Rebirth: Love me Again

[EVE]

Sinclair took a slow, deliberate sip of his water. He was unsettlingly calm, his eyes detached. He barely looked at Sophia before responding.

"Why should I feel the need to report my every movement to you?"

Sophia's smile faltered, but she forced herself to hold her composure. "Father, that's not what I meant. I only thought that, since we're family, we might have come together. People would wonder, after all, seeing you here with . . . well,

her

," she said, glancing at me, her voice heavy with implication.

Sinclair's gaze turned cold. He looked at her from under his lids, his expression unreadable. "You're making a major issue out of nothing," he replied, his voice dismissive.

"Really, Father?" Sophia's smile turned brittle. "You'd rather spend your time with her than your own family? Sophie is hurt, you know. You ruined her party, and now you're here with someone without so much as a word to us. And then there's the twenty-million-dollar painting you gave her—you didn't even gift anything to your own granddaughter! Your very own flesh and blood."

Sophie, looking sorrowful, spoke up. "Grandfather, I don't want anything," she said in a soft voice, gazing down at Sinclair. "I only want you to visit us now and then. I know we might be strangers at this point, but I want to bridge the gap between us."

I watched them, my suspicions intensifying. Was this some scheme?

They were using Sophie now, pulling at Sinclair's heartstrings in hopes of prying him back toward the family fold.

Sinclair despised his sons for their betrayals, but his granddaughter . . . How did he truly feel about Sophie?n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Were they now plotting to use his age, his softer heart toward his granddaughter, to manipulate him?

Against all odds, Sinclair's heart was as hard as stone. He sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. "If you want to see me, then all you have to do is visit me at my mansion. Do you really want an old man who has difficulty walking to come to you?"

Sophie stiffened, embarrassment flooding her cheeks. "Well, I . . . ," she stammered, caught off guard by Sinclair's sharp retort.

It was true; Sophie could have visited Sinclair before, but she never made the effort. If she truly wished to connect with him, she needed to demonstrate that desire more actively.

"Father, Sophie wanted to come to you," Sophia chimed in, her tone more assertive, "but it's hard when you don't welcome visitors. You don't want to see us, and besides . . ." She cast me a pointed glance, the message clear. "I think there's someone inside there poisoning your mind."

Sinclair let out a dry, mirthless laugh. "My mind has never been clearer, Sophia. If you expect me to acknowledge this child as my granddaughter, she'll have to do something remarkable—something like Eve did here." He gestured toward me, and confusion washed over both Sophie and Sophia.

"Don't you know?" Sinclair feigned surprised, shifting his gaze to me and the mother and daughter pair. "You didn't tell them."

Of course, I hadn't. Why would I share something like that? But I suspected Sinclair already knew without needing me to explain. He was only being sarcastic, a fact that seemed to grate on Sophia.

"Eve here came to me before to borrow money," Sinclair continued, his tone patronizing. "Believe it or not, she increased that money more than tenfold in just six months. What about you, Sophie? What have you done for the Rosette family besides spending my money?"

Sophie's cheeks flared with embarrassment. "W-well, I . . . ," she faltered, caught in Sinclair's unrelenting gaze.

"You talk to me about gifts," Sinclair sneered, "but it's my money you're spending every day. And come to think of it, it's probably Eve's money that paid for your birthday party, girl." His gaze turned sharply to Sophie. "You should thank her."

"

Father

!" Sophia hissed, her voice low and tense. She scanned the crowd, wary of how Sinclair's words might be received.

"Enough of this. If you don't want us to get close, there's no need to embarrass your granddaughter. And have you forgotten, Father? Sullivan has worked tirelessly for the betterment of Rosette Corp, and I have my own business too. We're earning our own money."

Sinclair's lips curled into a sneer. "Money? Money that you stole from the company?"

"Father . . ." Sophia's voice cracked with frustration.

Sinclair rose abruptly, waving his hand dismissively. "It's getting late. Let's go, Eve."

He turned to leave, his attitude dismissive, but I could see the tension in his shoulders, a sign that he might be suffering from high blood pressure.

I stood, instinctively reaching for Sinclair's hand. Discover hidden tales at empire

"Father, I'm still talking to you." Just then, Sophia attempted to grab Sinclair, but I blocked her.

"Sorry, but Grandfather's health is fragile. Please stop agitating him," I said firmly.

"Who are you to speak to me like that?" she retorted, surprise and indignation mingling in her voice.

"Me?" I pointed to myself, and chuckled. "Aren't I your sister-in-law?"

Sophia paused, confusion etched across her face. "W-what . . . ?"

"I was legally adopted as Sinclair's daughter, remember?" I said, meeting her gaze. "And don't you know that it's Grandfather's birthday today?"

Sophia looked lost. "I . . . I . . ."

"Clearly not. Next time you talk about family, maybe you should remember their birthdays," I shot back, my tone sharper than intended.

Sinclair disliked grand parties, preferring to keep his birthday a private affair. Only close friends and business associates sent him gifts, avoiding the spectacle of a large celebration.

"Anyway, we have to go, sister-in-law. It's nice seeing you," I said, preparing to leave.

As I turned to walk away, I paused and looked back at Sophie. "By the way, Sophie, you didn't greet your aunt. I don't mind, but others might think you've forgotten to acknowledge your elders."

Her mouth dropped open in shock, and before she could formulate a retort, we stepped out of the auction garden and into the parking lot.

"Are you okay, old man?" I asked, half-joking.

"Call me grandfather," he replied, pulling out his high blood pressure medication. "Those sons of mine, along with that mother and daughter pair, are going to be the death of me."

I chuckled softly at his words. "Don't say that! You're still strong as a dragon."

But my smile faltered as I caught sight of Cole standing by my car.