Rebirth: Love me Again-Chapter 309: A Heart No Longer His Own

Unbeknownst to Eve, Haley and Helen had secretly followed her, eager to uncover the identity of her mysterious date.

"Stop pushing me, Ma! Eve might notice we're following her!" Haley hissed, glaring at her mother.

"Shh!" Helen silenced her with a sharp look, her eyes widening in warning. "Do you want her to catch us? Keep your voice down!"

Haley rolled her eyes but complied, tiptoeing behind her mother as they peeked from a safe distance. They watched as Eve stepped out of the luxurious apartment complex, her poised figure illuminated by the streetlights.

Then, a sleek black customized limousine pulled up in front of her. The doors opened smoothly, and out stepped a man—a man so breathtakingly handsome that Haley audibly gasped.

Her heartbeat thundered in her chest as she watched him, this impossibly elegant stranger, stride toward Eve with effortless grace. He moved like he owned the world, his presence commanding attention without trying.

And when he reached Eve, he didn't just greet her—he treated her like something precious. His hand rested gently on her back as he guided her into the limousine, his demeanor dripping with class, wealth, and an air of untouchable superiority.

Haley felt her breath hitch. Her eyes widened, nearly turning into hearts. She had seen plenty of handsome men before, but this one—this man—was on a completely different level.

"Mom," she whispered, clutching Helen's arm. "I have to know who that guy is!"

Helen barely spared her a glance, too busy assessing the situation herself. "What?"

"I have to know," Haley repeated, her tone more urgent, more desperate. "Mom, I want that man."

Helen finally turned to her daughter, her brows raising at the determination in her voice. She knew that stubborn expression all too well. When Haley set her sights on something—or someone—she wouldn't stop until she got what she wanted.

"Haley, we could just ask your sister once she's back," Helen said, as if that was the simplest solution in the world.

"But what if he's her boyfriend?" Haley snapped, her lips curling in irritation. The mere thought made her stomach churn. No way. Eve doesn't deserve a man like that.

Helen clicked her tongue dismissively. "Oh, don't worry about that, dear. You and that man suit each other far better than she does. Once we ask Eve, she'll surely hand him over to you. That girl is soft—too soft."

Haley's face lit up, a smug smile spreading across her lips. "You're right. That sister of mine is such a pushover. If I cry in her lap and say I've fallen in love, she'll fold like paper. She always does."

Helen smirked, patting her daughter's head as if she were a child who had just come up with a clever idea.

"And from the way he looks? He's loaded. Marrying a man like him would mean no more struggling, no more depending on Eve for handouts. We'd finally get what we deserve."

Haley's grin widened. "Exactly! Once I have him, we'll never have to beg Eve for anything ever again. She can keep wasting her money on that stupid studio while I live in luxury."

Helen nodded approvingly, already lost in the fantasy of wealth and power. "I'm sure the moment that man sees you, he'll fall for you at first sight."

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Haley giggled, flicking her hair over her shoulder, confidence surging through her veins. "Of course he will. I'll make sure of it."

With their twisted plans set in motion, the mother and daughter turned back toward the apartment, already plotting the best way to manipulate Eve into giving them exactly what they wanted.

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[COLE]

"How much longer?" Cole asked, his voice hoarse, laced with exhaustion.

Zen exhaled heavily, running a hand through his hair. "Based on our research, there's only one way out of this, and it's not something we can force. Elena has to undo the ritual herself. Whatever she's done to you . . . it's not just some simple love potion, Cole." His voice darkened. "She's performing something much worse—dark magic, something that binds you to her completely. That's why the effect is so strong. You're not yourself."

Cole clenched his fists, nails digging into his palms. "We don't have much time," he muttered, though even as he spoke, his thoughts drifted—to her.

Elena.

That name alone sent a haze through his mind, clouding his thoughts like a thick, inescapable fog. Most of the time, he wasn't even aware of himself—his actions, his words, his emotions—they weren't his own anymore. He was constantly being pulled under, controlled by whatever twisted ritual Elena had bound him with.

If not for his unyielding self-control, his years of discipline, both physically and mentally, he would have fallen to her completely a long time ago.

But now, he could feel himself slipping.

The ritual was getting stronger.

And he didn't know how much longer he could hold on.

Killing her wasn't an option. If she died while the ritual was still in effect, he would be lost—driven mad, consumed by the magic that chained him to her. The only way out was to make Elena revoke the spell of her own will. But that was easier said than done.

Not only was she unpredictable, but she was always watching.

She couldn't know what they were planning.

If she so much as suspected their betrayal, she could tighten her grip on him even more, and worse—she could turn her wrath toward the people around him.

And Cole, with the chains shackling his will, was fiercely protecting her. Because she willed him to.

She imprisoned him.

Zen's voice snapped him back.

"We're running out of time, Cole," Zen said firmly. "Let's just tell Eve what's happening. She needs to know."

Cole immediately shook his head. "That's not an option." His voice was sharp, but his hands trembled slightly at his sides. "Elena is dangerous right now. I don't want Eve getting involved in this."

Zen ground his teeth. "Then let's tell your mother. She might know something, might have a way to—"

"No."

That single word carried a weight that made Zen hesitate.

Cole's expression was unreadable, but the tension in his body spoke volumes. He was afraid.

He—Cole Fay, who had all the power and money in the world—was afraid.

Not for himself.

For them.

If his mother got involved, if Elena even suspected someone else interfering, she might retaliate. And Cole couldn't stop her, not when he was still under her influence.

The helplessness clawed at him.

How had his life become this?

He had always been in control. Always the one dictating his own fate.

Yet now, he was nothing more than a puppet on invisible strings, forced to dance to Elena's whims.

This kind of thing wasn't supposed to be real.

Not in the modern world.

Not in his world.

And yet, here he was—trapped, ensnared by something out of a nightmare.

His jaw tightened. "Stick to the plan," he ordered. "Keep gathering evidence. We need to corner her completely. When the time comes, she'll have no choice but to undo what she's done."

Zen opened his mouth to argue, but then—

Cole's eyes glazed over.

The shift was immediate. One second, he was there—himself—and the next, he was gone.

Zen stiffened as Cole's expression turned eerily blank, his once sharp, calculating eyes now distant and void.

Not again.

The moments where Cole regained control were growing shorter and shorter, and the more it happened, the more Zen feared that soon—there would be nothing left of the real Cole.

His hands clenched at his sides.

He couldn't just stand by and watch this any longer.

With a deep breath, Zen pulled out his phone.

"Forgive me, Master Cole," he muttered under his breath.

Then, without another moment of hesitation, he contacted Leanna.

Cole might not want his family involved.

But at this point, he didn't have a choice.