Rebirth Into My Second Chance

"Suit yourself. Now, please, leave."

But he just gave a cool, slight smile and said, "Just so you know, the Hiltons would never take someone like you as their daughter-in-law." My laughter was even more desolate than his.

His mother had married a struggling artist, and the Hiltons had looked down upon her for it.

So, he was warning me that I'd get the same cold shoulder from the Hiltons that he did.

But Maximilian, I was determined to win you over!

After Claude left, I glanced at my digital lock. When setting it up, I was too lazy to think of a new code, so I used Claude's birthday.

If he was brave enough to try, he could have opened the door himself.

But he didn't believe my feelings for him, carved deeply into my bones, lasted ten years.

Time for a change.

The code was now set to 6088, the number of the hotel room on the night of my rebirth. Stepping inside, the elevator doors closed behind me.

I caught one last glimpse of Max. He looked so tired, carrying a forensic toolkit in his hand.

Had he been at the detective bureau again? Was there another burnt body case?

probably just have a

I vigorously scrubbed the area

in my pajamas, I curled up on the couch

Max in fresh casual clothes, holding a crockpot at

didn't rush to open the door, just quietly watched him

on his usually

knew that because of him, indirectly, I died once, and so

finding a precise target for

my door, then tried to call me

with me, through the security door,

he hung up, gave a serious look at the camera, and then turned back to

I clicked the lock.

and didn't go out

embracing depression, fluctuating between drawing him in and pushing him

who could really understand the struggle of being on the edge of death,

A sleepless night followed.

the morning, as I headed to work,

door, I pressed the elevator button

Ms. Tracey before work, as she sent me another threatening message this morning: