Rebirth: A Second chance at life
Chapter 108: Is Jenny improving?

Chapter 108: Is Jenny improving?

Aurora hurried her footsteps to her room and closed the door behind her. Her back rested against the cold wood for a second, trying to catch her breath.

She was still blushing heavily, and her heart was racing wildly against her chest.

"What the hell is wrong with me," she murmured, patting her cheeks to cool the heat that spread over her face.

She had composed herself earlier, or so she thought, but as soon as she turned her back on Sebastian, the scene replayed in her mind.

Their proximity. The almost-kiss. That scent—pinewood and mint—still lingered in her nose. She hated this feeling. She hated losing control.

"He’s just another handsome man," Aurora muttered to herself. She walked to the vanity and stared at her reflection.

Her eyes were flustered, lips slightly parted. "Nothing special... I’ve been around better-looking men."

That much was true. As Luna, she’d always surrounded herself with beautiful men.

Bishop and Knight were in their forties but still looked like models out of a war novel—tall, muscular, distinguished.

Bishop’s icy blue eyes could stop anyone in their tracks, and Knight had that brooding charm with his deep-set gray eyes.

Still... Sebastian had something different. An intensity. A rawness. She scoffed and shook her head. "Maybe it’s because I haven’t had a decent distraction in a while."

She went to take a hot shower to calm her nerves and changed into something comfortable.

Her mind was still buzzing with work and lingering emotions, but one thought cut through the noise—Jenny.

Aurora quietly made her way to the guest room where Jenny was sleeping. She hadn’t checked on the girl all day, too consumed with hunting leads and cracking Calvert’s secrets.

When she stepped in, the soft glow of the bedside lamp revealed Jenny’s peaceful face, her small chest rising and falling in a gentle rhythm.

Aurora walked to the bed and lightly pressed her fingers against the child’s wrist, checking her pulse.

It was steady. Her expression softened. The frown that had etched between her brows slowly faded.

A strange warmth filled her heart watching Jenny sleep. A calmness she rarely felt.

She moved to the nightstand and lit a small herbal incense stick. The faint smell of lavender and ginseng filled the room.

"It helps with nerves, Mr. Harper," she said aloud.

From the shadows near the door, Sebastian stepped into view. He had been standing quietly, arms crossed. He nodded as their eyes met.

"You noticed me standing there again," he said, mildly surprised.

Aurora smirked without turning. "Your presence is louder than your footsteps."

It would be a lie to say he wasn’t surprised by her awareness of his presence. Very few people could ever sense when he entered a room—he had trained in silence, mastered stillness.

But she... she always knew. Time and again, she caught him off guard with that sharp intuition of hers.

At first, when he heard about the miracle doctor who could bring people back from the brink of death, he expected an aged man with decades of experience etched into his wrinkles.

Never had he imagined it would be a young woman—calm, composed, and far too brilliant for her age.

For many, it would be difficult to believe that someone so young could tug life back from the hands of the Grim Reaper. But from the very first moment he met her, he had believed.

There was something about her—an air of quiet confidence, an aura that demanded attention.

She radiated both grace and authority, wrapped in a cloak of elegance that no one her age should possess, yet she wore it so naturally.

She had saved Jenny when even the best doctors gave up, proving her genius beyond doubt.

But what shocked him even more was seeing her fight. The same delicate hands that healed could also destroy.

He had witnessed her mercilessly toss full-grown men to the ground without so much as flinching.

And now, he found himself wondering—what else was she hiding? What other sides of her lay waiting to be uncovered? He couldn’t help but look forward to finding out.

Sebastian looked at Jenny and then back at Aurora. "Is she improving?"

"Physically, yes," Aurora said. "Emotionally... that will take time. But she’s stronger than she looks."

Sebastian’s shoulders relaxed slightly. His voice turned quiet. "It should’ve been me who got hurt. Not her."

Aurora turned to face him. Her tone was gentle, rare. "Guilt will eat you alive if you let it. Don’t lose focus."

He nodded slowly. "Is it okay if Jenny stays here for a few more days? Now that the culprits are caught, I know I could take her back but..."

Aurora looked at Jenny and then back at him. She could read the hesitation in his tone. Something inside her softened further.

"She can stay. Until we find the one pulling the strings."

Sebastian exhaled, some unspoken weight lifting from his shoulders. "Thank you."

Aurora didn’t respond. She simply turned toward the door. "Good night, Mr. Harper."

"Good night, Ms. Smith."

Later, Aurora settled into her bed, a report open on her phone. A knock came at the door. Assuming it was Margaret or Bishop, she didn’t look up.

"Come in."

But the footsteps were slower. More measured. When she glanced up, she froze.

Sebastian.

He stepped inside holding something. A small metal tin. An ointment.

Without a word, he walked over to her bed and knelt beside it. Gently, he took her hand.

"What are you doing?" she asked, startled.

"You keep forgetting to care for your hands," he murmured. "Let me do it."

He rolled her sleeve up and applied the ointment in silence, his fingers gentle.

Aurora watched him, her breath catching in her throat. Again. Her mind screamed for control, but her heart pulsed rebelliously.

When he was done, she quickly pulled her hand back, trying to ignore the lingering warmth.

"Thank you," she said stiffly.

Sebastian stood. His eyes lingered on her for a second longer than necessary. "You don’t always have to do everything alone."

Aurora said nothing as he turned and walked away.

Her hand still tingled with the ghost of his touch. And for the first time in a very long time, Aurora Smith felt something she couldn’t file away in logic.