Her Rebirth.-Chapter 71

Lilac bit her lips so hard that it broke, blood seeping out. She was losing control of everything, everything that she had worked so hard to have wrapped around her fingers. While she still had people by her side, they were very few compared to the numerous numbers she had previously. Everyone was turning against her, and things weren’t going as she had anticipated.

Well, it didn’t matter. She didn’t need them anyways; she still had the most important pieces in her hands, and that was enough. But for now, she needed to stay in the background, away from the spotlight, and let others stain their hands instead.

"Lilac, you are hurting yourself," she heard a soft, hoarse voice from above.

Her body shuddered in irritation, but she still looked up, her blue eyes covered with a thin layer of tears.

Ace rubbed her lips gently, cleaning off the blood, his eyes filled with affection.

"Ah, I was lost in thought so I wasn’t aware..."

Her lips were immediately captured by Ace, and she felt a raging urge to push him away and retch. He tasted disgusting... He wasn’t sweet, just like them.

She was keeping herself just for them. Only they could have her... They promised her, after all.

But what choice did she have? The way she could control a man, after all, was through his desires.

So, she gave in, making sure she pleased him to the best of her abilities, whimpering and moaning in innocence while he thrusted repeatedly into her. But god knew that at that moment, she wanted to pick up an axe and chop him into a million pieces.

...

Ever since that argument, Ray hardly went home again. Everything about the Cosgrove mansion irritated him, and he knew that staying in Lilac’s presence more than necessary may just cause him to commit the crime of assault. So, he simply settled in one of the mansions that Mason had given him on his 16th birthday. Sure, it wasn’t as luxurious as the Cosgrove mansion, but still, it was better than being with them.

However, it still hurt a bit. Ever since he left, only Eve had called him to check up on him, but his own father hadn’t even bothered about him. Thus, while he resented Lilac, he couldn’t come to resent Eve. Maybe Eve was innocent and was just caught up in the lies of Lilac’s webs, just like he had been. Ray couldn’t just come to villainize the woman who had practically taken care of him for over 10 years of his life, and currently seemed to be the only one who loved him.

The other person would have been Amelia, but Ray wasn’t sure if she had any inkling of sisterly feelings towards him again. He had called several times to check up on her, especially after he saw her press conference, but she didn’t respond even once. Then he felt guilty and ashamed. He had been one of the people who had taken Lilac’s side after her fiancé had been stolen by Lilac. He had even told her it was her fault that Ace had cheated on her, and she should deal with it. ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom

Thinking of it, if he were Amelia, he too wouldn’t want to have anything to do with him. He was a useless, evil brother after all.

But still, he still craved that sisterly affection from her. He still wanted everything to be the way it was before everything got ruined, before their lives became utterly imperfect.

Ray’s hands hovered around his phone, Amelia’s number just in view.

He would try once again; if she didn’t pick up, then he would stop and totally erase himself from her life.

Ray took a deep breath before pressing the call button. The ringing echoed in his ear, each tone stretching out like an eternity. He expected it to go to voicemail like the last dozen times. Maybe this was a mistake. Maybe he really should just disappear from her life—

Click.

He froze.

"...Hello?" Amelia’s voice was calm and distant.

Ray’s breath caught in his throat. She actually picked up. His grip on the phone tightened. "Amelia," he breathed out, almost afraid that if he spoke too loudly, she’d hang up.

A pause. Then, "Ray." It wasn’t cold, but it wasn’t warm either. Just... neutral. Indifferent.

Ray swallowed. "I—I wasn’t expecting you to answer."

"I know. Sorry."

Silence stretched between them. Amelia didn’t ask why he called, didn’t rush to end the conversation. But she also didn’t make it easy for him.

Ray licked his lips, struggling for what to say. "I, um... I just wanted to check on you." It sounded weak, even to his own ears.

"I’m fine."

Of course, she’d say that. He’d never expected her to be vulnerable to him after all that he had done. "I saw the press conference," he said awkwardly. "... I wanted to know if you were okay."

"I am," she said simply. Her response was cold.

There was silence again. He wondered if she was going to hang up. But then she spoke, softer this time. "What do you want from me, Ray?"

He let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. "I don’t know," he admitted honestly. "I just... I miss you. I miss when we were a family. I know I don’t deserve forgiveness, but I still—" His voice cracked slightly. "I still wish things could go back to how they were before."

"You were the only one who ever really treated me like a brother, and I threw that away." His voice wavered. "I don’t expect you to forgive me, but I just wanted you to know... I regret it. Every damn second of it."

Amelia didn’t respond right away. He tried to imagine her expression, but he couldn’t. Then, finally, she spoke.

"Ray, I’m sorry I didn’t pick your calls, I’ve been overwhelmed with a lot of things and I end up forgetting to call you back."

Ray’s eyes widened slightly. He sat up straighter. "Amelia..."

"I don’t hate you, but that doesn’t mean I’m ready to trust you again," she admitted. "But I’m also not going to tell you to disappear. You are my brother after all."

Hope bloomed in Ray’s chest. It wasn’t forgiveness, but it wasn’t rejection either.

"Is there any way I can regain back your trust?" he asked carefully.

"Time... Time will tell."