his eyes becoming colder.

On the phone, the person on the other end finally spoke in a shrill voice.

"You who are you!!!...You’re insane!"

Kai’s lips curled into a slow smile.

"You have no idea."

Then he hung up, tossing the phone onto the now lifeless body. He turned, brushing invisible dust from his coat.

"Clean it up," he said quietly to his men. "Then find out who owns that number."

---

Kai loosened his collar and leaned back, eyes momentarily closing as the car glided through the streets. The memory of Amelia’s fearful expression flickered in his eyes, and his jaw clenched.

He opened his eyes and glanced outside just as the car passed a luxurious jewelry store with glass windows. His eyes fell onto a display case with rows of rings sparkling.

"Stop the car," he ordered.

Secretary Wen blinked from the front seat. "Sir?"

"I said stop."

The driver pulled over smoothly, and Kai stepped out. Wen quickly followed, slightly confused at what was going on but deemed it wise to say nothing. His boss wasn’t in the best of moods, after all. Besides, it was already obvious that something was wrong when his boss had called him by 10 pm asking him to find someone, someone who wasn’t related to the Song family in any way, and thereafter asking him to meet him.

A bell chimed as they entered the store. The vendor, sensing a high-end customer, straightened immediately with a warm smile.

"Welcome, sir. Is there something special you’re looking for?"

Kai’s eyes drifted over the velvet-lined trays filled with expensive rings until one piece caught his attention. It was a delicate ring with a rose-hued diamond set on a thin platinum band. It was elegant and unique. Beautiful, but not loud.

Just like her.

He pointed at it. "That one."

The vendor quickly packaged it, handing it over in a sleek black box. Kai gave a small nod and walked out after paying, Wen trailing behind.

"A ring, sir?" Wen asked cautiously. "Are you planning to propose to madam?"

Kai hummed in response, a small smile forming on his lips. "Maybe."

---

When he returned home, the mansion was quiet as expected. He walked past Poppy, who lay curled at his colorful soft bed, and went to his room. And there she was, Amelia, sprawled across his bed, sleeping peacefully, her hair fanned out on the pillow, and her lips were slightly parted, utterly unguarded and quite inviting.

Kai’s gaze softened. He moved closer, sitting at the edge of the bed. Slowly, carefully, he took her left hand into his own.

Her fingers were slender and delicate. His thumb brushed over her knuckle as he opened the ring box with a soft click. He slid the ring onto her finger, and it slipped on like it was made for her.

"It looks really pretty on you, my little butterfly," he whispered, his voice low and indulgent.

Then, without warning, he brought her hand to his lips, taking her ring finger into his mouth. His tongue traced a circle around the band, heat pooling in his eyes. He sucked gently, savoring her taste, his teeth lightly grazing her skin.

Amelia stirred slightly, but didn’t wake up. Her body relaxed again, unaware of the possessive mark that now adorned her hand. Kai smiled, letting the finger go with a soft pop.

He leaned down, brushing his lips over her neck. "Sleep well, my butterfly," he whispered. "You belong to me now."

And with that, he slipped under the covers beside her, wrapping an arm around her waist, and pulling her close.