Rebirth: Love me Again

Chapter 47: Cold Hearts, Warm Promises

"I just want to know if she's okay."

Sinclair raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "And why's that? If you don't care for her, like Victor said, then why keep stringing her along? If you don't like her, stop messing with her head. Stop seeing her. Let her move on."

Cole pressed his lips together, his mind racing. Even Sinclair knew about their relationship. Everyone did.

Of course, they knew how cold he had been to her—how indifferent, how distant, how he had unknowingly embarrassed her multiple times before.

There was no hiding it. But that didn't change the knot of guilt tightening inside him.

Clearing his throat, Cole finally spoke, his voice low and strained. "I know it's selfish . . . but I want to fix things with her. I don't want to lose her."

Sinclair's gaze didn't waver. He studied Cole for a long moment before responding. "Selfish? It sounds like it. You don't love her, but you can't stand the idea of her not being in your life. That's the definition of selfish."

Cole's hands clenched into fists at his sides. "Everyone's selfish," he muttered, almost to himself. Then, more clearly, he added, "I'm not going to stop seeing her. I'll try to fix our relationship, and this time . . . I'll treat her right."

Sinclair's eyes narrowed slightly, his voice dropping. "You better. Because if you hurt her again, Cole—if you put her through any more pain—then you won't just lose her. You'll have me as your enemy. And trust me when I say, I don't take kindly to people who break my granddaughter's heart."

Cole nodded, unable to say anything more as Sinclair turned toward the door.

"Young people these days . . . so stubborn, so hard-headed," Sinclair muttered as he pushed the door open. He glanced back one last time. "I'll hold you to your word, young man. But the moment you slip up, it's over. Remember that."

With that final warning, Sinclair disappeared inside, leaving Cole standing alone, his thoughts a chaotic mess.

Cole walked through the bustling entrance of the hospital, his mind still clouded with the aftermath of his confrontation with Victor and Sinclair. He wasn't in the mood for more interaction, his heart heavy with conflicting emotions.

But as he scanned the area, he noticed a familiar figure near the food court—his sister, Lina. She was practically clearing out the place, her arms loaded with bags of food, while another figure stood nearby.

It was Sophia.

As Cole approached, Sophia's eyes immediately brightened when she spotted him. She stood up in a hurry, wiping her dress and smoothing her hair in an exaggerated motion before practically floating over to him, her smile wide and sickly sweet.

"Oh, young master Cole," she purred, her voice dripping with an artificial sweetness that grated on his nerves. She tilted her head just so, her lips curling into a playful smile. "I didn't know you were visiting today. If I had known, I would've made something special for you."

Her voice lowered seductively, and she edged closer, fluttering her eyelashes in an attempt to be coy. "Perhaps you could join us for lunch? I'm sure you're hungry after talking to Eve."

Sophia's eyes roamed over him like he was a prize, the flirty tone in her voice so obvious it made Cole inwardly recoil.

The exaggerated way she praised him, the fake giggles—it all felt like nails on a chalkboard.

Cole didn't miss a beat. His cold eyes bored into her as he said, without an ounce of warmth, "Who are you?"

The words were like a slap. Sophia's smile faltered for just a second, the color draining from her face at the bluntness of his reply.

But she quickly masked her embarrassment, trying to regain her composure, though her cheeks were burning with humiliation.

Before she could respond, Cole turned away from her, his expression impassive, as if she was nothing more than a mild inconvenience.

He glanced at Lina, who was struggling to balance the mountain of food in her arms. "Are you done? Let's go home," he asked her.

Lina, completely oblivious to the tension between her brother and Sophia, grinned as she struggled with the mountain of food in her arms. "Eh? Are we going home now? But how did your talk with Eve go?"

Cole's lips pressed into a thin line, and without a word, Lina knew better than to push him any further. She sighed and passed the bags of food to Sophia, who had been standing awkwardly nearby. "Here, Sophie. Make sure you get all of this to Eve, alright?"

Sophia's smile twitched as she accepted the pile, but her eyes darted between Cole and Lina. The sting of Cole's earlier coldness still lingered, but she forced herself to nod. "Of course," she said, her voice barely concealing her irritation.

Without another glance at Sophia, Cole and Lina headed for the exit. The sound of their footsteps echoed through the hallway, leaving Sophia standing alone, her forced smile dissolving into an expression of quiet fury. Her hands gripped the bags tightly, her knuckles turning white as she watched them walk away.

"It's fine," she muttered under her breath, her smile returning, but this time darker. "In just a few more days, Cole . . . you'll be mine. All mine."

=== ? ===

Inside the car, the silence between Cole and Lina was suffocating.

Lina, usually brimming with energy, was uncharacteristically still, itching to ask about what had happened between her brother and Eve. But the look on Cole's face and the chill in the air made her hesitate. The temperature in the car felt like it had dropped to freezing, and the tension could be felt to the bones. Now wasn't the time to push.

Cole stared out of the window, his face set in a stoic mask, though his clenched jaw betrayed the turmoil inside him. Finally, he broke the silence. "Lina."

The sharpness in his voice made Lina jump slightly. "Yes?" she replied cautiously, not sure what to expect.

Cole hesitated, something uncharacteristic for him. He took a deep breath, as if bracing himself for what he was about to say. His eyes remained focused on the passing city outside the window, pretending not to care, but his voice was unusually soft, almost vulnerable. "What do girls like?"

Lina blinked, stunned. Her brain seemed to short-circuit for a moment as she processed the question.

What did he just ask?

Did . . . did Cole just ask about girls?

It took a full second for the realization to hit her like a lightning bolt—

her brother was asking about courting a girl!

Her eyes widened, and she stared at him in utter disbelief.

"Is it Eve?!" she blurted out, excitement bubbling up in her chest. The very idea of her cold, distant brother actually pursuing someone made her heart race.

Cole's gaze remained stubbornly fixed outside the window, his expression unreadable. He didn't answer immediately, but the slightest twitch at the corner of his lips, along with the telltale redness creeping up his ears, gave him away.

"Yes," he muttered, his voice steady but clearly hiding something beneath the surface.

Lina's jaw dropped, her excitement erupting in a scream that echoed through the car, louder than anything she had ever screamed before. It was as if all the joy and anticipation she had held back over the years exploded at once.

She couldn't contain herself—her brother, the Cole Fay, was about to court someone!

Cole flinched at the volume of her scream, shooting her a look of disbelief. "Lina—!"

But Lina was already bouncing in her seat, her excitement overwhelming any sense of decorum. She was practically glowing, her mind racing with ideas. "Oh my gosh, Cole! You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this! We need to get you a proper plan—flowers, chocolates—no, wait, Eve's not the cliché type, we'll need something more personal! Maybe a custom gift—what's her favorite thing? Oh, this is going to be amazing!"

Cole groaned, already regretting asking his sister. She could be a bit . . . overboard.