He looked calm on the surface, but only he knew that everything inside him was screaming that he was back. The way her ear twitched when she was listening for any sound of danger. The slight shift in her weight as she leaned towards him, he didn’t believe that could be an illusion. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

So against everything his rational brain was trying to force on him, he decided to believe that he was reborn, just like the system said.

He could feel himself almost bouncing out of the chair. But he had to keep calm. This was not the time for him to reveal anything he knew. Although he trusts Amelia, some things are better left unsaid.

"You heard it?" he said uncertainly. He hadn’t even realized his voice was trembling.

Her eyes narrowed, still looking around. "Kain, you better start talking, or so help me..."

Raising his hands in mock surrender, he chuckled. "Before I explain, there’s something I’ve been wanting to do."

He pulled her from the seat beside him and placed her on his lap. Without waiting for her to recover, he pulled her head down and kissed her.

In this life, this was their first kiss.

Feeling his lips on hers, she didn’t hesitate. Though she was unsure of what had gotten into him, she didn’t care at this moment. From the day she saw him, she was determined to make him hers.

The kiss became frenzied as Amelia held on to him, refusing to let go. If not for Kain’s strength, Amelia would have stripped him naked and had her way with him.

"Now isn’t the time for that," he said, voice hoarse.

Amelia didn’t want to listen; she dove in again, ready to kiss him. Before her lips could reach his, his fingers that were tangled in her hair pulled roughly. His eyes hardened.

"Amelia," he said, his voice dangerously low. "We have things to talk about. Now isn’t the time."

He pushed her off his lap, and she crumpled to the ground. He rested his elbow on the arm of the chair and waited for her to sit up.

’I knew she would be like this,’ he sighed to himself. He didn’t think she was a crazy bitch for no reason. If she’s treated too gently, she thinks she can do anything she wants.

He would never admit that he liked her brand of crazy. Telling her that would only make things worse. So with an indifferent expression, he watched her get up, steady herself, and pretend nothing had happened.

While she was steadying herself, Kain made a comparison in his mind. The collapse had taken its toll on her. He looked at her full breasts heaving. He watched her skirt riding her accentuating her round behind.

After the collapse, she had lost a lot of weight. She had a scar running from her nose to her ear. She was still beautiful, but beauty was a sin in a place like that. She knew it and took the only action she could by ruining her own face.

But now, looking at her unblemished face and those captivating eyes, he decided that come what may, he wouldn’t let her mutilate herself when the time comes.

"Glad you’ve gotten a hold of yourself," he said, tone flat.

Her cold voice, with a hint of grievance, replied, "Just tell me what you have to say. We are both aware you only call me when you need something."

He tapped his index finger on his thumb.

"I do need something, but that isn’t why I kissed you." Straightening up, he continued, "You’ve heard the voice just now. The Nurturing System. I have been hearing it since yesterday."

He did not want to reveal anything about his rebirth, so he focused on what the system had told him so far.

"According to it, we," he motioned his index finger back and forth between the two of them, ’...have children together. Is there anything you want to tell me?"

She raised an eyebrow. "You believe everything a disembodied voice says?"

"Not everything," he smirked. "Just this."

She relaxed on the sofa. "I may or may not know what it’s referring to."

"And...?" he gestured for her to continue.

"I sent your sperm and my eggs to a lab that guaranteed me they would give me a perfect, genetically superior child." She said it with such nonchalance that if he didn’t know her, he would think she might be saying it to scare him.

But he knew her. He knew she wouldn’t joke about something like that, it’s just...

"Where did you get my sperm?" He raised an eyebrow. ’What shitty thing did she do?’

"April 3, 20xx, you had sex with that senator’s daughter. I stole the condom."

"I had sex with a senator’s daughter?" Kain tilted his head, trying to remember who this person might be.

Amelia’s tinkling laugh came from the side. "You don’t even know who you’re having sex with?"

"I’m fucking them to piss you off, it doesn’t matter who it is." He waved his hand, brushing off the issue. He rested his chin on his hand. "Anyway, forget whoever the fuck she was. You stole my sperm, gave it to some lab, and now we have children...multiple. And I’m pretty sure you have no clue where they are, right?"

Not hearing an answer, he turned slightly to look at Amelia. What he saw was her grinning ear to ear. He shuddered at her creepy look.

"Earth to Amelia," he snapped his fingers, trying to get her attention.

Her eyes snapped into focus. "You have sex with them to piss me off?"

Kain’s mouth opened, he ran a hand through his hair. ’This is why you should never talk to crazy bitches. They fixate on one thing and never let go. Whatever, she’s my crazy bitch. I’ll live with it.’

"Yes, I do. But Amy, look at me, remember what we’re talking about right now. The disembodied voice needs us to find the kids. If we don’t, I die."

He needed to give her something else to focus on.

"Die?" she pursed her lips.

He nodded urgently.

"Impossible. You’re healthy. Your last check-up came back clean. You’re healthier than I am."

He used his index finger and thumb to hold her in place. He wanted her to look into his eyes and listen. "If we don’t find those kids, I will definitely die. Don’t think about my last check-up. I won’t ask how you got it either. I only need you to understand that we need to find those kids.

There are some things I haven’t told you. And I’m going to need you to trust me. If you know where they are, just tell me."

She furrowed her brow, biting the inside of her lip, a nervous habit he noticed in his last life. She did it when she didn’t want to say something.

He knew how stubborn she was. If she really didn’t want to say, he would never be able to find out. Such is the power of the Hartwell family. No matter how crazy she is, her family has the resources to buy a first-world country twice over.

She didn’t understand boundaries or consequences. What he needed to do was sweeten the pot.

"If you tell me, I’ll let you hear something special."

"Special? What is it?"

Kain took a deep breath. He never expected any of this would see the light of day, but he had to take drastic measures. He led her to the bedroom, where he took out a phone. It was not his usual phone.

If he had to say what kind of phone, it would be an evidence folder. He had every conversation they ever had about her killing someone on it. And one more thing...

He played one of the recordings. Her eyes lit up, twinkling like starlight.

"If you tell me where they are, I’ll give this to you..."

’Damn, this is embarrassing.’