REBIRTH : Chasing The Limelight-Chapter 33: Get away from me...

It had been a beautiful, bright afternoon when Relanie followed her uncle to the Vale’s mansion. Her uncle had been going for a business visit. Relanie, who did not want to stay home that day, had insisted on going with him. At first, he refused. He told her it was not a place for children.

Relanie did not argue or say anything. She only nodded and ran back inside the house.

This was a move she often used when she wanted something badly. She would disappear to a quiet corner, crouch down while facing the wall, and begin to cry softly.

And just as she had calculated, her uncle sighed heavily and followed her inside a few minutes later. When he found her, she was exactly where he expected her to be.

"You may come along." He said sighing. And just like that, she won that afternoon.

When they finally arrived at the Vale’s mansion in Veston, Relanie was awed. The mansion was tall and wide, much larger than her uncle’s. The garden stretched wide and green.

When Mr. and Mrs. Vale saw her, they immediately grew fond of her. They complimented her appearance. They asked her questions about school, about what she liked to read, about her age. Relanie answered intelligently, her small chin lifted with confidence. She had always known how to speak well when it mattered.

Not long after, Mrs. Vale called out gently, "Lia, Lia!"

Soon, a girl appeared, dressed in a short floral dress that swayed lightly as she walked. When she came closer, Mrs. Vale smiled and said, "This is Relanie. Go play with her, okay?"

The girl smiled at Relanie and gestured for her to follow. Relanie quickly followed without hesitation. They soon found themselves outside in the sprawling garden. There, tucked among trees and flowers, is a wooden tree house. Lia climbed the narrow wooden stairs skillfully, as if she had done it a thousand times, then gestured for Relanie to come up. Relanie also climbed after her.

The inside was very cozy and cool. Drawers, dollhouses, closets.

But Relanie noticed that Lia had not spoken once since she arrived. Curious, she finally asked, "Why don’t you talk?"

Lia’s smile did not fade at all. She walked to a drawer, pulled out a paper and pen, and wrote something carefully before turning it toward Relanie.

I can’t talk. I’m dumb.

Relanie understood the word. She had learned it in school. She had seen characters like that in movies. But Lia did not look sad, not did she look afraid about telling her. Instead, she began writing quickly, telling Relanie about the tree house, about how she liked drawing, about the flowers in the garden. She also wrote that she was eight years old. The same age as Relanie.

Relanie, after a moment of thought, picked up another sheet of paper and began writing her replies instead of speaking. She did not want Lia to feel different. And so, they played like that. Writing, smiling and laughing silently.

Later, they stood by the small window of the tree house, looking down at the garden below.

That was when Relanie noticed him.

A boy stood in front of an easel, his back slightly turned, completely absorbed in what he was painting.

Relanie wrote quickly, Who is that?

Lia replied, My brother.

Relanie’s eyes brightened. She wrote again, Let’s go say hi.

Lia hesitated. Then she wrote, You can go meet him.

Relanie did not question her again. She climbed down from the tree house and walked through the garden. She only stopped when she’s a short distance from him.

The boy did not look at her. He seem not to notice her presence. He was fully focused on the canvas.

Relanie stepped closer and stood beside him, staring at the painting. It made no sense to her. But it was very beautiful.

He briefly turned his head to look at her. Then returned his gaze to the painting without a word.

"Hi," Relanie said. "My name is Relanie."

No response. So she assumed he was shy. "What are you painting?" she asked.

He muttered something under his breath but she did not hear him clearly. So she leaned in slightly to catch his words.

And suddenly, the thing he did next shocked Relanie to the bones. He reached out and shoved her away. Relanie fell butt onto the grass, landing hard.

"Get away from me," he muttered coldly, breathing heavily.

For the first time, she properly saw his face. He was very handsome, and his eyes, they had a strange grey color. But inside those eyes was something extremely cold that made Relanie shiver in fear. Relanie quickly stood up.Her eyes burned, tears threatening to fall. And without another word, she turned and ran away.

–

Relanie jerked out of her thoughts when someone called her name. At first she was a bit confused about where she was. But she quickly realized that they were still at the party and she had spaced out.

The host raised his glass to Relanie. "Mrs. Relanie, cheers," he said warmly.

Relanie blinked, forcing a polite smile. She lifted her glass in response and took a small sip. She glanced at Adrian beside her again.

