Rebirth Into My Second Chance novel Chapter 223

He dropped to one knee before me, a hopeful glint in his eyes. "Can I propose to you with my mom's favorite piece of jewelry, this vintage emerald necklace?"

The memory of Helen recounting how his mother was brutally murdered right in front of Max, her heart literally ripped out by her own husband, pushed me to my knees to embrace him tightly.

"Max, it must have hurt so much, didn't it?"

His chin rested in the crook of my shoulder, a vulnerable gesture.

"Claire, it was agonizing, so utterly helpless."

His voice had a raw pang of pain in it, giving me the chills. My hurt was nothing compared to what he was going through.

"Max, it's all behind us now, right?"

Without a word, he leaned into me, seeking comfort in our closeness, as if we were each other's refuge against the chill of the world.

He gently lifted me up to sit on the bed, then retrieved the emerald necklace—a family heirloom of remarkable size and beauty.

"This piece seems almost too extravagant."

The sheer size of the necklace spoke volumes of his mother's elegance and grace, making the circumstances of her death at the hands of Alan Hilton all the more tragic. I couldn't bring myself to ask Max about it, fearing the resurgence of his pain.

"Mrs. Hilton wore it with such ease."

I cupped his face, smiling. "Imagine Mrs. Hilton performing surgeries with this necklace on. The patients would be so overwhelmed."