Rebirth Into My Second Chance

"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.

"Max, were Richard Price and the

elders responsible for this? How

could Richard do this to you?" No wonder Richard had been too busy to see me last month, dealing with Max instead.

"It's all in the past, as long as we're okay now."

At that moment, the curtains across the vast windows closed, and under the dim light of the bedside lamp, our figures intertwined passionately.

In the darkness, his protective

embrace felt like safeguarding a

treasure, his low growls mingling

with my soft moans, all our

grievances and longing pouring intoNôvelDrama.Org exclusive content.

the night.

I didn't know how I fell asleep, only that after what felt like ages, Max carried me to the bath, and then I sank into a deep sleep in bed.

Through the night, he held me close, never letting go.

Half-asleep, I murmured, "Max, do you love me?"

Even in his sleep, he nodded, murmuring, "Of course."

Content, I drifted back to sleep.

Waking up, I realized I had spent the night with Max instead of setting up the room with the servants as I had planned. The staff would surely have a laugh about this.

But Max, it was well past morning, and he showed no signs of waking, still holding me close. The air conditioning was on low, but his embrace made me feel warm all over.

I slipped my legs out from under the

covers to cool down but soon felt

cold and snuggled back in. He seemed to sense my cold feet, warming them with his own, as if he had chased me across lifetimes just to keep me warm.

And so, nestled in his arms, I closed my eyes and fell back asleep.

By the time I woke again, it was already lunchtime, and Max had left the room.