He looked as detached as always, his expression unreadable. Even surrounded by people, his attention seems not to be inside that hall at all. it was as if he was somewhere else, somewhere completely different from this place.

Relanie knew he had been drinking. She could tell by the slight looseness in his posture, the way his eyes lingered on nothing in particular. But he never acted messy when drunk. Even intoxicated, he kept that cold, controlled aura that made people hesitate to approach him.

Relanie looked down at her glass and swirled the wine slowly, thinking. She had always convinced herself she understood him, and knew some of his secrets—at least a little. But moments like this reminded her that he remained a mystery.

After a while, the party turned louder. Some dancers were dancing to entertain the guests. While some people had gotten drunk. Adrian included.

Adrian had indeed drunk more than usual, but he still moved with practiced composure. No stumbling and unnecessary words. He stood up and headed toward one of the VIP suites reserved for guests.

Relanie followed behind him at a careful distance. When he entered the room, he left the door slightly open. She hesitated, then stepped inside and closed it behind her.

He did not stop, and only walked straight to the restroom.

Relanie waited, then she approached the bed and straightened the sheets though everything was already neat.

She lingered there for a moment, listening to the sound of rushing water from the restroom.

When Adrian finally returned, he seems to look better than before. Relanie stepped toward the window, giving him space. She looked out at the city lights below.

What was she doing? What did she truly want from all of this?

But before she could answer, the movement behind her startled her. Someone pulled at her waist tightly.

Relanie turned quickly. Adrian stood there, his expression was clouded and unreadable.

But before Relanie could process what happened next, she was already on the bed, Adrian looking down at her.

Adrian leaned down suddenly and buried his teeth in Relanie’s neck.

Relanie’s yelp loudly, a sharp mix of pain and surprise. Adrian’s teeth grazed her neck again, hungrily. She felt his weight pressing down, his body hard and unyielding above her. His hands were rough as they slid under her gown, pushing the fabric up her thighs with no patience. Her heart raced wildly in her chest. This is Adrian, finally touching her, finally seeing her. Drunk or not, it had to mean something.

His fingers dug into her hips, her thighs. She arched beneath him, trying to meet him halfway, her own hands clutching at his shoulders, his back, anywhere she could reach. Her heart hammered so loud she was sure he could hear it.

He shifted, settling between her legs, his weight pinning her to the mattress. One hand slid up her side, cupping her breast through the thin silk of her bra, thumb brushing over the peak until she gasped.

The other hand pushed her thighs wider. Relanie bit her lip, eyes fluttering closed, letting herself feel every second of it.

Adrian’s breathing was uneven as he lowered his head to her neck. His hand slipped lower between her thighs stroking firmly, and Relanie’s hips jerked up on instinct, a soft moan escaping her mouth.

Suddenly Adrian who was above her froze. His entire body went rigid.

Relanie opened her eyes, confused. His face was still buried against her throat, but the rhythm of his breathing had changed. Slowly, he lifted his head and his silver eyes locked on hers for some seconds.

They were clouded and unfocused due to drink and something darker. But then his expression shifted to something cold.

He stared at her like he was seeing her for the first time. Like he hadn’t known who she was until this second.

Relanie’s stomach dropped. "Adrian...?" she whispered, voice small.

Adrian pulled back abruptly, hands leaving her body as if she’d burned him. He sat up on his knees, chest heaving, staring down at her with wide, haunted eyes.

He blinked hard, shaking his head as if trying to clear it. His gaze darted around the room as if searching for someone or something before settling back on her face.

His expression turned cold instantly. The drunkenness and desire on his eyes had completely vanished, replaced by that familiar wall of ice.

He pushed off the bed in one sharp movement, standing with his back to her.

"Get out," he said flatly.

Relanie sat up slowly, gown still bunched around her waist, hair tangled. She pulled the fabric down with shaking hands, trying to cover herself, trying to hold onto some shred of dignity.

"Adrian—"

"I said get out."

The words were colder than ice. Relanie stared at his back. Then, she slid off the bed, legs unsteady. Found her heels. Slipped them on. Smoothed her dress as best she could.

She walked to the door and paused. She turned back to look at him. He hadn’t moved. His hands were clenched tightly by his sides.

"Goodnight," she whispered, her voice cracking but he didn’t answer.

Relanie opened the door and stepped into the hallway...