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6.64% Rebirth: Love me Again / Chapter 19: The Ashes of Unrequited Love    

章 19: The Ashes of Unrequited Love    

AaArRgH!

 

I jolted awake, gasping for air. Sweat clung to my skin, making my pajamas stick to my body, but my hands and feet were ice cold. I looked around wildly, my heart pounding in my chest.

 

"Damn it!" I cursed, trying to shake off the nightmare.

However, it wasn't just a dream. It had happened — back when Cole and I were still in high school. That day, in front of everyone, he crushed me.

 

The memory came rushing back, hitting me like a tidal wave. The humiliation, the embarrassment — it was worse than anything I had ever felt. I had been so devastated that I skipped school for days, too ashamed to face anyone.

I wanted to transfer schools, disappear, but Sophia had been against it. If anything, she seemed to relish my suffering, forcing me to endure the rest of those four agonizing years.

The whole school knew what had happened. I became a joke, a meme that circulated long after graduation.

 

I was such an idiot back then. I should've walked away, stopped loving him. But no — I kept chasing after him, enduring rejection after rejection, humiliation after humiliation.

 

How could I have been such a fool?!

 

With a shaky hand, I yanked open my drawer, pulling out the stack of love letters and gifts I had saved for Cole over the years. Each one represented a piece of my heart I had foolishly handed to him, hoping that one day he would see me, truly see me.

I had dreamt of the day I'd give them all to him — on our wedding day, no less. How naive. How delusional.

 

I looked at those letters, those carefully wrapped gifts, and felt a surge of anger rise in my chest.

How could I have been so blind? So stupid?!

 

Without thinking, I grabbed them all and threw them into the fireplace. The flames licked at the edges of the paper, the ribbons, turning everything to ash. The love, the hope, the pain — it all burned away.

 

With each flicker of the fire, I felt something inside me harden. The years of rejection and humiliation had ironed my heart, wrapping it in chains.

I promised this day . . . I would never love again.

 

=== 🤍 ===

 

"So, you agreed?" I asked, staring at Michael from across the table.

We sat in a small corner of a dimly lit restaurant, the low hum of conversation around us barely registering over the tension hanging between us.

I watched him intently, waiting for his answer, my heart drumming steadily in my chest.

 

Michael took a deep breath, his shoulders rising and falling with the weight of his decision. His eyes, tired and shadowed, flickered up to meet mine before he sighed. "I didn't have much of a choice if I wanted this project to survive. We're close . . . so close I can almost taste the breakthrough. One final push and we'll be there. I can feel it."

 

A grin tugged at the corner of my lips, the excitement buzzing through my veins.

"Good," I said, leaning back in my chair, my fingers drumming lightly on the table. The deal was sealed.

 

"But . . . since you own 50% of the company now," he started, hesitating before continuing, "that makes you the CEO, right?"

 

I raised my hand in mock surrender. "Hold up. CEO? Who said anything about me being the CEO? Did you see those words in any of the contract? No, I'm an investor — nothing more, nothing less."

 

Michael frowned, his brows knitting together as he stared at me in disbelief. "Then who's supposed to manage the company? What are you planning to do?"

 

I couldn't help but laugh at the look on his face. "You, of course."

 

"Me?" Michael practically choked on his words, pointing a finger at his own chest, his eyes widening in exaggerated surprise. "You want me to run the company?"

 

I nodded, my grin widening. "Yes, you. Remember? I'm just a kid. And it's your project. Besides, you're the leader before I even came into the picture."

 

Michael groaned, running a hand through his long, disheveled hair. "And now you're pulling the 'I'm just a kid' card on me, at a time like this?"

 

I giggled, leaning forward, my elbows resting on the table as I grinned at him. "Honestly, I don't know the first thing about running a company. If I tried to manage it, we'd be bankrupt within a month. Besides . . ." I trailed off, waiting for him to bite.

 

"Besides what?" He leaned in slightly, curiosity flickering in his eyes.

 

"I'm too lazy to run it. That's why I need you. You've got the brains, the drive — and let's face it, you'd do a much better job than I ever could."

 

Michael shook his head, but despite his exasperation, a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. His dimples appeared, giving him a boyish charm, even with the dark circles under his eyes and the dirt-smudged lab coat that hung loosely on his frame.

Despite his unkempt appearance, there was no denying that Michael had a certain allure about him. If only he'd clean up a bit.

 

"What are you staring at?" he asked, adjusting his glasses, his gaze flicking to me with a hint of self-consciousness.

 

"When we launch," I said, leaning in conspiratorially, "make sure you look presentable, alright? You're pretty, and your looks could help pull in some investors."

 

Michael raised an eyebrow. "You're planning to use me as bait, aren't you?"

 

I shrugged, flashing him an innocent smile. "If it's within legal boundaries, sure. You've got to use every tool at your disposal if you want to succeed in this world. And if that means flirting with a few potential investors here and there . . . well, you do what you've got to do."

 

I winked at him, but Michael only shook his head, a bemused smile playing on his lips.

