Cherished by My Taker After Rebirth

Chapter 3 The Morning After

Just to be safe, Lily arranged for a courier to deliver a box of birth control pills to the Steele family estate. She quietly slipped out to the side door to receive the package. The moment the pills were in her hands, she let out a small sigh of relief.

But before she could relax, a rough, weathered hand suddenly gripped her wrist. She looked up to find it was Uncle Simon Steele, the second eldest in Steele Family.

"Well, well, what are you up to, sneaking around like this?" Uncle Steele's sharp voice came, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.

He had always been strict with the younger generation, and he viewed Lily with extra wariness. He had noticed her sneaking toward the side door earlier, speaking with someone outside, and then taking the package from them.

Uncle Steele was always watching, and for the good of Steele Family, he wouldn't allow Lily to do anything that could harm them.

Lily quickly raised the bag in her hand, trying to stay calm. "Uncle Steele, I wasn't feeling well earlier, so I had the courier bring me a few boxes of medicine."

She couldn't afford for anyone in Steele Family to know what she had just received. If they found out, her lie in front of Mr. Dominic Steele would be exposed.

Uncle Steele was no fool. His eyes narrowed further, and he stared at her with disbelief. "The family doctor is here, and you're out buying random medicine? What's going on, Lily?"

"Lily, I may be getting older, but I'm not stupid!" he snapped.

Lily couldn't help feeling a bit frustrated. She should have just gone out and bought the medicine herself.

"I remember Dr. Clark is examining Grandpa Steele right now, so I had the courier pick up some medicine for me," she explained quickly.

"Liars! Lily, if you don't tell me what that is, I'll take you straight to your Grandpa to explain yourself! I've told you before—no one should be raising anyone else's child. But Mr. Dominic Steele never listens…"

Lily's mind raced as she heard those words, memories of the past flooding back.

She knew all too well that no one in Steele Family had ever truly cared about her.

When things went wrong, they were all too eager to pin the blame on her.

Just as Lily was about to respond, a familiar voice interrupted.

"Uncle? What's going on here?"

Both Uncle Simon Steele and Lily turned to see Alexander standing there. It was unclear how long he'd been listening, and Lily felt a wave of unease wash over her.

Before she could say anything, Uncle Simon Steele quickly spoke up, his voice laced with irritation. "I was in the living room having tea when I saw this girl sneaking around by the side door, talking to someone, then taking something from them. You don't think she's trying to sell something from Steele Family, do you?"

Lily's anger flared. "Uncle Steele, what are you implying? I've always treated you with respect. How can you just throw out accusations like that? You said you saw someone give me something—don't you recognize the label on this bag?"

"Pharmacy," she added, making sure to emphasize the word, hoping Uncle Simon Steele wouldn't miss it.

"I told you, my stomach was upset, so I bought some medicine. Is that so hard to believe?"

Uncle Simon Steele wasn't ready to back down. He fired back, his voice rising. "If you're so innocent, why don't you just show us what you bought?"

Lily, pushed to her limit, lost her patience. "This is my own medicine. Why should I show it to you?"

She added, with a mocking tone, "Oh, Uncle Steele, come on. If you were really struggling for cash, you could have just asked me. I may not have much, but I'd help however I can."

Uncle Simon Steele's face turned beet red, his frustration boiling over. "Lily, what nonsense are you talking about? Just because I might be low on funds, it has nothing to do with you!"

"Oh, right. It's got nothing to do with me!" Lily shot back. "So why do you keep asking about my medicine? Are you planning on taking it for yourself since you seem so interested?"

The argument reached a boiling point, Uncle Simon Steele glaring at her, barely able to get his words out. But before things escalated any further, Alexander stepped in with a cool chuckle, breaking the tension between the two.

Uncle Simon Steele, desperate to have his side heard, pulled Alexander into the discussion. "Alex, tell me, am I wrong here?"

Lily ignored Alexander, unwilling to look him in the eye. She knew how the Steeles operated—united in their opinions. What could she expect from him?

Alexander's deep, calm voice broke through the tension. "Uncle Steele, Grandpa Steele's looking for you. You'd better go and see what's going on. I'll take care of things here."

Reluctantly, Uncle Simon Steele gave one last scornful look at Lily before muttering, "Alex, you better make sure you ask this girl what she was carrying. With that attitude of hers, I'm afraid it's poison she's trying to sneak past us."

Lily opened her mouth to protest, but before she could, Alexander blocked her path, stepping in front of her.

She didn't want anything to do with him, but Alexander wasn't going to let this slide.

"What is it you're carrying?" he asked, his voice cool but demanding.

Lily quickly tried to hide the medicine bag behind her back, but she couldn't mask the nervousness in her voice. "It's nothing. Just some medicine for my stomach."

Before she could finish her sentence, Alexander's hand shot out and grabbed the bag, yanking it from her grasp.

Lily's heart skipped a beat as the truth hit her like a ton of bricks. The birth control pill box was now clearly visible, the words "48-Hour Emergency Contraceptive"

emblazoned across the front. The moment it came into view, it was as if everything went silent.

Even though she had lived this life once before, the shame still stung. She tried to grab the box back, but Alexander's grip tightened around her wrist, stopping her.

He held her hand for a moment longer, feeling the warmth radiating from her skin.

His mind was racing, trying to piece together what had happened the night before.

"So… it really was you last night," he murmured.

He had thought the soft whispers and confessions of love were just a dream, but seeing the medicine, he couldn't deny it any longer.

Lily felt the heat rise in her cheeks as Alexander's gaze bore into her, the weight of the night before slowly sinking in.