Rebirth: Love me Again - Chapter 234

Chapter 234: Unspoken Truths

[EVE]

As Cole finally drove me back to my condo, the silence between us was thick with unspoken words.

My mind, however, was far from quiet. I kept trying to recall what happened after the pool incident, but every time I reached for the memory, it slipped away like grains of sand through my fingers.

There was something—something crucial—I was missing. I could feel it, like a phantom whisper just out of reach. The harder I tried to remember, the more elusive it became, leaving behind a gnawing sense of unease.

“What’s on your mind?” Cole’s voice broke through the silence, calm but carrying a note of curiosity.

I glanced at him, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. “Just . . . trying to remember something.”

For a fleeting moment, his expression shifted—an almost imperceptible flash of discomfort that vanished as quickly as it appeared. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel, his knuckles briefly whitening.

“You don’t have to strain yourself so hard,” he said after a beat, his tone steady but edged with something I couldn’t place. “I’ve already called the doctor to check on you when we get back. Just focus on resting.”

“I’m fine,” I replied, forcing a small smile. “It’s probably nothing important if I can’t remember it, right?”

His jaw clenched, the muscle twitching as if he wanted to say more but held back. The silence stretched between us again, taut and heavy.

In an attempt to lighten the mood, I changed the subject. “Sorry I didn’t get you a gift,” I said, my voice nonchalant. “But considering you already have everything, I figured it wouldn’t even matter.”

Cole let out a quiet laugh, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “You think I have everything, huh?”

“Well, don’t you? I’m sure you’ve already got a mountain of gifts from everyone who wants to impress you.”

His laugh faded, replaced by a more serious expression. He glanced at me briefly before returning his focus to the road. “It’s fine. Besides . . . I’ve already received the best birthday gift from you.”

I blinked, taken aback. “What? What do you mean? I didn’t give you anything.”

Cole cleared his throat, his voice lowering as he spoke. “Your presence,” he said quietly. “It’s what I needed . . . and wanted.”

His words hung in the air, wrapping around me like a warm, yet unfamiliar feeling. My heart skipped a beat, and I quickly looked away, staring out the window to avoid his gaze.

“Oh . . .” The response felt weak, but it was all I could manage.

Still, something about his words didn’t sit right. Why did I feel like he wasn’t telling me the whole truth? Why did his voice carry an undertone of something deeper, something unspoken?

I glanced at him again, his profile illuminated by the passing streetlights. His expression was unreadable—calm and composed, yet there was an undeniable tension in his shoulders.

And just like the memory I was chasing, the answers felt out of reach.

To pass the time, I picked up my phone and began scrolling through the news. My thumb paused mid-swipe as a headline caught my attention, my brows furrowing. Sophie Rosette was in the hospital—again. This time, it was for a broken ankle.

The article noted that her injuries were manageable and, thankfully, not permanent. Since she was still young, her bones could heal, though it would take at least a month or more before she could walk properly again.

I frowned, my curiosity piqued. “What’s this?” I muttered aloud, the disbelief clear in my tone. “Wasn’t Sophie at your birthday party last night? Why is she suddenly in the hospital right now?”

Cole, seated beside me, didn’t even glance in my direction. He shrugged, utterly unconcerned. “She fell down the stairs leading to the engine room. This time, she really broke a leg—just like she always wanted to portray.”

I turned to him sharply, his nonchalance grating against my nerves. “Did you have something to do with this?”

Cole didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he leaned back in his seat, his expression calm, almost amused. “Well,” he said at last, his voice carrying a faint trace of irony, “she wanted public sympathy. Now, she has it.”

That was all the answer I needed. My stomach churned uneasily as I pressed on. “But . . . she fell on the stairs of your yacht, didn’t she? That means your name is tied to this, whether you like it or not.”

If my question concerned him, he didn’t show it. Cole’s face remained impassive as he replied, “We’ve already taken care of it.”

I frowned deeper, leaning forward. “Really? Your PR team must be incredible because none of your names are implicated in the incident. The media’s already painting her as clumsy and unlucky.”

Cole let out a low chuckle, a sound that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. “Let’s just say we have . . . indisputable evidence that she was up to no good. We negotiated with her to make sure this little incident doesn’t blow up.”

“Up to no good?” I echoed, incredulous. “What does that even mean? Was she carrying a gun or something?”

Cole’s lips curled into a smirk, but his tone dropped into something far colder. “My dear,” he drawled, his words deliberate, “it was much worse than that.”

A shiver ran down my spine. His response left no room for clarification, but the ambiguity only fueled my curiosity. What could possibly be “worse” than that?

I wanted to press further, to demand answers, but the glint in Cole’s eyes stopped me. It wasn’t fear that silenced me—it was the realization that I might not want to know the truth. Instead, I leaned back, letting the conversation drop.

Yet, the unease lingered, heavy in the air between us.

It wasn’t long before my thoughts shifted to my future plans. Now that I had taken care most of my work here, it was finally time to move forward. My next move was clear—it was time to go to Germany and search for my real parents.