Rebirth: Love me Again

[EVE]

Dutch rolled his eyes and took a swig of his drink. "Don't be so dramatic. She's my girlfriend. And she's moving in."

"What?" I snapped. "This is my house, Dutch. You don't get to bring in random people to live here without even asking me!"

He scoffed. "Why are you being so uptight? I'm your brother. I'm older than you, and we're family. What's yours is mine."

I stepped forward, rage bubbling in my throat. "What kind of twisted logic is that? This house is under my name. I bought it. I pay the bills. I own it."

The girl purred lazily, eyes glassy and red. "Babe, is this the selfish sister you were talking about?"

Dutch smirked. "Yeah, don't worry. I'll handle her. Go back to bed."

Something inside me snapped. It wasn't just frustration—it was fear. Fear that I was losing control over my own life. My own home. My own name.

Was I really the villain here for drawing boundaries? Was I selfish for wanting peace in the home I worked so hard to build?

They walked all over me—until I put my foot down. And now, suddenly, I was the problem.

No. No more of this.

Not in my house.

Not in my life.

Not anymore.

I closed my eyes, trying to steady the storm raging inside me. Then I inhaled deeply—slow and sharp—filling my lungs with as much air as I could before releasing it in a hiss. My voice came out like a blade.

"If you can't follow my rules under my roof, then you're more than welcome to leave. Actually—" I opened my eyes, fixing them on every single one of them, "—why don't you all just go back to Germany?"

A stunned silence followed.

"Eve! Is that how you speak to your family?" Dave snapped, his tone laced with fake outrage.

"Family?" I laughed dryly. "You must be joking. A family would never exploit me like this and disregard my boundaries."

"We exhausted all our resources just to find you," Helen cut in, arms folded, wearing that usual mask of martyrdom she loved to play. "And that's how you thank us?"

"I'm not asking for your gratitude," I said coldly. "I'm asking for basic respect. If I'm the one paying for everything, then the very least you can do is stay in your lane. But overstepping my boundaries? That's where it ends."

"You're so arrogant," Haley scoffed, venom dripping from every word. "Just because you're bringing in money, you think you can treat us like trash? If you had just given us jobs or handed over some shares in your company, we wouldn't even need your money anymore. We could've helped with the household too."

Help?

I stared at her, nearly stunned by the audacity.

Help was the last thing they would've done. I knew that if I gave them positions in my company—or worse, handed them partial ownership—they would bleed it dry with their unending spending and entitlement. Those companies were my blood, sweat, and tears. I wasn't about to see it fall to ruin just so they could play business dress-up.

"I can't give you half. I don't even own it outright. I've told you—it's a shared venture. And no, I'm not giving you jobs either. Try doing something radical for once—like finding actual employment yourselves," I snapped.

"How could you say that?" Helen said, her voice suddenly soft and hurt, as if she hadn't just spent the last fifteen minutes gaslighting me.

That's when Dutch spoke up. His voice was low, but the malice behind it was unmistakable.

"You know what would change her attitude?" he said, his face twisting into something dark. "Grounding her. Locking her in her room."

My stomach dropped.

I took a cautious step back, heart beginning to pound. "What are you talking about? You're going to imprison me in my own house? That's not happening."

Dave's lips curled into a cruel grin. "Actually, that's a great idea. Give me your phone and go to your room. You're grounded."

I blinked. "Are you serious right now?!"

But before I could take another step, Dutch lunged forward. Dave joined him. In seconds, they had me by the arms, gripping tightly, dragging me down the hall. I kicked and screamed, panic seizing my throat.

"Let me go! You can't do this! This is my house!"

Haley yanked my bag off my shoulder, rifling through it until she grabbed my phone and shoved it into her pocket like a trophy.

I struggled harder, nails clawing at Dutch's arm. "Let go of me! You can't treat me like this!" My voice cracked, fear finally overpowering my anger.

What had I done?

How had I been so stupid—so desperate—to let them into my life?

They weren't here because they cared. They were here for the money, for the control, for me—the golden goose they thought they could cage and pluck forever.

Was I really their family?

But before they could shove me into my room, a loud crash echoed through the front door.

It burst open with a force that shook the walls.

Men dressed in all black stormed in—tactical gear, sunglasses, weapons drawn. They moved like shadows, efficient and silent, surrounding the room in seconds. Dutch and Dave were slammed to the ground, arms wrenched behind their backs.

"What the hell—?!" Dave shouted, face smushed against the floor.

"We don't have any money!" Helen shrieked as one of the men trained a weapon on her. "We're just guests! She—she's the one with the money! Take her!"

Haley backed her up without missing a beat. "Yes! Take Eve! She's rich! You can get more from her!"

I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

My mouth fell open, shock freezing my limbs.

They were handing me over without hesitation. As if I were nothing more than a bargaining chip. As if I were disposable.

"Wow," I whispered, barely able to breathe.

A new voice entered the room, calm yet commanding.

"If there's anyone worth taking, it's you people."

I turned, my heart skipping as a figure stepped through the broken doorway. He was dressed like the rest—black from head to toe, sunglasses covering his eyes—but I knew that voice. That presence.

"Dean?" I said, disoriented.