 

He probably thought I was joking.

 

But I wasn't.

 

I was dead serious.

 

 


章 20: Beneath the Surface    

After weeks of careful planning, everything seemed to be falling into place.

 

My momentum was unstoppable, and it wouldn't be long before I amassed the millions I needed.

 

At this rate, I might even be able to pay off the old man ahead of schedule.

 

That thought sent a surge of satisfaction through me — if I cleared my debt early, I could demand my freedom and disappear before anyone realized what I was truly up to.

 

I had been relentless in the stock market, taking calculated risks with a ferocity that left no room for failure.

 

Every move was aggressive, yet precise. I poured funds into companies with the highest yields, setting up a financial empire brick by brick, step by step.

 

Along the way, I was already sketching the blueprint of my next venture — a business that would secure my power for years to come.

 

Of course, I wasn't reckless. No one could trace anything back to me.

 

I had carefully hidden behind a front — a fictitious investor that shielded my identity. Experts were hired to handle the tedious work, the details that I had neither the time nor patience to deal with.

 

They had no idea who they were working for, and that was exactly how I wanted it.

 

Everything was falling into place, and when the moment came, I would vanish like a ghost, leaving nothing but a trail of dust in my wake.

 

The big reveal would come — but by then, I'd be long gone.

 

A giggle escaped my lips as I envisioned it — my future was finally within reach. I could almost see it: a quaint village bathed in green, the air crisp and clean, far from the suffocating drama of the city. There, I'd age gracefully in a cozy cottage, surrounded by wildflowers, towering trees, and the gentle rustle of animals.

 

A simple life. The life I had always dreamed of but never truly believed I could grasp.

 

~RiiIinNgG!~

 

The sudden, jarring ring of my phone snapped me back to reality. The screen showed an unfamiliar number. I hesitated for a moment, then answered.

 

"Hello?"

 

"Eve? It's Lina," came the voice on the other end.

 

"Lina?" I asked, caught off guard. "How did you get my number?"

 

It was a silly question, really. She had the means to find anyone's number if she wanted to.

 

"You know what? Never mind that. Why did you call me?" I pressed, steering the conversation back on track.

 

"I just wanted to say thank you for the gift."

 

"Oh, that," I replied, feigning casual indifference. In truth, the gift had been a last-minute decision, an apology on behalf of Sophie's behavior at that last function. A simple gesture, but one that meant something more.

 

In their world of high society, such courtesies were expected. But for me, there was always a reason behind the niceties.

 

Getting closer to Lina wasn't just for show. I had a plan. When Sophie and Cole finally announced their engagement, Lina's influence would be invaluable. I wanted her in my corner — an ally when things inevitably went south. With Lina still favored me, she could make Sophie's life unbearable in the Fays.

Not that I planned on sticking around to watch it all unfold. By then, I would be long gone. But the thought still brought a smile to my face. I'm petty after all. 

 

The friction between Lina and Sophie was already bubbling under the surface. All it needed was a nudge, and that tiny spark could ignite a raging inferno.

 

And I was more than willing to fan the flames.

 

Since Lina already had a collection of expensive, lavish items, I decided on something more personal — a handmade watercolor portrait of her and Dylan. It wasn't even that beautiful, if I were being honest. I had rushed through it, barely giving it the attention it probably deserved, but I figured it would do the trick.

In their world of luxury, sometimes the simplest gifts carried the most weight.

 

"I'm calling to return the favor for the gift," Lina's voice echoed through the line.

 

I raised an eyebrow, half-amused. There wasn't anything special about the portrait, nothing worth a grand gesture. I wasn't fishing for favors. So, I politely declined.

 

"It's really not necessary," I said, my tone casual.

 

"Please don't say no. It's just going to be a simple lunch. You know, to get to know each other more. You'd be a family sooner or later, right?"

I bit my lip.

 

A lunch? I doubted that was her true intention. Lina wasn't the type to play things so straightforwardly. No, she probably had something else in mind.

My guess was that this wasn't about me at all — it was about Dylan. She wanted someone to talk to about her feelings for him. Someone who wouldn't judge her, and maybe . . . I was the first person who had noticed her feelings without saying a word.

 

It made sense, really. In the rigid world she lived in, there was no room for vulnerability, no one she could trust with such delicate matters. I had seen the way she looked at Dylan, the way her guard slipped when he was around. And maybe, just maybe, she had sensed that I understood. That I didn't care to pry or judge, but simply accepted it.

 

Still, declining a Fay's invitation was never an option. There was a game to play, and refusing her would raise more questions than I cared to answer.

 

"Alright then," I agreed, my voice measured. "Just lunch."

 

As I hung up, I couldn't help but smirk. This wasn't just lunch — it was a move in a larger game. Lina had no idea that while she sought comfort about Dylan, I was silently making my own plans.

Yes. It was very personal. I just wanted to make sure that she would hate Sophie more than I did, so when the time came, Sophie's marriage into the Fays would be a living hell. 

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|| A/N ||

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