Rebirth Into My Second Chance

I had no clue when he'd make his move. I was out in the open, and he was lurking in the shadows.

"Max, could I borrow two bodyguards from you?" I asked, trying to sound casual.

He frowned slightly at my request. "Sure, but are two enough?"

I nodded. "Yeah, enough. Having too many would draw more attention, feeling like I'm some celebrity with an entourage."

The thought of two bodyguards escorting me to school was enough to imagine the buzz it would create. With bodyguards by my side, becoming the talk of the school would make it harder for any attacker to make a move unnoticed. "Let's add a few more in secret to keep an eye on you," Max said with a slight smirk, not asking but telling me his decision.

I couldn't argue. More eyes meant more safety.

"How about staying with the Hiltons for a bit? We've got top-notch security," Max suggested as we slipped into a hidden diner for lunch.

I shook my head, replying, "I'd rather not risk getting targeted by one of your family's estranged members." I threw in the mention of estranged members to gauge his reaction. His eyes shifted slightly.

I asked, "The Hilton family must have its fair share of illegitimate children, huh?"

He just hummed in response, not delving further.

I bit my lip. Alan brought Max back from abroad when Max was a teenager. That made Max one, right?

I apologized, "Max, I'm sorry. I forgot you're one of them."

He shook his head. "I'm not. If we're talking legitimacy, my mother officially married into the Hilton family. She was Princess of Country Sylvaris, a royal in her own right."

I almost choked on my soup. The lady of the Hilton family was a princess of royal blood.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

Richard wasn't wrong. My standing could become leverage or a threat in the eyes of the older Hilton generations. It was better to stay under the radar.

"Max, maybe it's best if you keep your distance. I don't want to end up like Mrs. Hart and her husband," I said lightly, though the food lost its taste.

"I can handle it," Max said earnestly, locking eyes with me. At that moment, I almost believed him.

I shook my head. "No need. You don't understand what it's like at the bottom, always at risk of being crushed."

I was already in a web of danger.

"Max, is that illegitimate child from Haven of Hope Orphanage?" I kept pressing.

"Yes, but I heard he had died from an illness before I returned. I never met him," his words shocked me.

It was easy for those at the bottom

to get snuffed out. I couldn't help but guess the illegitimate child returned to the Hilton family, only to be deemed unworthy by the elders due to his mother's lower status and then conveniently disposed of.

And he sought revenge, but why did he target women from Haven of Hope Orphanage?

Seeing me lost in thought, Max offered me a shrimp. "Don't worry too much. I'll handle the Hilton family matters. I'll gather some information on that illegitimate child

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for you in the next ov

Max was too clever, almost guessing my thoughts.

"Max, I'm full. I should head back," I said, fearing that spending more time with him would only make me fall for him more because he was too good, aside from being a Hilton.

But things didn't go as we hoped. It seems the more you want something, the harder it is to get it.

"Max, can you just be Max?"