Her Rebirth.

Mason clenched his fingers as he walked into a small mansion with several bodyguards. Just yesterday, Grandfather Cosgrove had scolded him yet again because Ray had run away from home. He had labeled him an incompetent father.

Good, very good. These children! they obviously took after their rotten mother!

One of the bodyguards knocked on the door. They heard a loud "Coming!"

Then the door opened. "Guys, I..." Ray froze in shock.

He had been expecting his friends over that’s why he hadn’t even bothered confirming who had knocked. But seeing his father before him...

"Father?... "

"You unfilial son, who gave you the permission to run away for such a long time?" Mason barked as he entered the house without invitation. His gaze swept the place once, at the takeout boxes on the table, the messy floor, the guitar in the corner, before settling sharply on Ray.

Ray scoffed. "I wouldn’t have left if you hadn’t said it."

"Said what?" Mason snapped.

"That I was a disappointment!" Ray’s voice cracked, though one could hear the underlying pain in it. "That I was nothing compared to your precious daughter! You looked me in the eyes and told me I was pathetic, for defending someone who was being bullied right in front of you."

"She’s your sister—!"

"She’s not a sister to me!" Ray cut in. "She’s a manipulative, two-faced white lotus who can’t stand anyone else getting attention. And you—" he pointed at Mason, voice rising, "—you enable her. You always have. We have..."

Mason’s eyes flared with fury. "Watch your mouth."

"No," Ray hissed. "I’m not going to. We watched everything she did to Amelia. We always thought Amelia was the one in the wrong. If Lilac gets hurt, it’s Amelia; if she sneezes, it’s Amelia’s fault; if she cries, Amelia must have surely done something wrong. And when I finally saw who Lilac truly was, when I finally said something, you told me I was a mistake!"

"I never said that."

"You didn’t have to," Ray whispered bitterly. "It was obvious. I am only important because I am a male, your heir. If not, I’d be an afterthought just like Amelia. To you, your child is Lilac. Not me. Not Amelia."

For a moment, Mason didn’t speak. Then, coldly, he said, "If you think this tantrum will make me change my mind, you’re wrong. You’re still my son, and you will come home. Whether you crawl or walk."

Ray shook his head. "No. I’m not going anywhere with you."

The bodyguards shifted slightly, but Mason raised a hand to stop them. His stare bored into Ray’s. "You will regret this disobedience."

Ray didn’t flinch. "I already regret staying in that house for this long."

There was silence. Mason turned. "Let’s go. He’ll come crawling back when the world reminds him he’s nothing without the Cosgrove name."

As they left, Ray stood frozen with his fist clenched. He did not care, he would not go back to a home where no one cared for him or his sister.

...

Lilac locked the door behind her and walked across the room. She knelt beside the bed and pulled open the drawer on the right. Her fingers found the hidden notch beneath the base, and with a quiet tug, the false bottom lifted to reveal a small wooden shelf concealed inside. At its center sat a wooden box.

Lilac took a breath, then opened it.

Inside the box were various glittering gems such as sapphires, emeralds, rubies and a collection of delicate, expensive jewelry she had bought over time.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out the small diamond she had picked up earlier at the mining site. It was unpolished but it would be worth a fortune once refined. A greedy gleam lit her eyes as she gently placed it among the others.

"There," she whispered to herself with a smile. "This should be enough to survive for a long, long time, right?"

Her fingers lingered over the collection, a glimmer of satisfaction in her eyes. She had been saving it for a long time so that when the time came, she would be able to provide for them and spoil them with gifts and luxury.

She closed the box and slid it back into place, smoothing over the drawer like nothing had happened.

Soon.

They will live happily ever after.

Together

...

Kai staggered out of the warehouse, and just ahead of him were several black cars parked in neat rows.

His hand tightened around his gun.

Song Ren’s men?

He really planned this, didn’t he?

He was currently injured and a bit weak, so fighting any further would eventually lead to his death. But still, Amelia was waiting for him. She was in danger. He had to find her.

He raised his gun, adrenaline pumping, every fiber of his body ready for another fight. But then, the frontmost car door opened and a man with blond hair and blue eyes stepped out.

Kai’s eyes narrowed. "You?"

Shen Xue adjusted his cuff, completely unfazed. "You’re bleeding," he noted with a slight tilt of his head. It was more of an observation than concern.

"I just called Ye Jin," Kai muttered, clearly suspicious.

"The moment Song Ren started rebelling, Ye Jin sent reinforcements," Shen Xue cut in smoothly, hands in his pockets.

Kai raised an eyebrow. "She moves fast." he mockingly said.

It was obvious, Ye Jin had insiders in the Song family.

Shen Xue’s mouth curved into a faint smile. "She’s always two steps ahead. You shouldn’t think about it too much."

Kai chuckled, the corner of his mouth twitching upward despite the pain. "Then send my thanks to your master."

"No need," Shen Xue said flatly. "After all, this is just basically business based on benefits." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Kai didn’t respond. He just smiled as he lowered his gun, then stepped toward the car Shen Xue had come out from.

His heart pounded with fear, though his face didn’t show any trace of it.

Please be safe, Amelia.