Chapter 328 You Shouldn't Have Hidden It From Me
"I can't believe you went and set up a place just like Golden Crest Estates behind my back."
Katniss tore her eyes away from the room and looked at Maximilian, her voice soft.
Maximilian handed her a key, speaking gently, "This is for you. It's a surprise and a gift."
Katniss didn't take the key. Instead, she looked at Maximilian, noting his serious expression, and replied earnestly, "Maximilian, I can't accept this."
Maximilian sighed and interrupted, "Take it. It's part of what we share."
Katniss was about to respond when her phone suddenly rang.
It was Brynn calling, which was unexpected.
Maximilian glanced at her phone and motioned for her to answer it.
As soon as the call connected, Brynn's voice came through:
"Ms. Manners? I've been swamped and couldn't get in touch. Do you have a moment to talk now?"
Brynn had been deeply hurt by Desmond and hadn't been able to calm down for two days. But remembering Sophia's request, she decided to contact Katniss early.
Katniss sat on the couch, listening to Brynn's call, while Maximilian poured two glasses of water and placed them on the coffee table.
"I have time now, Brynn. What's up?" Katniss glanced at Maximilian and smiled at him.
Desmond and Brynn's situation had caused quite a stir in Luminous City.
Although she hadn't witnessed it firsthand, hearing about it from Cecilia was enough for her to imagine how bizarre and complicated it was.
In the whole ridiculous affair, Brynn was undoubtedly the most hurt and innocent party.
She felt a bit of sympathy for Brynn, thinking of her naive self in a past life.
"My friend wants to come to Luminous City to thank you. Can I arrange for you to meet my friend?" Brynn's voice continued through the receiver.
Katniss snapped back to reality, politely declined, and informed Brynn that she wasn't in Luminous City at the moment.
Brynn was a bit disappointed but didn't press further.
Her mood was low, and after a few more words, she hung up, planning to reply to Sophia's message.
Katniss ended the call, and Maximilian immediately embraced her, asking, "Why do you look so upset?"
Katniss replied, "Just thinking about some bad things, but it's all in the past."
Those bad things were from a previous life.
Now, she was not only living well but also had Maximilian by her side.
Thinking about how Maximilian had died so young in a past life made Katniss increasingly uneasy.
She gazed at Maximilian, "Maximilian, you haven't been hurting yourself again, have you?"
Recalling Maximilian's severe Non-Suicidal Self-Injury, she suddenly panicked.
Maximilian looked puzzled. "Why are you asking this all of a sudden?"
As he spoke, he instinctively loosened his left hand and pulled it back slightly.
It was just a subconscious action, but Katniss caught it.
Suppressing her racing heart, Katniss grabbed Maximilian's left arm and pulled up his sleeve, freezing in place.
Maximilian didn't have time to hide and could only cover Katniss's eyes.
"It's okay, it's already bandaged."
Katniss's eyes instantly reddened, and her heart ached uncontrollably. With a sob in her voice, she asked, "When did this happen?"
She had been keeping an eye on Maximilian recently. When had he hurt himself again?
Maximilian held her close, his voice gentle but firm, "It's okay, it doesn't hurt."
Katniss, not backing down, asked again, "Max, when did you get hurt?"
Maximilian sighed, finally admitting, "Last night."
Last night, Katniss thought, feeling a pang of guilt.
She wasn't in Luminous City, and Maximilian had an episode. How alone and in pain must he have felt?
And today, she hadn't even noticed his injury. She felt incredibly careless.
Katniss gently moved Maximilian's hand from her eyes and insisted on checking his wound, staring at the blood-stained bandage, "The wound is bleeding. Why didn't you re-bandage it?"
Maximilian pressed his lips together, staying silent.
But Katniss knew he didn't want her to worry.
"You shouldn't hide things from me," Katniss said, her voice firm. "Do you have a first aid kit?"
"Yeah, it's in the same place as in Luminous City," Maximilian finally answered, though he looked uncomfortable.
Katniss fetched the first aid kit and carefully began to remove Maximilian's bandage.
"I won't hide things from you anymore," Maximilian said softly.
This time was different. He hadn't had an episode in a long time, and the timing coincided with Katniss's absence. He feared she would overthink it.
Katniss suddenly left him, and he had an episode while alone at home. Just this alone made him afraid Katniss would blame herself.
"Okay, remember what you said," Katniss firmly demanded, seeking an assurance from Maximilian.
Maximilian solemnly gave her a definite response, watching Katniss remove his bandage and treat his wound, feeling a warmth in his heart.
At the Anderson Manor in Starhaven.
Before Ethan returned home, Sophia was pleading with her mother to let her go to Luminous City.
"Mom, please let me go. I promise nothing will happen this time! I want to thank the person who saved me last time, and Brynn went through such a tough time. I can be there for her."
Sitting on the couch with Sophia was a well-maintained lady. She held Sophia's hand and sighed:
"Sophia, let's wait until Ethan comes back. You're not well, and your grandmother is seriously ill. It's not a good time for you to leave Starhaven."
Sophia reluctantly agreed and asked, "When is Ethan coming back? He came home briefly at noon and left again. He hasn't returned yet."
Sophia had been pampered and relied heavily on Ethan.
Originally, she wanted to use the excuse of finding Ethan to go to Luminous City, but unexpectedly, Ethan had returned to Starhaven, though not home.
She had managed to get him to come home briefly at noon, but he left for the hospital and hadn't returned since.
Although her grandmother was seriously ill, she wasn't allowed to visit.
One reason was her poor health, and the other was her father's dislike of her being around her grandmother.
"He'll be back soon. I told him to come home for dinner," Calliope Walker said, glancing at the time.
As soon as she finished speaking, the servant's greeting came from the door.
"Ethan's back!" Sophia jumped up from the couch and rushed to the entrance.
Seeing Ethan, she gave him a big hug, "Ethan, you're finally back. Please help me convince Mom to let me go to Luminous City."
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