Rebirth: Revenge of the abandoned heirress-Chapter 32: Rain

Outside, it was raining like the heavens wanted to drown the city. Every now and then, overwhelming crashes of thunder would shake the skyline and send a chill through the heart.

David glanced at the beautiful woman lying defenseless on the bed.

So careless. How could she pass out with a man by her side?

He reached forward and pushed away a loose strand of her hair. His fingertips brushed against her soft, warm skin, and a strange feeling tightened in his chest—something dangerously close to tenderness.

"I-I wasn't... Don't... don't kill my grandfather... Don't hate me... I would do everything you ask... I..."

Silent tears slipped down her closed eyes.

David felt something shift inside him, something uncontrollable. No matter how hard he tried to resist, his hand moved on its own, wiping away her tears.

"David..."

She reached out in her sleep, gripping his hand tightly. And just like that, her trembling stopped. Her expression eased, and her breathing evened out. It was as if, in that moment, all her pain had vanished.

David's cold gaze flickered. His hand froze in place. His carefully built walls cracked, allowing something raw to slip through.

Despair.

"We can't be... We were never meant to be. Why don't you see that?"

His grip tightened, then slowly loosened. He turned his gaze to the storm outside, watching the lightning slice through the sky. The raging storm mirrored the state of his mind.

No. He had to hold firm.

He couldn't fall.

She didn't know it, but he had made a promise to his mother on her deathbed—a promise that would forever stand as an unbreakable wall between them.

"We were never meant to be. You should hate me. You should try your best to avoid me, to fight me off, to push me away. I am your enemy, not your ally. You should be clear on that."

His voice was quiet, nearly lost in the sound of the rain, but it carried a weight that even the storm couldn't drown out.

"Do not let me destroy you... And do not call for me again."

He carefully pulled his hand free from her grasp.

The moment he did, her peaceful expression shattered. Her hands searched for something—for him—even in sleep. Her delicate body trembled, and a soft whimper escaped her lips.

David clenched his jaw, forcing himself to look away.

He still remembered the first time he had ever seen her.

A young boy sat beneath a lone maple tree, isolated from the world. The tree was his only companion, a silent witness to his loneliness.

Dressed in pure black from head to toe, he clenched a small drawing in his hands. His mother insisted he wear nothing but black. She said other colors were "irritating" to her eyes.

"I don't understand why Mother hates colors. They're so beautiful."

Laughter rang out behind him.

"Haha. Look, isn't it the famous David Anderson? The rich boy. What is it, rich boy? Sitting here all alone? Does no one want to be your friend?"

"Go away."

"And what's this? Oh?"

A taller boy snatched the drawing from his hands.

"Are you stupid? Boys don't draw flowers."

"Give it back!"

"Take it yourself, if you can."

David lunged at him without hesitation, biting down hard.

"You little bastard!"

The older boy threw him to the ground and, in a fit of anger, tore the drawing to shreds.

David froze. His fingers clenched the dirt.

"Don't call me a bastard! I'm not a bastard!"

Tears blurred his vision as he charged again, this time with a blind rage he couldn't control. His punches landed again and again, turning the older boy's face into a bloody mess.

"Don't let go... You monster..."

The bully barely managed to escape, leaving David alone once more.

He knelt down, frantically picking up the torn pieces of his drawing. It was the only thing his father had ever given him—his only birthday gift. His father barely acknowledged him, too afraid of his mother's wrath. But that one small moment, that simple sketch, had meant everything.

Now, it was destroyed.

As he desperately gathered the torn pieces, a pale hand reached down and picked one up for him.

He looked up.

A pair of bright green eyes met his. They were different from the dark colors he had grown to despise—vibrant, full of life.

"Don't cry. We'll put the pieces back together."

His throat tightened. He didn't know what to say.

"My name is Jazmine. Would you be my friend?"

A loud crash of thunder snapped David back to the present.

His memories faded into the shadows of the past.

He exhaled sharply. Sleep would not come to him tonight. With his mind still restless, he reached for his phone and dialed a number.

It rang twice before his secretary picked up.

"Mr. Anderson?"

"Did you find it?"

"Yes, sir. Apart from those Dry Creek Fields in the Southern District, Miss Harrison used the remaining company funds to purchase shares in a failing construction company. She bought 58% of their stock at once."

David's eyes narrowed.

"And?"

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"Frankly, sir, this move makes no sense. That company has been suffering a steady decline for years. Many analysts say it won't last another year. There's a small minority who believe otherwise, but their reasoning is based on uncertain factors. The risks far outweigh any potential gain—unless someone is a prophet who already knows the future."

There was a hint of mockery in his secretary's tone.

David ignored it.

"What about the lands? Any findings?"

A short pause.

"No, sir. From what I can see, those lands are completely worthless."

David's fingers tapped lightly against the armrest of his chair.

"Keep digging."

His gaze flickered to the woman sleeping soundly before him.

What exactly was she planning?

"One more thing, Mr. Anderson."

"Speak."

"Yesterday, Miss Harrison canceled the flight reservations to the Maldives that she booked before the wedding."

David stilled.

He had been aware of her plans for their honeymoon. In fact, it was the reason he had visited the Harrison family household. Since they would rarely see each other otherwise, he expected her to use the trip as an opportunity to discuss their situation.

But now... she had canceled it?

Why book the flights in the first place if she intended to cancel them?

Was she trying to tell him something?

That she was letting go?