Rebirth Into My Second Chance

Max didn't say a word in response and just drove me back home.

As we reached my apartment building, I spotted someone at my door. My heart skipped a beat. Could it be Claude?

Sure enough, he turned around at the sound of the elevator doors opening and locked eyes with me.

"Claire..." Then his gaze shifted to Max by my side. "Uncle Max."

"Uncle Max, I can't do it. I'll give you back the shares. I want Claire..." Claude suddenly stepped forward, grabbing Max's jacket. What was he even saying? "Claire, you go inside. I need to have a word with Claude." With that, Max shrugged off Claude's grasp and stepped into the elevator that hadn't closed yet. Claude hurried after him and turned back to tell me, "Claire, wait for me."

The elevator doors closed, and I was in confusion. What shares had Max given Claude to make him marry Kate and stay away from me? What had the ever-composed Max done?

But I entered my apartment, deciding not to meddle. I was curious about what the person who had my blood test report would do next.

After a shower, I climbed back into bed and checked my phone. Max said he and Claude had left, telling me to rest early. Without giving it much thought, I went to sleep, only to be startled by a doll lying on my bed, facing me, smiling. I screamed in fright. Had the culprit been here? Where?

I grabbed my phone and ran to the living room to check the security footage, but it captured nothing. My hands were trembling. I tried calling Richard but couldn't get through. Who else could I call? Max?

I dialed Max. "Max, the culprit has been in my house!"

Max said urgently, "I'm on my way. Don't hang up."

I knew the culprit wasn't in my house, but the doll might have a hidden camera, so I dared not open it myself.

I tried to pour myself a glass of water to calm down but underestimated the state of my nerves. My shaking hands couldn't hold the glass, which slipped, shattering on the floor.

I knelt to pick up the pieces but ended up cutting my hand on the glass shards.

But right then, I forgot about the pain and kept picking up the pieces, still scared. I got up and opened the apartment door to wait for Max.

But as soon as I opened the door, there was Claude, who had returned.

Seeing me open the door, he explained in a fluster. "Claire, I just feel more at peace when I'm near you. I'll leave now."

I hid my hand behind my back, not wanting Claude to see I was injured, nor did I want to show my vulnerable side. This time around, I had given up on Claude. Not like before, when I depended on him and even thought I'd die without him. How foolish I was back then. So, this time, I wouldn't tell him even if was injured.

nèt

"Claire, are you hurt?" But the blood dripping from my hand onto the floor gave me away, and he saw it. He pulle my hand toward him, gently removing the glass shards, and comforted me, "It doesn't hurt anymore. Do you have any antiseptic at home?"

I stayed silent, thinking how belated affection was worth less than trash.

Seeing my silence, he took a grey handkerchief from his jacket pocket and wrapped it around my wound to stop the bleeding. "Should we go to the hospital to get the wound cleaned up?"

I snorted, "Claude, back then, if I

touched anything of yours, you'd want to throw it away and get new ones. Why was that? And what's this all about now? Trying to cherish what you can't have?"