Rebirth Into My Second Chance

Richard quickly withdrew his hand from my cheek, where he had been about to pinch me, and turned his attention to the newcomer. "Dr. Hilton, you've arrived. Thank you for saving my sister earlier." The cleverness in his statement was twofold: it not only expressed gratitude to Max but also subtly reminded him of my role as the 'sister', placing me in a familial, rather than romantic, context. However, Max, ever the stoic, merely glanced at me with detached concern. "Does your head still hurt?"

Taken aback by his directness, I lowered my voice and replied, "Yes, it does."

Max moved closer, his steps quickening as he gently examined the bandage on my wound. Behind him, Richard couldn't suppress a mocking laugh, sticking out his tongue at me in a gesture of disdain before leaving the room, giving Max and me some privacy. "The wound looks fine. Where does it hurt?" Max asked, his professional demeanor firmly in place.

"My heart aches," I replied, reaching to pull his hand towards my chest. He withdrew swiftly, clearly unamused by the flirtation.

It was a stark contrast to the night before when he had talked about sharing a lifetime of meals together. Now, here he was, all business.

"Dr. Hilton, isn't a heartache just a stress-induced palpitation from trauma? Am I wrong?" I challenged him, feigning innocence.

"No, you're not wrong," he admitted, seemingly at a loss. Then, to my amusement, he took out a stethoscope and began to check my heartbeat. "You know, for a surgeon, it's quite odd to carry a stethoscope around."

"I figured you'd say your heart was hurting," he replied with a sly glance, scribbling something on my chart after a brief examination.

"It's just a minor concussion. Keep an eye on it and come back to the hospital if there are any problems."

hospital? Why not your place?" I teased, jumping off the bed. The sudden movement startled him, but he

opportunity to lean

let's see how you can

him to admit it on Hilton family grounds, or he'd find a way

he said, turning his face away but not

continue this at

His ears reddened noticeably.

with the effect, I pushed away from him and turned to leave. However, my

and I stumbled

en

in time, his familiar scent enveloping

I was pretending, but he played along,

genuinely at a loss, lifting me

called his name, and he

and his closeness had a purpose. Without it, I wouldn't have been able to identify the true