Reborn, She's Back for Revenge novel Chapter 180

Chapter 180

Chapter 180

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90

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The barbecue joint was buzzing with activity. Groups of customers chatted away. The air was filled with the mouthwatering scent of grilled meat and the sound of cheerful laughter.

In this lively setting, the awkwardness between Edith and Marcus began to fade.

The waiter brought the food over, and Edith grabbed the tongs, laying the raw meat onto the grill piece by piece.

“Let me do it,” Marcus offered. He’d been quietly watching the other tables, and he’d pretty much figured out how this grilling thing worked.

Back when Marcus lived with the Larson family, his meals were always prepared by the chef. While he was at the orphanage, he ate whatever the cafeteria served. He’d never had food like this; no one had ever taken him anywhere like this before.

Edith pointed at the grill and called out, “That one’s done–grab it for me, quick.”

Marcus scrambled a little, nearly dropping the fork, but managed to get the meat off the grill.

Edith wrapped the hot meat in a piece of lettuce and handed it across. She said, “Looks like it’s your first time at a barbecue joint. You get the very first bite.”

Marcus, who’d been in a funk all evening, suddenly felt like the clouds had parted and sunshine poured in. He accepted the meat, popped it into his mouth, and thought he’d never tasted anything so good in his life.

As Edith nibbled on her food, she said, “About that abandoned factory–in my head, here’s the plan. There are numerous heavy industry companies located near the city limits.

“Their products are huge, way too big for regular warehouses, so they end up piling the stuff outside their plants. I think we could temporarily lease the factory to these companies for extra storage space.”

Obviously, this wasn’t a long–term fix–just a stopgap. But Edith was convinced the government would unveil major redevelopment plans for the land sooner or later.

She planned to lease it out for now and keep an eye on any policy announcements. Even if nothing came down the pike, she already had a couple of fallback ideas in the works.

Marcus just nodded along.

Edith sighed, a little exasperated. She asked, “Don’t you have any thoughts of your own?”

Marcus wrapped the grilled meat in lettuce and handed it over to her. He said, “It’s been ages since I’ve tasted something this good. Thanks for letting me try it.”

Edith laughed and said, “There are tons of tasty things out there. Next time, I’ll make sure you get to try

more.”

The Lovett family might’ve been kind of a big shot in Sunspire, but Edith kept things real. She’d eaten just about every local snack there was like barbecue.

8:46 Fri, Sep 19

Chapter 180

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But with the way Marcus grew up, there was just no chance for him to get a taste of those kinds of foods.

The vibe between them got a whole lot more relaxed as they chatted. Just then, a scream echoed from outside the restaurant.

Someone shouted, “Fire! The mall across the street is on fire.”

Opposite the barbecue joint stood a small mall: a clothing store on the first floor, children’s clothing on the second. Smoke poured out of the upper windows, and people were already scrambling through the front entrance, panic written across their faces.

Edith turned, eyes widening as she saw flames raging across the second floor. Her mind snapped back to that night in her previous life–the fire that tore through Lovett Manor and reduced it to ashes.

It had shattered her four brothers‘ lives: some gravely injured, others left permanently disabled. Dallas had died in those flames, and ever since, every nightmare had been of that same fire.

She often reflected that, had the fire never broken out, her previous life would have been entirely different.

Edith set her fork down and followed the crowd outside.

The fire trucks hadn’t shown up yet, and people outside the mall were crying and screaming.

A young woman shrieked, “My child is still in there.” She collapsed on the sidewalk, sobbing. Her ankle was so swollen, it looked like she couldn’t even stand.

No one around her dared to rush back into the burning building. Fire was ruthless, and after barely escaping themselves, no one wanted to put their lives at risk again.

Edith crouched down in front of the woman and demanded, “Which floor is your child on? Which room? Be specific.” She radiated a commanding presence–a natural leader, her gaze unwavering and resolute.

Somehow, the woman trusted Edith instantly. She replied, “Second floor, second kids‘ clothing store on the left.”

The woman had been trying on clothes next door while her child played in the kids‘ shop. When the fire broke out, someone pulled her outside. Only after she made it out did she realize her child wasn’t with her.

She tried to rush back in, but people held her back. As the flames grew fiercer, fear took hold–she was terrified of being burned alive, and she hated herself for her own cowardice, for failing her child as a mother.

Edith sprang to her feet and dashed toward the flames without a second thought.

“No. You’re not going,” Marcus shouted. He grabbed her arm tightly, refusing to let her go.

Edith pried his fingers off, enunciating every word: “I have to.” Walking through those flames to save a life felt like rescuing the part of herself she’d lost in her previous life.

Without looking back, Edith charged straight into the inferno.

The crowd burst into a commotion, voices rising in disbelief.

8:46 Fri, Sep 19

Chapter 180

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Someone whispered, “Is she even twenty? She looks so scrawny, those stick–thin arms and legs–she’s gonna get roasted alive in there.”

Another chimed in, “Yeah, being brave is great and all, but she should know what she’s getting herself into. Is she just asking to die for nothing?”

While the crowd was still buzzing, Marcus dumped a bucket of water over himself and charged in. His face was grim, eyes locked on Edith’s silhouette as he raced after her.

Flames roared from all directions, waves of searing heat and thick, choking smoke closing in on them.

Edith charged ahead, her surprising strength letting her kick burning debris aside. She activated her heightened hearing and instantly caught a child’s sharp coughs and cries–and a man’s ragged, choking gasps.

She instantly glanced over her shoulder and saw Marcus dashing after her through the smoke.

Marcus pulled off his soaking wet suit jacket and draped it over Edith’s shoulders. He urged, “Go. Let me get the kid.”

Edith frowned and said, “Stop it. Let me handle this. You need to get out, now.”

With the System buffing her strength, she was strong and fast–even if grabbing the kid didn’t work out, she figured she could bail with a jump from the second floor and still walk away.

Marcus gripped her hand and said, “Edith, I’m serious. I’d rather get hurt myself than see anything happen to you.”

Edith looked up at him.

The firelight illuminated Marcus’s features, and his eyes held a depth of affection–dark and intense, like ink that would never fade.

Edith felt her heart flutter unexpectedly, some hidden place inside her stirring. She quickly tore her gaze away and said, “Then let’s save them together.”

Edith took the lead, but quickly realized Marcus was still gripping her hand. Instead of letting go, she squeezed his hand tight and pulled him along, racing together toward the second floor.

The flames upstairs roared higher, the smoke so thick it stung their eyes shut. Without Edith’s Super Vision, they’d have no idea which way to run through the chaos.

They pushed through the corridor and reached the second–floor children’s clothing store. A sheet of glass blocked the entrance; inside, the boy hadn’t been touched by flames, but the smoke had knocked him out cold.

Edith rushed over, scooped the child into her arms, and wrapped him up in Marcus’s drenched jacket.

Shielding the kid between them, they charged back the way they came, moving as fast as they could through the smoke and flames. They were barely halfway down to the first floor when the firefighters arrived and forced a path through the chaos,

8:46 Fri, Sep 19

Chapter 180

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90

55 vouchers

Edith and Marcus managed to get out smoothly, the child safe in their arms, just as the kid’s mother–face stained with tears–came running toward them.

The mother said, “Thank you. You saved my child’s life–you’re my saviors.”

Edith said, “Your kid’s unconscious–get him to the hospital, now.”

The mother staggered onto the ambulance, nearly collapsing as she climbed aboard.

Edith turned to Marcus and couldn’t help but laugh out loud. She said, “Looks like the fire just gave you a whole new hairstyle.”

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