REBIRTH : Chasing The Limelight-Chapter 68: Yes, she cried.

Adrian stood by the window in the lounge, one hand in his pocket. His figure was straight and his gaze, fixed on the distant lights below as if the entire room had nothing to do with him.

Behind him, Harris was busy with the refreshment tray that had been brought in earlier. He was arranging the stuffs on it with full focus, even though no one could tell what he was trying to achieve.

Just as he was about to start adjusting the napkins, the door opened and Livienne stepped in.

She looked very composed at first glance, but the moment her eyes landed on Adrian’s back, her composure thinned. She hesitated for some second before closing the door behind her and walking in fully.

Harris glanced up and gave her a brief look before returning his focus to the tray as if he had nothing better to do.

Adrian did not turn when he spoke up. His voice was low, without any emotion. "Why did you push her."

Livienne paused and her brows furrowed tightly, confusion flashing across her face. "...Who?" she asked, her voice sounding uncertain.

Adrian didn’t answer. He remained exactly where he was, still looking down the window as if her presence did not require any acknowledgment.

Livienne was quiet as she stared at him in confusion, then the realization hit her and her eyes widened. "Elara?" she said, her voice rising a little. "You think I pushed Elara?"

Adrian still didn’t turn as he parted his lips. "I asked you a question," he said calmly.

Livienne shook her head immediately, taking a step forward. "No. No, I didn’t. I don’t even know what you’re talking about. I didn’t push her." Her voice grew more urgent as she continued, "Yes, I don’t like her. Yes, we’ve had issues before, but I didn’t do something like that. I couldn’t go that far."

Harris let out a low hum from the side, picking up a glass and inspecting it.

Adrian finally moved. He turned a little, just enough for his profile to be visible. His expression was ice cold and distant.

"You’ve been targeting her from the beginning. From Lorien to Starfall. From the competition to the stage." he said, his gaze shifting toward her sharply as he continued. "Tell me, apart from you... who else would do something like that."

Livienne froze for a second, her lips parting as if she wanted to speak but didn’t know how to start. "It wasn’t me," she said again, her voice almost trembling. "I swear, it wasn’t me."

Adrian’s expression didn’t change. "I warned you, I told you to stay away from her."

Livienne’s heart dropped at those words.

"And you didn’t listen, so don’t complain about what happens next." he added.

"What are you saying?" she muttered, her eyes widening in panic.

Adrian turned fully, facing her completely this time. "You forced my hand," he said simply, but the weight behind those words is unmistakable.

Livienne’s composure finally broke as she shook her head quickly, stepping closer to him. "No... no, you’re wrong. You’re misunderstanding. I didn’t do it. I didn’t push her."

Her voice cracked slightly and tears began to gather in her eyes.

"I’ve done things before, yes," she admitted hurriedly, desperation creeping into her voice. "But not this. I wouldn’t do this. I wouldn’t try to harm someone. I didn’t even know she can’t swim"

She took another step forward, her hands trembling as she reached out, as if trying to grab onto something to steady herself. "I swear–"

Before she could get any closer, Harris had suddenly stepped in front of her, moving faster than expected. "Ah ah," he said, raising a hand immediately. "Let’s pause right there."

Livienne stopped, startled as she looked up at him.

Harris looked down at her hand, then back at her face, his brows lifting questioningly. "Where exactly do you think you’re going with that hand. Because from where I’m standing, it looks like you’re planning to hold my boss’s leg, and I must say, that is a very bold life decision." he said in a calm but oddly serious tone.

Livienne stared at him, stunned, tears still in her eyes.

Harris sighed and shook his head. "You young people these days. First it’s sabotage, then it’s rumors, and now it’s leg holding. Is this a career path I don’t know about?" he asked, arms folded on his chest as he glanced at Adrian, then back at her.

"And why do you always like doing evil in installments, small small things at first, then suddenly big ones. Is there a training manual somewhere?"

Livienne’s face flushed with a mix of humiliation and desperation. "I said I didn’t do it! Why won’t you believe me?" she cried, her voice breaking as tears finally slipped down her cheeks.

"You see, that’s the problem, when someone has a history, even if they tell the truth one day, it sounds like another Chapter of the same book." Harris said clicking his tongue.

Livienne kept shaking her head repeatedly. "I swear with my life, it wasn’t me. I didn’t push her. I don’t dare."

The room fell quiet again as Adrian looked at her with an unreadable expression for few seconds. Then he turned back to the window as if the conversation had already ended. "You can keep your life, it doesn’t matter." he said coldly. "In the next few hours, you’ll be cut off from Rye."

Livienne’s eyes widened in shock.

"You won’t appear under them again." Adrian added.

"No... you can’t do that, do you know what that means for me?" she said immediately in panic but Adrian didn’t respond.

Harris, however, gave her a small sympathetic look. "Well, if you’re wise, you should start looking for another place now. Preferably somewhere that doesn’t involve pools." he said with a chuckle.

Livienne stood there frozen, tears still falling from her eyes unstoppably. "I didn’t do it..." she whispered one last time, her voice breaking. But no one answered her.

"Leave." Adrian muttered.

–

"La la la, the moon is made of bread and the stars are tiny eggs that fry in the sky. Ooh oh."

Zia’s voice rang out in the room as she swayed from side to side on the bed. After finishing that line, she nodded proudly before turning her head toward Mr Gorden with bright eyes.

"Grandpa, rate my singing out of ten." she said smiling widely.

Mr Gorden looked at her in amusement for a moment, his lips curling into a small smile. "If I rate it honestly, your mother might have to start a tomato business today"

Zia blinked in confusion, trying to understand his words before she suddenly sat up straight, her expression shifting into seriousness as she pointed at him. "Grandpa, that is not a rating," she said, trying to sound offended but already smiling, "you are supposed to say numbers, not talk about tomatoes."

Mr Gorden chuckled softly and shook his head as he replied. "I did give you a number in my own way"

Zia pouted, but it’s just for three seconds before her eyes brightened again. "I will become a famous singer one day, you know, people will clap for me, and I will sing on big stages, and everyone will know my name, and I will have many fans," She paused for a moment, then added with complete confidence. "And no one will throw tomatoes at me."

Mr Gorden’s smile softened as he listened to her. "We will see about that."

Zia huffed and looked around for a second, then glanced back at him with a small frown. "Mother and Elara said Lorien is a very interesting place, but to me, it’s very boring. What do you think?"

Mr Gorden nodded in reply but did not argue.

After a small pause, Zia tilted her head and asked in a more curious tone. "Grandpa, when Elara was a baby, did she cry like me"

Mr Gorden’s expression changed slowly at the question, his smile fading just a little as his eyes drifted away from her and toward the window. For that moment, he did not respond, as if the question had pulled his thoughts somewhere else.

"Yes, she cried." he said in a low distant voice after a long moment of silence.

Zia nodded in reply, accepting the answer without thinking much about it. Meanwhile Mr Gorden had leaned back on the head of the bed, his gaze still fixed at nothing in particular.

In his thoughts, the room had faded to be replaced by the image of an empty road under a dim sky as he walked slowly, on his way back from visiting his wife’s grave.

He continued walking without hurry until a faint sound reached his ears. He slowed his steps and listened, not sure if what he had just heard was real or just part of the quiet night.

Then the sound came again, clearer than before.

He stopped completely.

A baby’s cry echoed in the air.

He turned his head slowly toward the direction of the sound and listened once more, confirming what he had just heard.

He stood rooted to the ground, drawn toward the sound without yet taking another step forward.