Rebirth Into My Second Chance

I was drowning in curiosity, my mind a whirlpool of questions. If I said "yes" to marrying him, I'd drag him through hell and back again. Just thinking about that time I sent him to Elmwood Springs and he nearly met his maker made my heart sink with regret. I never should've gotten him involved. "Claire Floyd, you're trying to shake me off again? Good luck with that," he taunted.

His threats bounced off me like rain off a roof. I tied his tie into a perfect Windsor knot and shot back, "Then keep up," before spinning on my heel and striding out of the hall. By then, the man with the gold chain wasn't sitting anymore. He was pacing back and forth, craning his neck in the direction I had left.

He turned to Helen, his voice tinged with desperation, "Can't you get Dr. Claire to hurry up? This is a matter of life and death." Helen shook her head, replying, "I'm sorry, but Mr. Hilton hasn't seen Ms. Claire in six months. They have a lot to catch up on."

I cleared my throat from behind her. Helen spun around, surprised. "Mr. Hilton, you're done already?"

I tapped her forehead lightly, "Come on, Helen, wake up. Time's wasting, what's on your mind?"

For the past six months, Helen had been my shadow, not once bringing up the past. It felt like her loyalty was shifting towards me.

"I just thought, with you and Mr. Hilton not having seen each other for so long, you'd have more to talk about," she mumbled.

I gave her a wry smile as I approached the anxious man. "Here's the deal with my consultations: wealthy families pay triple, aristocrats pay ten times, and royalty? They pay a hundred times."

I hadn't actually dealt with real royalty before.

But for the sake of intimidation, I'd thrown that in last minute.

Yet, the man seemed thrilled, "Royalty pays a hundred times? Are you sure that's all?"

Confused, glanced back at Max. He already knew. The man who took my finger was royalty, no wonder there was no fear in the gold chain man's demeanor towards Max, but ather contempt.

These mysterious royals hadn't been seen in Crestview Metropolis for ages. If it weren't for the old tales passed down, their existence would be forgotten. The wealth of many noble families had ended up in the pockets of these elite royals.

And the Hilton family's standing at the top wasn't just about money; they had powerful backers.

I should've pieced it together sooner.

"Dr. Claire, is the price not right?" the man asked, interpreting my silence as hesitation.

"How about two hundred times?"

My starting fee was always $100,000, so two hundred times would be just $20 million to these royals-a mere drop in the ocean.

"Lead the way," I said, gesturing him forward. When Max tried to follow, I stopped, "Don't. I'll come find you tonight."Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

"No way." Suddenly, Max was like a clingy leech, shooting me a sly look.

"Then I won't come see you tonight!"

I huffed, and he seemed to back off. But Helen and a few of Max's guards tagged along instead. How could he let me go alone? Unless the royal posed no real threat, which he would know best.

I looked back at him; he was attending to patients, not a worry in sight.

But I was in high spirits, knowing I was onto a new clue. The person who had taken my finger hadn't meant real harm. Instead, it was the beginning of a new adventure.