Rebirth Snatching Back My Stolen Luck novel Chapter 26

Chapter 26

LILITH

Exactly a minute later, May’s voice reappeared.

[Here are your current luck values: Lilith Caldwell – 65; Claire Brooks – 65.]

I arched a brow. “Our luck values are the same?”

[It’s only this way now because of the luck you just regained. Your previous values were 55 and 75, respectively.]

“I’m fifty–five?” I asked, even though I already knew.

[Yes.]

“Then what was my original luck value–before she stole any of it?”

There was a pause.

[Are you sure you want to know?]

The question made my stomach clench. Why did I suddenly feel like I wasn’t ready to hear the answer?

“Tell me,” I said, my voice tightening without me knowing.

[Ninety–five.]

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My fingers curled into the sheets, blood running cold.

“She stole forty points of my luck already?” My voice trembled. “But… didn’t you say the absorption rate was slow? That she hadn’t taken much?”

What is luck, really?

To most people, it’s coincidence. A good day. Dodging a falling flowerpot by pure chance. Deciding at the last minute not to board a vehicle headed for disaster. Winning the lottery. A golden opportunity landing in your lap.

It’s the invisible edge–something that separates the chosen from the overlooked.

In small moments, it was usually overlooked but in critical moments, luck is that unseen force that separates survival from loss, success from failure and life from death.

That’s what Claire had taken from me.

She stole something so important to me and wore it like a crown–shamelessly. Unapologetically.

Only after hearing the number–95–did I truly grasp what I had lost.

May responded then.

[It’s not as simple as you make it sound.]

[If that scrap had been functioning at full capacity, it would’ve taken less than a year for her

to drain all your luck in your previous life. Instead, it took ten years.]

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“I need to get it all back.” I lifted my head, eyes glinting with cold determination. “Every single point.”

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Chapter 26

ZBE THOUGH!

I wouldn’t let her keep even a sliver of it.

[Best of luck, then.]

With that, May went offline.

I spent a few minutes breathing, steadying myself. Letting the storm inside settle.

For a long while, I sat there in silence, trying to calm the fury raging inside of me.

Once I did, things clicked into place.

If what May said was true, then to reclaim my luck, Claire would need to suffer some kind of loss or misfortune. A blow big enough to strip her of what wasn’t hers to begin with.

Perfect.

Then, I’ll keep hitting her with one misfortune after another, until she could no longer claw her way up.

And if I was only eighty percent sure she’d come crawling back into our lives before–now I was a hundred percent certain.

Because she still needed me. She needed me to like her, trust her, in order to siphon luck from me again.

So no matter how many lies she had to spin to earn my forgiveness, she’d try.

That worked just fine for me.

Because like the saying goes: keep your friends close–and your enemies closer.

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Let’s see who plays this manipulative game better.

Just then, a notification pinged and pulled me out of my thoughts.

Dean had replied.

{What time do you plan to come?}

I paused for a second to think.

{Probably around 9.}

{Got it. I’ll be expecting you. }

He followed up by sharing the location.

The Haven Residences.

I liked the name already.

Because that’s what I wanted now, wasn’t it?

A haven of my own.

I thought the conversation was over, but another message popped up.

{I forgot to ask. Will you be driving down yourself?}

{No,} I typed.

Technically, I had a license, but I’d never been allowed to drive.

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Chapter 26

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288 Mouch

Having been chauffeured around all my life, any knowledge I’d learnt while talking the test was long buried.

{Got it.} He replied.

wasn’t sure why he asked, but… I shrugged. I didn’t care enough to dwell on it.

If I end

e bed and walked to my wardrobe to pick out today’s outfit.

eted me was depressingly sparse–barely a single row of clothes.

hadn’t arrived yet, and honestly, maybe that was for the best.

king Dean’s apartment, I’d just have them deliver everything there instead.

I chose a white and black striped tank top, black flared trousers, white sneakers, and a black crossbody bag.

Not like I had many options anyway.

After a quick shower, I got dressed.

“Good morning, Miss.”

As I descended the stairs an hour later, I was met with warm smiles and greetings from every staff member I passed by.

“Thank you for the gifts, Miss.”

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For the first time in both my lives, it seemed they weren’t just seeing the Caldwell family’s youngest daughter.

They were seeing me.

Lilith.

Just… Lilith.

I smiled back. “Did you like them?”

When they nodded enthusiastically, my smile deepened, something in my chest relaxing.

I liked the feeling.

But that good mood lasted until I reached the ground floor and came face to face with my

mom.

Seriously?

I had timed everything so carefully.

x

**

At this hour, the four of them were usually out the door, halfway to work, or already there.

I hadn’t expected her to still be home, much less waiting here.

“Lilith…” she said, her tone hesitant and her expression uncertain.

Immediately, every nerve in my body went on high alert.

D

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Not another emotional minefield dressed up as a “conversation.”

I was tired.

Tired of the drama.

Tired of the tangled mess of guilt, affection, and confusion that had defined the last two days.

More than anything, I just wanted some peace.

Real peace.

Was that really too much to ask?

So I gave her my brightest, most effortless smile.

I

gave her

my most pleasant smile.

“Good morning, Mom.”

“You must be on your way to work,” I added breezily, pretending not to notice she was still in house clothes. “I’ve also got an important appointment, so I won’t keep you.”

And before she could say a word more, I walked–no, bolted–straight out the front door, tuning out her voice calling after me.

Only when I was far enough away from the mansion did I stop and exhale.

That was close.

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Chapter 20

288 (Vouchers

Right then and there, I made up my mind.

I was moving into Dean’s apartment. Regardless of whether I liked it or not.

Because I couldn’t keep living like this–tiptoeing around my own house, planning my escape routes just to have a breathing space.

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LILITH

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