Rebirth Into My Second Chance

Richard whipped out his smartphone, scrolling through a barrage of tweets to show Ronald. The trending comments painted a grim picture, and Ronald's face turned sour instantly.

"Look, I'm trying to do what's right," Ronald said, his voice laced with an uncomfortable mix of regret and duty.

Richard pocketed his phone, his voice thick with emotion. "Where the hell is Claire? Everyone's talking about her, and she ghosts us? Not a call, not a text. Half the time, I'm terrified she's dead. She's all I've got left in this world."

His usually calm demeanor shifted, a dark edge creeping in.

Head bowed, Ronald ascended the stone steps, listening to Richard's turmoil.

"What kind of person is Claire?" Ronald ventured, breaking the silence.

Richard's face softened at the mention of Claire's name. "Claire was fostered at an orphanage from a young age. Her parents had these mysterious jobs but sent a hefty check monthly, ensuring all the kids got a fair shot. We all went to school because of that. Claire was brilliant, beautiful, soft-spoken, and even aced medical school. She was supposed to study abroad, but then Claude appeared. Marrying Claude was the biggest mistake of her life. If I hadn't been so reckless, leaking that scandal about the Hart family to the press, they wouldn't have taken her back."

Ronald heard a different side of Claire and listened intently.

got kidnapped, and Claire's parents died trying to save him. Rumor had it they were Claude's bodyguards, but he never acknowledged that nor did he compensate Claire in any way. I found out that

The revelations stunned Ronald.

turned out my death and the death

that he didn't even know Claire's folks and said they got themselves killed trying to save him.

the records I found all narrate how Claire's parents saved Claude, and he took Claire back to

wry smile

on taking responsibility for her. thought it was the media pressure at first. Claire seemed to truly

help but suspect the

truth about my parents' deaths or see their ashes. I'd failed as a child shouldn't have

to do with the death of Claire's parents?" Ronald zeroed in on the

have a hunch, but I don't have proof," Richard admitted

Claire," he added, grief-stricken, his voice breaking.

for him. With Max's connections, there was no room for error. Silently, he offered Richard a cigarette, a gesture of

"I don't smoke. Claire hates