Rebirth Into My Second Chance

Hannah was shielded by Richard, but I couldn't bring myself to hurt Richard, especially with Hannah taunting from behind him, "No one's going to punish me." Then, patting Richard on the shoulder, she said, "Richard, you did great, getting the jet ready in advance. Let's head out. Next time, Gotham City, we'll be back."

"I won't let you leave!" Could I really just stand by and watch the person who ended my life in the past life slip away right under my nose? Richard tried to give me a soft, reluctant smile. "Claire, make sure you eat well."

I shook my head.

"Don't go with her. As long as you haven't taken a life, you'll be alright. No matter how many years you spend in jail, I'll wait for you. Richard, Hannah's mistakes should be her own burden, not yours to carry."

I despised Hannah. She manipulated my brother.

"Claire, we owe her, and I should be the one to repay that debt." Richard said we owed her, but what did we owe her?

"We owe her nothing!" I tried to grab Richard's hand to stop him, but this time, he pulled away on his own.

"Claire, be good." Richard's demeanor was entirely different from the cold vibe he had this morning, as if he was saying goodbye. I couldn't help but raise my voice, "Richard, don't go with her. You're my brother. You can't leave me behind, or else I'll make her pay!" I knew I had lost my mind the moment those words left my mouth.

Yes, I couldn't just let my enemy go, especially not let her manipulate my brother again.

But Richard didn't react. Instead, he said, "I've always been your brother. That hasn't changed."

Then, turning to Max, "I've done what I could for you. You promised to let us go."

My gaze shifted to Max. Had Richard and Max been working together?

What had they helped each other with?

Max, clutching his chest wound, came over and said softly, "Richard managed to get all the girls from Gotham City to the Evergreen Health Center He also provided the list for me to find those people from Elmwood Springs. I promised him I'd let Hannah go."

Max reached for my hand, and I gradually lowered my arm, watching as Richard climbed the ladder with Hannah. "But Hannah, she killed me." Despair filled my eyes as I looked at Max. Was I not allowed to seek vengeance?

"This time she didn't, did she?" Max pulled me close, and I leaned lightly against him: "But she remembers how she killed me in the past life. And Richard is my brother. I don't

want him falling into Hannah's trap

again!"

I could feel Max's muscles tense up at that moment. I pushed him away, and in his moment of astonishment, I aimed in Hannah's direction and pulled the trigger.

I couldn't shake the image of being set on fire, the agony of my skin burning away.

But as the bullet headed for Hannah, Richard frowned in my direction and quickly stepped in front of her.

Then, as I saw Richard get hit, my hands couldn't hold onto anything anymore.

"Don't..." Along with my cry, Hannah pulled Richard onto the helicopter and then called out to me, "This time you were the one who killed him. Are you satisfied?"

Holding onto Max's hand, I rushed to say, "Richard said he wouldn't kill me this lifetime. He's my brother, he'll be alright, right?"

Max tightened his grip on my hand.

"Max..." I thought this morning Richard was going to the Hilton Group to battle Claude for control, but he had actually been helping Max with the girls. This morning, I thought about ending him, and now, I really had...