After her rebirth by Cici

Chapter 85

Katniss rolled her eyes a bit. "Maximilian, if we gotta go through this, can we talk to my Uncle Wesley about the engagement? If my parents find out I'm marrying you, they'll try to squeeze money out of you." Maximilian stayed calm and added some food to Katniss's plate. "If they want to blackmail me, let them try. Now, stop being so picky. Where'd you pick up these bad habits?" Katniss opened her mouth to argue but just muttered, "Okay," and stared at the food.

She was almost 20, and if you counted her past life, she was pushing 60. Yet here she was, getting a lecture about being picky with food. Couldn't she just eat what she wanted? Wasn't that one of life's few pleasures? Suddenly, the phone on the table buzzed. Looking for an escape, Katniss grabbed it to check the screen. It was that unknown number again.

"A quick snap, sharing today's good mood with you," it said, with a picture of a city park attached.

How ridiculous. In 2004, phones with cameras were just becoming a thing. Was Ramon showing off that his phone could take pictures? Big deal.

By today's standards, it was indeed something to brag about. Her phone could only make calls, send texts, browse the news, and didn't even have a camera, let alone games.

As someone who'd seen the internet age explode, this kind of showing off was just embarrassing. She deleted the message without a second thought.

"What's up?" Maximilian asked.

"Nothing, just spam," Katniss replied lazily.

But it reminded her of Kieran. Saskia's son was born in winter 2005, and now it was early December. She had maybe two or three months to let Saskia know Kieran's true colors. Thinking of this, Katniss turned to look at Maximilian. She didn't say anything, but her big, watery eyes were full of a silent plea.

his hands with a handkerchief.

married, she was already starting to

and was always afraid of being a nuisance, probably a leftover trauma from her past

1:20 now. I gotta leave by 1:30," Maximilian said, rolling up his sleeve to

"Maximilian, can I

at the door as she spoke. Maximilian looked at her calmly, not saying a word, so she quickly continued, "Don't worry, it's nothing illegal. Remember my cousin-in-law Kieran? I think he's cheating, but I have no proof. I want them to follow him, take

asked, "Are you

I was a mess. My parents and classmates all looked down on me, so I

way, Wesley's a teacher. Pretty smart

the Manners family, Wesley's family actually treated her like she mattered,

the girl Micah liked with Dylan to win his favor, Micah still cared for her deep down. He'd scold her but still slip her some pocket money and buy her snacks now and then. He was more of a brother to her than her

she wished she was Wesley's daughter, to be Saskia and Micah's sister, rather than

was a painful situation, when Katniss talked about it, she sounded like she was recalling some distant memory, calm and composed, like it

placing a plate of cut fruit on

piece and found it

fruit plate closer to her and said lightly, "Then I don't think you should get involved. It might mess up your relationship

you think I'm that dumb? Once I get the evidence, I'll send it to Saskia anonymously and then nudge things along from behind

and embarrassing matter for Saskia, and the