Rebirth Into My Second Chance

To them, my parents' lives were dirt cheap. My existence was initially a threat to them, then something to plug the media's mouth with.

"So, you still want me to help Claude?" I wanted to see how far the Hart family would go to use me.

"Could you please beg the Hilton family for us?" The pleading in Gabrielle's eyes was almost comical.

I scoffed, "Mrs. Hart, aren't you confused? You're the daughter of the Hilton family, not me. What am I to the Hilton family?"

The Hilton family wouldn't even acknowledge my parents as their own.

"Claude told you the truth last night, and the Hilton family believes he's unworthy of their backing, so they crushed him and destroyed everything he had."

I stood up, and my laugh was uglier than tears. From start to finish, Gabrielle didn't care about how Claude humiliated me the previous night, nor did she inquire about what Kate did to me. Instead, she kept shifting the blame to the Hilton family, urging me to plead with them.

I asked, "What am I supposed to beg the Hilton family for?"

got the better of her, causing her to cough violently, dabbing her mouth with a handkerchief, coughing up blood before continuing, "I don't have much time left. I can give up everything, but Claude is my life. Claire, please

were too kind, trying to save Claude, not because of some nefarious plot. Alan found it shameful his daughter married someone from

who was to

of my parents'

Hart, I'm sorry, but I can't

someone from the Hilton family, I would keep my distance. Or perhaps, once I retrieve my parents' ashes, I wouldn't even

we should blame the Hilton

lost their lives, Richard went to jail to protect me, and my foster mother passed away from

Gabrielle tried

I covered my

the Hilton family's power caused

needed time to process everything. My parents' ashes were in