Rebirth to take revenge
Chapter 155: Sophia

Chapter 155: Sophia

"Josh, you can’t stay here," Alex said, his voice tinged with frustration.

"And why not?" Josh responded, his tone casual.

"Because this is my home. And..." Alex’s eyes flickered with cold determination. "I don’t want you disturbing our lives."

Josh sneered, leaning back against the doorway. "We’re just passersby in each other’s lives. There’s no need to overthink it. But since you seem so worried, perhaps I should stay a little longer—just for fun."

Before Alex could respond, Josh turned on his heel and walked away, disappearing down the hall.

Alex clenched his fists, his eyes simmering with anger. Josh Greg, do you really think you’ve won?

---

Claire, unaware of the tense exchange downstairs, walked into the living room. Her eyes lit up with joy as she admired the beauty of the space. The house was breathtakingly luxurious, with soft Gothic touches and romantic decorations.

The floors sparkled with embedded crystal accents, and a pure white sofa adorned with pink rose petal-embroidered pillows added an enchanting touch of elegance.

She sat down on the sofa, her heart overwhelmed with happiness. Burying her face in one of the pillows, she closed her eyes and allowed herself to finally feel a moment of peace. No longer did she have to fear the Smith family or worry about Leander’s safety. For the first time in years, she felt genuinely free.

Claire fell into a light, peaceful sleep.

Alex walked into the room moments later. Seeing Claire asleep on the couch, he paused, a mix of emotions flickering across his face. Gently, he picked her up and carried her upstairs, laying her down on the bed.

As Alex was about to leave, Claire stirred and opened her eyes. She rubbed them groggily, meeting his concerned gaze.

"You’re awake," Alex said softly.

Claire nodded, still a little disoriented.

"This is your room. You’ve had a long day, so rest early," Alex said kindly before turning to leave.

"Wait," Claire called out suddenly.

Alex paused, glancing back at her.

"Josh is still here. Isn’t it rude for me to rest while he’s around?" Claire asked hesitantly.

Alex shook his head. "It’s fine. He won’t cause any trouble."

"But..." Claire’s voice trailed off as she lowered her gaze.

"It’s fine. You need your rest," Alex reassured her, leaving the room.

Claire lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling. Her thoughts lingered on Josh. She felt as though there were things left unsaid between them, but she wasn’t sure if she was ready to hear them. Unwillingly, she drifted off to sleep again.

---

Downstairs, Alex found Josh lounging on the sofa, sipping a cup of coffee as though he owned the place.

"So? How is she?" Josh asked nonchalantly.

"She’s fine. She doesn’t want to deal with you much, though," Alex replied curtly.

Josh leaned back with a smirk. "There’s still some unfinished business here, wouldn’t you agree?"

Alex glared at him, his tone darkening. "Josh, there’s no reason for you to stay here."

"Maybe not. But it seems like you haven’t let go of everything either," Josh said, his words dripping with implication.

Alex said nothing, his jaw clenching tightly. The room was thick with tension as both men locked gazes, their shared history weaving unspoken words between them.

Unconsciously, she fell asleep again.

Alex walked down the stairs and saw Josh leisurely drinking coffee on the sofa.

"How is it?"

"I don’t know how she feels."

"But I know Claire doesn’t want to talk to you much."

Alex sat on the sofa and stared at Josh deeply.

"There’s nothing else for us to talk about."

"But I think you haven’t forgotten Claire’s experience."

"She came from a small fishing village and suffered so many prejudices. I should give her everything she deserves," Josh said.

Alex sneered. "So what? What do you want to do?"

"I just feel that Claire needs me," Josh said lightly.

"If you’re trying to make up for it by saving Claire, then you’ve done enough," Alex said coldly.

"I know," Josh murmured, his lips tightening and eyes flickering with complex emotions.

Alex raised an eyebrow, a mocking smile appearing on his lips.

"Josh, I really admire you. I didn’t expect you to hold on until now."

Josh looked up, his eyes flashing with a sharp coldness. "Should I thank you for that?"

Alex curled his lips into another mocking smile. "I’m just reminding you."

"Sometimes, I really can’t understand why Claire is so powerless now. Her identity as the wife of the Miller family should be enough," Alex remarked coldly.

