Her Rebirth.

Soft morning light streamed through the curtains, casting a golden hue over the quiet bedroom. Amelia stirred beneath the covers, her lashes fluttering as she slowly woke up. As her eyes adjusted to the brightness, she raised her hands to block the sunlight from reaching her eyes. Then she noticed the rose ring with a pink diamond inlaid on her finger. She blinked, her lips parting in surprise.

"What’s this...?" she muttered.

Kai, already propped against the headboard, was watching her, his shirt unbuttoned lazily. His eyes drank in her perplexed expression with fondness.

"You noticed," he said, his voice still husky from sleep.

Amelia turned to him fully, looking quite puzzled. "What is this, Kai?"

Kai stretched out his hand, brushing a thumb across her cheek gently. "I’ve been thinking... since we’re already engaged, why don’t we just get married?"

Amelia’s eyes widened in surprise as her heart leaped to her throat. Her cheeks began to flush a soft red as the weight of what he’d said settled over her. "Married...?" she whispered, almost in disbelief.

The idea of getting married to him, to become completely his... as much as it was endearing, weren’t they moving too fast? Besides, what if along the line he fell out of love with her? She couldn’t afford another loveless marriage. But still... since it was with Kai, she didn’t really mind.

But then Amelia noticed the slight shift in Kai’s expression. He grew quiet, thoughtful, and then slowly shook his head. "No," he murmured with a frown. "Not yet."

Her heart dropped. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Not yet? Did he change his mind?

Amelia turned to him quickly, her brows furrowed. "Why not?" Her voice came out smaller than she intended.

Her fingers began to fidget nervously under the sheets, her mind spinning with thoughts, does he not want her anymore? Was he regretting everything?

Kai noticed her distress immediately. He caught her trembling hand and brought it to his lips, kissing the ring finger softly. Then, his tongue flicked teasingly against the band before he licked the tip of her finger.

Amelia gasped, both embarrassed and comforted.

He doesn’t hate her.

Kai chuckled against her skin, his warm breath resting on her, then murmured, "It’s only right that I propose first."

Amelia blinked. "Propose?"

Kai leaned in, lips brushing her knuckles again. "Yes, formally. So keep this ring for now... until I make it official, my little butterfly."

Amelia’s heart melted in relief and affection, and she buried her face against his chest to hide the smile growing on her lips.

---

Alice’s hands trembled in panic as she shoved her clothes into a suitcase. Her breaths were heavy, and her makeup was smeared from the tears she’d barely had time to wipe away.

"Damn it! Damn it!" she muttered, slamming the suitcase shut. She grabbed her phone and frantically dialed.

Still no answer.

She called again. And again.

"Pick up... PICK UP!" she screamed, her hands trembling. But the line remained dead.

A choked sob escaped her lips. She couldn’t stay here. Not after what happened to the man she’d hired. She had to leave, now!

Alice dragged her suitcase out the door, her heels clicking harshly against the hallway. She shoved it into the trunk of her car and got into the driver’s seat, glancing around the dark street with paranoia in her eyes.

The car roared to life and sped off, her fingers clutching the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles turned white.

Just a little further. Just get to the airport, leave the country and disappear. You’ll be safe.

But fate wasn’t so kind to her.

As she made a sharp turn into the main road, headlights flared in front of her, then a massive truck barreled toward her from a blind spot.

She screamed loudly, unable to move due to fear. Then there was a deafening crash, the world spun—

And then, darkness.

---

Because of the accident, Liavenne was in a tense state. Damien sat across from Amelia, his brow furrowed as he scrolled through a flurry of internal emails on his tablet. The ad they’d worked so hard on was now on hold because of Alice’s sudden accident.

"I don’t know what to do," Damien admitted, sighing as he leaned back. "The board’s split. Some want to release the ad anyway, to recoup the cost. Others think it’s better to recast and shoot again, and a few even want to scrap it altogether."

Amelia crossed her legs, thoughtful. Alice, the lead model of the line, had been involved in a fatal incident. She had just been made aware of it when she got to work and saw everyone moving around in a flurry. It had come as a shock and surprise to her, and just as expected, it had affected the release of the ad.

This was truly a difficult case.

Amelia folded her arms. "If you release it now, it might come across as insensitive. But scrapping it entirely means all the effort and resources go to waste. Why not hold off just a bit? Wait until the media frenzy dies down, and then test the waters, maybe with a soft release or behind-the-scenes content."

Damien considered her words. "That... might actually work." He looked at her, grateful. "Thank you, Amelia. I owe you one."

She smiled gently at him but didn’t respond.

Damien looked at her a little longer than necessary, then looked down at his tablet, his lips parting as if he wanted to say more but he stopped himself. Then, after a few seconds of silence, he cleared his throat. "You always know how to keep a level head, even when everyone else is scrambling."

Amelia’s smile fell just a little, her gaze dropping to the ring on her fingers. "It’s what I’m paid to do," she said lightly.

After her rejection, she knew that the relationship between them might not be the same as it was. Honestly, as selfish as it may sound, she really wished that he had hidden his feelings for her.

Damien leaned forward, his elbows resting on the desk. "That night... you said you had a date with Kai."

Amelia’s eyes rose up to meet his.

He smiled, but it was melancholic. "Is it serious?"

She nodded. "Yes. It is."

Damien’s jaw clenched subtly before he nodded. "Right... I hope he treats you well."

"He does," she said simply.

And that was that.

The silence that followed was quite uncomfortable.

Damien stood, smoothing his shirt. "Thanks again, Amelia. I’ll update the board with your suggestion."

She nodded, her expression softening a bit. "Good luck, Damien."

As he walked away, she sat still for a moment, her fingers lightly brushing the pink diamond ring on her finger.

Sorry, but her heart could only belong to Kai.