REBIRTH : Chasing The Limelight-Chapter 69: Rest well.

After what seemed like a long minute, Mr Gorden finally took slow careful steps toward the direction of the sound, as if he was afraid the faint cry might disappear if he moved too quickly.

As he drew closer, he could make out a small shape resting near the base of a low wall, wrapped neatly in a cloth that looked far too clean and exquisite for something abandoned.

The crying had grown softer, as though the little strength left was fading. He hesitated for few seconds before he slowly bent down. His hand hovered above the bundle before finally touching it.

And the moment his fingers brushed against the cloth, the crying stopped...

–

Finally, two weeks after waking up, Elara returned to Voice. She had insisted on coming late at night, when most people would already be asleep. But things did not go the way she had thought.

The moment she stepped into the main hall with Ziva walking beside her, a few singers who were still around turned their heads almost at the same time. Some of them froze for a little second before quickly waving at her with wide eyes, while others simply stared without hiding their curiosity.

As they moved further in, they ran into some staff and trainers who immediately stopped them and started asking questions. Elara responded briefly, her tone polite but distant, and after a while they finally let her go.

By the time she reached her room, she thought it would end there, but it didn’t. Not long after she stepped inside, there were knocks on the door again. One singer came after another, greeting, smiling, and trying to exchange a few words.

Elara even wondered if these people had always been this friendly or if she had simply been invisible to them before.

After everything had quietened and they were busy cleaning and arranging some stuffs.

Ziva suddenly turned, as if she had just remembered something. "Can you believe that during the time you were in coma, Mr Kain was sacked," she said with glistening eyes.

"Really." Elara replied raising her eyebrow.

Ziva nodded quickly, clearly eager to share everything. "Yes, of course. There were even other singers who got entangled with him. When everything came out, some of them were suspended temporarily, and some were given special support and counseling."

Elara’s face remained expressionless as she looked at her. She found this cheeky version of Ziva kinda strange.

Ziva lowered her voice, like she wanted to share something more serious. "The worst one is that Perri. Can you believe they said she had... done that several times already."

Elara furrowed her brows in confusion.

"Done what?" She asked while Ziva sighed.

"Ahh, too naive. I mean..." Ziva moved her lips closer to Elara’s ears. "She has had several abortions."

Elara’s eyes widened a little before returning to normal.

"Well, it serves Mr Kain right. And honestly, I don’t pity those trainees either. They knew what they were doing." Ziva said with a scoff.

Elara did not reply but the words stayed in her ears. Her mind had already gone somewhere else.

That night.

Her fingers curled slowly into her palm...

–

When it grew late, Elara told Ziva to stay for the night, but Ziva shook her head immediately. "You just got back from the hospital. You need proper rest," she said, already moving toward the door. Without waiting for more argument, she left. And the room fell quiet again.

Elara lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Sleep did not come. Her body was tired, but her mind refused to rest. It kept circling back again and again to the dream she had before waking up. It was the only thing she remembered clearly.

The garden. The boy. The girl who said her name is Aurelia.

Her brows drew together. She was very certain that the girl in the dream, was also the one in the painting she had seen at the Vale mansion... The staircase was the same too.

Elara raised her hand and pressed it against her forehead, letting out a slow breath.

But none of that disturbed her as much as something else.

The person who had pushed her.

Her eyes darkened. She did not know who it was nor did she understand their reason. But she was certain of one thing. It was not something simple like humiliation. That push had not been careless, it has something colder beneath it.

Her fingers tightened on the sheets.

No one knew she had thalassophobia. So why would...

A knock sounded on the door.

Elara went still immediately as she stared at it without moving. She assumed it was another trainee who had come to greet her again. She had no strength left to deal with it so she stayed silent, hoping the person would leave quickly.

After a while, when no second knock came, she let out a breath of relief. But just as she was about to return to her thoughts, the knock came again. Then again after a few seconds.

Elara closed her eyes and sighed. It seemed she had no choice. She pushed herself up from the bed and walked to the door.

Can’t this person think that she might have slept off.

When she reached the door and opened it. The small smile she had forced on her face disappeared the moment she saw who stood outside.

Her eyes turned cold instantly and she could barely manage to control her breathing. The memory of that night rose in her mind again but she forced it down with effort. Her fingers tightened on the door for a second before relaxing again. When she finally looked up at him, her face was calm.

"Is there anything you need," she asked, her voice polite and distant.

Adrian did not answer. His gaze stayed on her face, lingering longer than it should have. Then he lifted his hand slowly. "Your phone," he said.

Elara’s eyes dropped to the bag in his hand, a small frown forming on her lips before she looked back at him. "Pardon," she said, lifting her brows.

"The old one wasn’t usable." He replied simply.

Elara went quiet for a moment, then a faint, almost disbelieving scoff nearly escaped her. She studied him as if trying to confirm that he was serious. When she realized that he was, she looked up fully.

"I don’t have trouble using it," she said. And after a small pause, she added calmly, "Not everyone treats things as disposable."

Adrian did not respond and his expression remained unchanged.

But Elara did not wait for anything from him, she only straightened up. "As for the hospital expenses.. I’m sorry for the trouble. Please ask your assistant to send the details to Ziva." She muttered, without any hesitation in her voice. "I’ll pay everything back."

Adrian looked at her, his expression composed. But his gaze was still on her face. "It’s not necessary," he said quietly.

Elara did not respond to that. Instead, she simply asked, "Is there anything else?"

Her question was met with silence.

She watched him, a crease forming between her brows as she wondered why he still stood there so calmly. She had expected something else. Some reaction, but it did not come.

When he finally opened his mouth, what came out was. "Rest well."

The words made her frown. Confusion flashed across her eyes before she could stop it.

Adrian did not wait. He turned and walked away.

Elara stood by the door, watching his back as he left. Her gaze followed him until he had disappeared from sight.

For a long moment, she did not move.

A thought crossed her mind.

Did he regret what he had done.

But just as quickly, a scene flashed through her memory. Her eyes turned cold again.

And whatever softness that thought carried disappeared without a trace...