"That has nothing to do with you," Josh replied indifferently. "She is my sister and doesn’t need to rely on anyone. She has her own identity."

Hearing this, Alex scoffed. "If it weren’t for the fact that you helped Claire before, do you think I would let you stay here?"

Josh stared out the window, his eyes deep. "I don’t mind if you kick me out."

"Suit yourself," Alex said, his tone indifferent as though he didn’t care.

Ignoring Alex’s attitude, Josh closed his eyes and feigned sleep.

---

When Claire woke up, it was already daylight. Her heart skipped a beat.

She had no memory of what had happened last night. But when she looked at the empty bed next to her, she realized Alex was gone.

She got out of bed and walked to the living room, glancing around. There was no sign of Alex.

Just as she was wondering, a hoarse voice sounded behind her. "You’re awake."

Claire startled and turned around to find it was Josh.

"How did you get here? You didn’t leave last night?" Claire asked.

"No, I didn’t. I wanted to wait until you woke up," Josh replied calmly.

Claire lowered her gaze, feeling a bit annoyed. Looking at Josh’s weathered face and the countless cigarette butts in the ashtray, she knew he hadn’t slept all night.

She sighed. "Josh, I’m sorry. I didn’t treat you well," Claire said, biting her lip lightly.

"You don’t have to apologize to me," Josh said.

"I just don’t know how to face you," Claire admitted.

Hearing her words, Josh’s heart ached for a moment before the feeling quickly disappeared.

"Claire, you’re an adult now. You have the right to choose your future. I believe you wouldn’t want me to always bother you, right?" Josh said calmly.

Claire nodded. "Yes."

"My father, Mr. Greg, wants to see you. Would you like to?" Josh asked.

Claire was stunned. "Mr. Greg wants to see me?"

"Yes," Josh confirmed with a nod.

Claire hesitated. She didn’t want to have anything to do with Josh’s family, but she still owed him her life.

"I’ll think about it and give you an answer tomorrow," Claire said softly.

"Okay," Josh said, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.

---

The next morning, Claire packed up and prepared to go to the meeting, but Alex stopped her.

"You can’t go," he said sternly.

"Why?" Claire asked.

"Because I’ll worry about you," Alex replied coldly.

"If you insist on going, then take me with you," Alex added decisively.

Claire wanted to refuse but was coldly interrupted by Alex.

"Claire, you know that I hate being rejected the most."

Claire bit her lip. "Then I can only take you there."

Alex smiled satisfactorily.

---

The Greg Family Estate

When Josh and Alex met at the door, Josh’s expression was a bit awkward. He glanced at Claire and said, "Claire, my grandma is not available to listen to what happened today."

Claire looked at Josh, her mood complicated.

This feeling was contradictory. On one hand, it was the person she liked, but on the other hand, it was the debt she owed and had to repay.

"It’s okay, you guys can go in," Josh said.

Alex held Claire’s hand and pulled her to his side.

Josh watched this scene, his heart tightening, and a hint of anger surged in his eyes. He sneered and turned to walk into the house.

"Dad, Claire is here," Josh called toward Mr. Celine, who was sitting in the living room.

Mr. Celine raised his head and looked at Claire.

Claire, surprised, realized she had never seen this elder before.

"Claire, come and sit," Mr. Celine said.

"Okay." Claire walked over. Alex held her arm and pulled her to sit next to him.

Mr. Celine looked at their intertwined arms and frowned. "Who is this?"

"Dad, he is Claire’s husband," Josh said calmly.

Claire watched the scene before her, her heart racing and unease settling all over.

Mr. Celine frowned. "I see."

Claire felt even more uncomfortable. Alex merely smiled.

Dad, I’ll go upstairs and change. You guys talk first," Josh said.

Mr. Celine nodded, watching his son’s lonely figure retreat before sighing deeply.

"Claire, you’ve suffered these years," he said softly.

Claire shook her head. "I don’t feel like I’ve suffered. It’s actually Josh who has had it hard."

Hearing Claire’s words, Mr. Celine sighed. "You’re right. It’s my fault for not understanding and making you suffer. Don’t worry, I won’t let you suffer anymore in the future. But..."

"Mr. Celine, I know you mean well," Claire said, smiling lightly. "But I’m doing well now."

"Okay." Mr. Celine sighed, unsure of what else to say.