Hospital – Private Consultation Room
The moment Amber stepped back, Jonathan's shoulders dropped.
But it wasn't relief.
It was disappointment.
Jonathan (thinking): …Why did she move away? 😤
Meanwhile, Amber adjusted her clothes and looked away.
Amber (thinking): …Why was I standing that close anyway? 😶
For a few seconds, neither spoke.
The atmosphere that had been filled with awkward romantic tension slowly changed.
Amber finally exhaled.
Amber: "It's the curse of the William family." 😑
Jonathan blinked.
Jonathan: "William? …Isn't that your surname?" 😯
Amber nodded.
Amber: "Yes. The William family has known about this curse for generations."
Jonathan straightened.
Amber crossed her arms.
Amber: "Listen carefully. Don't interrupt." 😤
Jonathan immediately sat properly, like a student being scolded by his teacher.
Jonathan: "Okay…" 😶
Amber: "The William family has an 2 ancient curse. According to our family records, it affects members who are reincarnated or who are alone."
Jonathan frowned.
Amber continued.
Amber: " First curse - The curse forces every first child to live alone. They're separated from the people they love. Even when they find happiness, something always seems to pull them away from it."
Jonathan's expression became serious.
Amber: "but second curse - When I was young, I saw this same mark in a portrait at my grandfather's house. I didn't understand its meaning back then, but I remembered it."
She paused before continuing.
Amber: "Second curse - According to the old family texts, this mark appears on someone who died young in their previous life and was reborn within twenty-four hours of their death." 😑
Jonathan stared at her.
Amber: "At first, I thought it was first curse when Justin had this mark because I left him for fifteen years."
Her voice cracked slightly.
She quickly looked away, trying to maintain her composure.
Amber: "I thought perhaps my absence had somehow affected him. But that's impossible. This curse doesn't come from loneliness or separation. It comes from rebirth." 😐
She looked directly at Jonathan.
Amber: "You can talk now."
Jonathan opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
Jonathan: "I… I—" 😶
Amber's eyebrow twitched.
Amber: "Speak something, or I swear I'll hit your head." 😑
Jonathan ran a hand through his hair.
His fingers trembled slightly.
Jonathan: "Rebirth…?"
He looked at Amber, struggling to understand what she had just told him.
Jonathan: "Are you saying… my son died? When he had us?!" 😶
His voice grew weaker.
His mind immediately went to Justin.
Justin.
His son.
The other half of his heart.
The boy he had protected with everything he had.
The child whose smallest injury could make Jonathan lose his temper.
He remembered Justin's childhood, his laughter, his arguments, and all those little moments that had made his life meaningful.
And now Amber was telling him that somewhere in the future, Justin had already experienced death.
Jonathan couldn't accept it.
Jonathan: "No… that can't be true."
Amber watched his expression change.
Shock.
Confusion.
Pain.
Disbelief.
And finally, a terrifying emptiness.
She stepped closer.
Amber: "Jonathan… if my guess is right, Justin is a reborn child."
Jonathan stared ahead.
His heartbeat seemed unbearably loud.
My son died young?
He was alone?
And then he came back?
His hands slowly curled into fists.
Jonathan (thinking): No.
I don't care what happened in his previous life.
I don't care who hurt him.
This time, he has me.
I will destroy everything before I allow anyone to hurt him again.
No one touches my family twice.
Amber gently placed a hand on his shoulder.
Jonathan flinched.
Not because of her touch, but because of the weight of her words.
Amber: "Jonathan… we need to be careful. If my guess is correct, the curse is connected to his previous life."
She paused.
Amber: "And if this mark keeps spreading, it might mean the past o. His , is trying to repeat itself."
Jonathan slowly lifted his head.
His voice was barely a whisper.
Jonathan: "Amber… what happened to him in that past life?"
Amber's expression darkened.
For the first time, she seemed genuinely afraid of the answer.
She looked away.
Amber: "That… is what I'm scared to find out." 😐
TO BE CONTINUED…