Her Rebirth.-Chapter 102

Amelia’s eyes flicked toward her phone as it buzzed again for the third time in less than five minutes. It was an unknown number. She’d ignored it at first because she was quite busy and didn’t have time to pick up calls, especially ones she didn’t recognize. But the persistence was unusual and annoying, if one must say.

With a small sigh, she finally picked up, tucking the phone between her ear and shoulder as she continued reviewing the sketches spread across the table.

"Hello?"

A soft voice responded. "Hello... big sister."

Amelia froze.

Lilac...

Her brows furrowed in clear suspicion. "Lilac?"

There was a small pause before Lilac responded again. "Can we meet?"

"No," Amelia blatantly refused. "I’m busy right now."

"Okay," Lilac murmured, and the line clicked off.

Amelia slowly lowered her phone. The whole exchange had been strange. Too strange. Lilac had never once reached out to her before this way, not even when the original Amelia was alive. What could she be planning now?

---

The day slipped by quickly, and by closing time, Amelia had packed up and left for Ray’s mansion, using the address he had given her. She wasn’t going back with Kai today because he was really busy at the company. Kai had offered her a new car and a bodyguard when they returned from Country C, but she’d refused.

The Cosgrove name was already in enough headlines any added attention would only fuel more rumors. She told him she’d reconsider once the heat died down.

She knocked twice on the front door, then a muffled voice from inside called out:

"Who is it?"

"It’s me," she replied softly. "Your sister."

The door creaked open.

Ray stood there in a loose hoodie and joggers, eyes going wide when he saw her. His mouth parted as if to speak, but instead of words, tears welled up in his eyes. Without saying anything, he pulled her into a tight hug.

"You came to visit me," he whispered, his voice thick with joy. "Amelia..."

Amelia smiled, gently patting his back. "Of course I did. What kind of sister would I be if I didn’t check on you?"

He stepped back quickly, rubbing at his eyes, which had turned a little red. "Uh—sorry. The place is kind of a mess." fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm

She followed him inside, noticing the scattered laundry, a few half-eaten snack wrappers, and a leaning tower of soda cans on the counter. Still, she said nothing. What did one expect from someone who’d spent their entire life with maids at their beck and call and was suddenly living in a big mansion all alone?

He gestured toward the couch. "You can sit. I’ll get something—wait, I don’t even know if I have snacks or anything—"

Amelia sat down and folded her arms on her lap. "Don’t worry. I didn’t come here to eat. I came for you."

Ray sat across from her, avoiding her gaze as he played with the hem of his sleeve.

"How have you been holding up?" she asked gently.

He hesitated, knowing what she was referring to, especially now that the Cosgroves were facing some crises, then said in a quiet voice, "I still have some money from my savings... so I’ve been managing."

Amelia’s expression softened. "Ray, listen. If you’re having problems, financially or otherwise, come to me. I’ll help you." Then she added, "You’re my little brother, after all."

Ray looked at her, tears forming in his eyes again, then he embraced Amelia. "Thank you, big sister."

.....

Amelia returned to the estate just as the sun set and the sky had been painted with orange and pink hues. As she approached the gate, her brows furrowed into a frown. There, sitting on the bare concrete ground by the estate entrance, was Lilac. Her arms were wrapped around her knees.

When Lilac spotted her, her eyes lit up. She sprang to her feet and rushed forward. "Amelia!" she said, reaching out to grab Amelia’s hand. But Amelia pulled her hands away from Lilac’s grasp.

Lilac stared down at her now-empty hand, and for a brief moment, her eyes darkened. But when she looked up again, a sweet smile had formed on her lips.

"How have you been, big sister?" she asked softly.

Amelia didn’t answer.

Lilac tried again. "Can we talk?"

Amelia didn’t reply immediately. She was confused, why was Lilac acting like this? At first, she called her numerous times, something she had never done before, and now this...

Or... was it because the Cosgroves were now in a dilemma?

Amelia crossed her arms, her gaze intense on Lilac. "Alright. What do you want to talk about?"

Lilac looked down, fiddling with her fingers as if she were nervous, then she spoke, her voice so low that it almost disappeared into the breeze. "I wanted to apologize... for everything I’ve done."

