Rebirth: Love me Again-Chapter 304: Drowning in Silence

[EVE]

Days passed in a blur, each one blending into the next until time lost all meaning.

I felt like I was trapped in a limbo of bad dreams—floating somewhere between consciousness and nothingness. The pain should have been unbearable, but instead, there was just . . . emptiness.

I couldn't even cry.

Tears would have meant acknowledging what happened. Tears would have meant accepting that Cole—the man I thought I loved, the man who had looked at me with warmth just weeks ago—was now a stranger. Worse, he had discarded me so effortlessly, as if I had never mattered at all.

A month. That's all it took. One month to make me believe in something, to think for the first time in forever that I wasn't alone. And then, in a blink, it was gone.

I told myself I should be angry, that I should hate him, but I couldn't even muster the energy to be bitter.

Instead, I felt hollow.

The only thing keeping me anchored to reality—the only thing stopping me from completely unraveling—was my family.

Or at least, that's what I told myself.

Because if I let go of them too, what did I have left?

"Eve! We need your card!"

Haley's voice snapped me out of my haze. She leaned against the couch, waving my credit card between her fingers with a grin.

I blinked at her, the weight of exhaustion pressing against my bones. What now?

"For what?" My voice came out hoarse, almost foreign to my own ears.

She gasped dramatically. "Sis, don't tell me you forgot! You promised we'd go shopping again! My wardrobe still isn't complete."

I ran a hand down my face. Hadn't we just gone shopping yesterday?

"Haley," I started, but before I could say anything else, my mother's voice rang out from the other side of the room.

"Eve, sweetheart," Mom cooed, stepping in with an all-too-sweet smile. "I've been meaning to talk to you. I found a wonderful spa—absolutely luxurious—and I was thinking we could all go for a treatment. My skin has been so stressed lately. It's really starting to show."

I stared at her. "Didn't we just buy you a whole set of skincare products?"

She waved a dismissive hand. "That was for maintenance, dear. This is rejuvenation."

I exhaled slowly. Be patient. They're your family. They love you.

Dutch, who had been lounging on the couch, suddenly stretched lazily. "By the way, Eve, I was thinking—maybe I should get a car."

I turned sharply. "A car?"

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He grinned, unfazed. "Yeah. I mean, I've been networking, meeting some important people. Can't exactly pull up in a cab, can I? First impressions matter."

I stared at him, a slow, simmering anger bubbling beneath the numbness. Networking? That's what he called it? He hadn't applied for a single job, yet he was spending my money like it was his personal bank account.

Haley flopped down beside me, resting her chin on my shoulder. "Come on, sis. You don't want us looking bad, do you?"

I clenched my jaw. Looking bad?

"You're rich, Eve," she added, giving me a playful nudge. "We're not asking for anything you can't afford."

They were right. I could afford it.

That wasn't the issue.

The issue was the way they expected it.

The issue was the way they looked at me—not as their sister, not as their daughter, but as some endless fountain of wealth they could drain dry.

And yet . . . I still couldn't say no.

Because without them, I had nothing.

I forced a smile, ignoring the ache in my chest. "Fine. Take the card."

Haley squealed in delight, snatching it from my fingers. Mom kissed my cheek, murmuring about how grateful she was, how lucky she felt to have a daughter like me.

Dutch simply grinned, already pulling up car dealerships on his phone.

None of them noticed the way my hands trembled.

None of them noticed how hollow my voice sounded.

They got what they wanted. And that was all that mattered.

That night, I stood by the window of my apartment, staring out at the city lights. The reflection in the glass looked unfamiliar—tired, drained, lifeless.

Was this what love felt like? Giving and giving until there was nothing left of yourself?

I let out a bitter laugh.

Cole had left me shattered.

And my family—the people I had clung to as my last lifeline—were slowly breaking what was left.

What had my life become?

Riiinnggg~!

The sharp ring of my phone shattered the silence, but I barely had the energy to react. Even lifting my hand to accept the call felt like a chore.

I pressed the device to my ear, my voice hollow. "Hello?"

"Eve?" Sinclair's voice came from the other end, sharp and laced with concern. "What the hell is this? I just heard from Victor that you've spent twenty million in two weeks. Did you buy a damn mansion or something?"

I exhaled slowly, rubbing my temples. "Of course you've been spying on my spending."

"I'm glad I did." His tone darkened. "Something's been bothering me, and I was right to check. Is it your new family? Are they the ones bleeding you dry?"

A heavy weight settled in my chest. I didn't want to talk about this. Not now. Not when I was already drowning.

"This isn't exactly the time, Sinclair," I muttered. "I'll visit you this week, so—"

"No, Eve, listen to me." His voice was firmer now, urgent. "I'm happy you found them. I really am. If they're really your family."

A chill ran down my spine.

I stiffened. "What do you mean? The paperwork is legal. Everything matches. They're my family."

There was a long pause before Sinclair spoke again, quieter this time. "Eve. Just . . . do a second check. I know a legit hospital. Just let me help you."

I swallowed, my fingers tightening around the phone.

"Sinclair . . ."

I couldn't afford another betrayal right now. I wanted to tell him, but the words refused to come out from my mouth.

"I know I can't tell you how to feel," he continued. "I know how much you wanted this—how much you longed to find them. But it's never wrong to be careful."

My throat closed up.

"Eve." His voice softened, the steel in his words giving way to something gentler. "I worry about you. We don't have to be blood-related for you to be one of my family. Remember that."

I couldn't say anything.

The line went silent, and then the call ended.

I lowered the phone, staring blankly at the city lights outside my window, my mind spinning.

Why did it feel like, in the end . . . Sinclair was more of a father than my real one?