Rebirth Of The Heiress And The Tycoon's Lover (Alina) novel Chapter 270

Chapter 270

AUTHOR’S POV.

Morning light filtered through gauzy curtains, soft and golden…. but in this memory, it felt dull, heavy with grief.

Alina drifted within it like a ghost, watching as the Evergreen family gathered around the long breakfast table.

Her father’s voice cut through the silence like a blade. “Damien,” Darius said, his tone controlled but weary. “Take your sister to the park today.”

Nine–year–old Damien looked up from his untouched plate, eyes still shadowed from the night before. “The park?” He echoed, uncertain.

“Yes.” Darius’s fork clinked against his glass as he set it down. “You both need fresh air. Especially Dahlia. She hasn’t stopped asking about Lucius.”

Across the table, Luna’s eyes softened as she glanced at the small girl poking at her scrambled eggs. “It might do her some good,” she murmured. “She didn’t sleep well.”

Little Dahlia… Alina’s four–year–old self, sat with her bunny toy beside her plate, her hair still messy from the night before. “Can Lucius come too?” She asked innocently.

The table fell silent.

Luna forced a smile, though her throat was tight. “Sweetheart, Lucius isn’t here, remember? But your brother will take you. You’ll have fun.”

Dahlia’s little brows knitted. “I don’t want fun. I want Lucius.”

Darius’s expression flickered…not with anger, but helplessness. “Lucius can’t come, pumpkin,” he said gruffly, his tone softening at the end. “But your brother can. He’ll get you ice cream.”

The little girl’s eyes lifted to her brother, who gave her a small smile. “We’ll get two scoops,” Damien said. “Your favorite.”

That made her perk up, if only a little. “With sprinkles?”

“Of course.” He grinned.

Darius nodded approvingly, though the sadness in his eyes remained. “Go after breakfast. I’ve spoken to Henry. He’ll drive you there.”

“Just Henry?” Luna asked quietly, a hint of concern in her tone.

“Yes,” Darius replied. “The attack was directed at the Stormvales, not us. The children will be safe.”

Luna hesitated but said nothing more. She simply turned to her children, trying to sound cheerful. “Eat up, then. It’s a beautiful day for the park.”

Dahlia took a few small bites of toast, swinging her legs beneath the chair. She smiled faintly when Damien. stuck his tongue out at her, trying to make her laugh.

The image blurred, and when it cleared, Alina found herself standing outside, sunlight glinting off a black car parked near the entrance of a quiet park.

She could smell the fresh–cut grass, the faint sweetness of flowers carried by the wind. Children laughed in the distance, the sound echoing across the open field.

Little Dahlia’s laughter joined them soon after, soft and light, the kind of sound that could melt hearts.

She was running toward the swings, her small shoes kicking up dust, her bunny clutched in one hand. Damien jogged after her, carrying a small kite under his arm.

“Slow down, Lia!” he called. “You’ll trip again.”

“I won’t!” She yelled back, giggling.

The driver, Henry, stood by the car, his arms crossed but his expression relaxed. From where he was parked, he had a clear view of them, the two children playing under the soft sunlight, too innocent to know what darkness waited beyond the park’s calm edges.

Alina’s chest ached as she watched her younger self jump onto the swing. “Push me, Damien!”

Damien rolled his eyes with fond exasperation but obliged. “Hold tight this time.”

“I will!” She giggled again, her feet swinging through the air as she soared higher and higher.

Soon Damien was leaving her to go get ice cream.

Alina smiled faintly… until she noticed the way the wind seemed to shift. The sunlight dimmed slightly, and the laughter around her felt distant.

Then, from the far edge of the park, a figure approached.

A woman in a pale blue dress, her long brown hair glinting under the sunlight. Her steps were slow, graceful, deliberate even.

Elena.

Alina froze, recognizing her instantly even though the younger version looked softer, her beauty disarming. But there was something off about her, a cold gleam behind her kind smile.

Little Dahlia slowed her swing, her big eyes landing curiously on the stranger. “Hello.” She said politely, still clutching onto the swing.

Elena smiled sweetly. “Hello there, sweetheart. You’re Dahlia Evergreen, aren’t you?”

The child blinked. “Yes. Who are you?”

“My name is Elena.” She crouched to Dahlia’s level, her tone soft and melodic. “Your mother asked me to

check on you. She was worried.”

Dahlia tilted her head. “Mommy? But she’s at home.”

“Yes,” Elena said with a small, practiced smile. “She sent me to bring you something special.”

Alina took a step forward instinctively, her voice trembling. “Don’t-” But her words vanished into the wind. No one could hear her.

Elena reached into her purse and pulled out something that glinted in the light…a small golden pocket watch, its chain swaying gently.

“Do you know what this is?” She asked softly.

Dahlia’s eyes widened. “A clock!”

“That’s right.” Elena’s smile deepened, her tone smooth and coaxing. “It’s magic. When you look at it, it makes all the bad dreams go away.”

“Really?”

“Really.” The watch swung back and forth slowly, the ticking loud in the still air. “All you have to do is watch it carefully. Can you do that, little one?”

“Yes…” Dahlia whispered, her tiny voice faint, her eyes already following the motion.

“No,” Alina breathed, panic clawing at her chest. She ran forward, reaching out, but her hand passed right through the image like mist. “Don’t follow her, Dahlia! Please-”

Her voice echoed uselessly, swallowed by memory.

Elena’s voice grew softer. “That’s it. Just watch. You’re getting sleepy, aren’t you?”

The little girl’s eyelids fluttered. “Sleepy…”

“Good girl. Now, come with me.”

And without resistance, Dahlia slid off the swing, her bunny dropping to the ground. She took Elena’s hand, her steps slow, mechanical.

Alina’s stomach twisted as she watched her younger self walk away…helpless, entranced, following the very woman who would erase her identity and her memories.

Meanwhile, Damien jogged toward the car, calling out to the driver. “Henry, can I have some money? Lia wants ice cream.”

Henry smiled, fishing through his pocket. “Of course, young master. Don’t stray too far.”

“I won’t,” Damien said, taking the notes and hurrying toward the ice cream stand by the fountain.

It took barely two minutes.

Vouchers

By the time he returned, the swing was empty.

“Lia?” he called, scanning the park. “Dahlia!”

The bunny toy lay in the dirt, the faint sound of its bell jingling as the wind brushed past.

His heart dropped. He turned frantically, his small voice growing louder, desperate. “Lia! Stop hiding…this isn’t funny!”

But she was gone.

The ice cream fell from his trembling hands as he screamed for her, his cries piercing the once–peaceful park.

From her ghostly place in the memory, Alina fell to her knees, shaking her head. “No… no, no, no…”

Tears streamed down her face, her voice breaking. “Damien, I’m right here. I’m here.”

But the little boy couldn’t hear her. He was already running, yelling her name over and over until his voice cracked.

The scene blurred again…the park, the car, the swing, all fading into shadow.

Only the echo of his voice remained.

“Lia!”

And then once again, silence.

Alina’s body convulsed faintly where she lay unconscious in the manor’s hospital wing, her breathing uneven.

Because deep inside the maze of her memories, she had just watched the moment her life and name were stolen forever.