Amelia let out a short, dry laugh. It wasn’t kind. "Apologize? Now? Forgiveness? Don’t joke with me, Lilac. I don’t have the time or patience for this."

She turned to walk past her.

"I’m serious!" Lilac called out, her voice cracking with desperation.

Amelia halted, then turned back slowly. "And why is it that now, when the Cosgrove family is in trouble, you suddenly know how to run to me and ask for forgiveness?"

Without waiting for a reply, she walked off.

Lilac watched her retreating figure and whispered under her breath, "But it’s not because of that... I truly....."

---

Later, when Kai returned home, Amelia walked straight to him and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. Their cat, Poppy, meowed and rubbed against Kai’s legs in greeting.

"Hey, Poppy," Kai chuckled, scooping the cat up briefly before kissing Amelia gently on her forehead. "Missed you."

She leaned into him for a moment before pulling back with a tired sigh.

"How was your day?" he asked as he poked her cheeks playfully.

She took a deep sigh, worry obvious on her face before saying, "Lilac called me today."

Kai lifted his left brow slightly. "What did she want?"

"She said she wanted to meet. I refused at first, but then... when I came back from seeing Ray, she was sitting outside the estate gate." Amelia’s tone was filled with annoyance. "On the ground, like some tragic heroine."

Kai’s expression darkened slightly.

"She tried to grab my hand. Said she wanted to apologize for everything she’d done. I didn’t buy it. Told her off and left. She said she was serious... but why now? Why when everything’s falling apart?"

Kai reached over, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Because you’re standing, and they’re not."

Amelia nodded slowly, her lips pressed into a thin line. "Still, it felt... strange. She didn’t look like she was acting."

Kai pulled her close again, pressing a kiss to her temple. "I’ll handle it, to ensure she doesn’t cause you any more trouble." Kai’s eyes darkened.

It seemed they hadn’t been dealt with enough that’s why they still had the time to disturb his precious butterfly.

---

Later that evening, there was a heavy rain.

Thunder rumbled faintly in the distance and soft patters on the windows could be heard. Inside, Amelia was curled up on the sofa wrapped in a thick, grey blanket. Kai came to her and handed her the mug of hot chocolate with marshmallows floating at the top, and then sat beside her on the sofa. They cuddled; no words needed to be said as they both enjoyed this silence and quiet. It was just perfect, and Kai could see himself enjoying this quiet life with the one he loved for a long time.

Then there was a loud knock, startling them both. Poppy leapt off the sofa with a startled hiss, padding off into his bed.

Kai rose, walked over to the door, and opened it. A drenched, nervous estate gatekeeper stood there, rainwater dripping from his umbrella.

"Mr. Blackwood, Miss Cosgrove," he said, voice unsure. "I... I didn’t know what else to do. There’s a young woman, she’s been sitting by the gate all day. Refused to leave no matter what I said. She’s soaked through now and... she doesn’t look well. She said she won’t leave until she sees Miss Amelia. I’m worried something might happen."

Amelia stood, frowning. "Lilac again..."

Kai’s eyes narrowed. "I’ll take care of it."

Amelia turned to him, reading his expression. "No, Kai. Let me go."

"You sure?"

She nodded and joked, "If I don’t go, who knows if you’ll probably bury her body somewhere in the compound."

Kai smirked, grabbed a large umbrella, and walked beside her. "Only if she deserved it."

They stepped into the rain together, his umbrella shielding Amelia as they made their way to the front gate. The sound of rainfall filled the air, soaking the earth and pounding against the pavement in a steady rhythm.

There, slumped against the outer wall, was Lilac. Her clothes clung to her skin and her dark hair was plastered to her face, her hands seemingly trembling from the cold. She looked fragile, drenched, and somewhat pitiful. And Amelia would have pitied her if not for the fact that she knew who she was under this piteous facade.

Amelia stepped forward and called with a small frown, "Lilac."

The girl’s head lifted slowly, rain mingling with the tears already staining her cheeks.

A/N

Do you think Lilac is truly sorry or she can go through a redemption arc? if you were Amelia, what would you do?