Rebirth Into My Second Chance novel Chapter 201

"Max Hilton... it hurts so much."

Tears began to shake free, streaming down my face.

"Where does it hurt? Huh?" He stopped in his tracks, his panic palpable as he searched for the source of my pain.

"It's my heart, Max. I never imagined you'd be so badly hurt. I thought you didn't care about me, only about your family's interests. That's why you didn't come to see me for an entire month."

My vision blurred with tears, Max's features becoming indistinct.

He gently held my face, his laughter soft as he kissed away my tears. "Stop crying, I'm right here, aren't I?"

I wrapped my arms around him, my sobs growing louder. "Max, I'm so sorry. Maybe I should never have gotten involved with you back at the orphanage. Then you wouldn't have to suffer like this. You could have been the head of the Hilton family, easily securing a powerful alliance with the Goodwins, without having to fight everyone for it."

He stroked my hair soothingly and comforted me, saying, "Meeting you was the best thing that ever happened to me. Without you, there would be no 'me' today. The Hiltons don't get to dictate my life."

He sounded so confident.

My crying stopped as I began to unbutton his shirt, wanting to inspect his wounds, to see who had operated on him and whether they had done a good job.

"Look at my Claire, taking charge."

His teasing smile told me he had misunderstood my intentions, but I didn't correct him. Instead, I was buoyed by him calling me 'his Claire.' It felt like finding solid ground after being stuck in the mud.

"I just want to see if any doctor is better than me," I said, trying to sound casual. Yet, seeing the bright red scar across his chest, right over his heart, I couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion, my body going cold.