After her rebirth

"Fine! It's all my fault! I don't know what kind of spell Katniss put on you. You can like her all you want. Just don't hurt Clara, or else..." Simon snapped, "Or else I'll act like I don't have a brother!" Nathan, already feeling fragile from his illness, heard Simon's words. His pale lips quivered. "Alright."

Then he walked out without looking back.

Simon, realizing he had spoken out of anger, didn't expect Nathan to react like that. He quickly chased after him, both angry and worried. "Nathan, stop!"

Nathan paused just before reaching the door, but not because of Simon's words. He just gave Simon a cold smile. "I've kept this broken body going because of the medicine and herbal treatments Katniss prepared for me. Without her, I wouldn't have made it past twenty. She put her heart into my health, so what's wrong with me caring about her? Why do you hate her so much? Don't just focus on Clara. Look at Katniss too."

As the door opened, he walked out.

Nathan coughed as he walked, keeping his head down and trying to suppress the sound, his cheeks faintly flushed with sickness.

He only regretted not waking up sooner. It wasn't until Katniss had completely fallen out with the Manners family, with no chance of reconciliation, that he realized how much she had done for him, how humbly she had tried to please her parents and brothers.

Watching Nathan's hunched, thin back, Simon felt a pang of heartache, but he couldn't bring himself to apologize.

He thought, 'He's probably under Katniss's spell. That manic stirred up trouble at home and lingered in the family's mind even after she's gone! It's all her fault! We should've sent her to a mental asylum.' Simon was sulking when he suddenly heard Clara scream, "Nathan!"

When Simon looked closely, he saw that Nathan had fainted. "Nathan!"

He panicked and rushed forward.

Nathan's face had turned deathly pale, making him look almost like a corpse!

On the weekend,

Katniss hadn't gotten a chance to tell Cecilia that she wasn't going to her friend's birthday party.

She had promised to take her to Golden Crest Estates for a look. After wandering around, somehow they ended up at a bar.

But she never expected that her good friend would turn out to be Byron!

He was one of Cecil's friends.

There were about a dozen people in the private room, with only girls Katniss and Cecilia, the rest were all guys.

Not getting along with Cecil's group, Katniss found a quiet corner to sit in, becoming a silent statue.

Holding a glass of juice, she sipped and observed the people in the room.

Katniss then glanced at the time, and it wasn't even eight o'clock yet, so she thought Maximilian should be at the Boleyn Mansion by now.

And she wondered how the dinner was going there, as Maximilian didn't have a good relationship with the Boleyn family.

But with Carlton there, it should be okay.

"Why did you bring Katniss to my birthday?" Byron asked Cecilia, his handsome face showing displeasure.

He then cautiously glanced at Cecil, who was sitting in the innermost part of the room, his expression cold and aloof, his gray attire making him seem even more distant and unapproachable.

Byron glanced over at Katniss, who was quietly sitting on the sofa by the door, and felt a surge of annoyance.

Over the past week, Katniss had really been in the spotlight.

At the hospital's joint consultation, the Dean didn't take the lead but let Katniss handle it independently, watching from the side.

So, a bunch of curious medical school professors came to check her out.

Even Cecil's popularity couldn't match Katniss's. Rumors were flying that Katniss was a once-in-a-century medical prodigy, the last person to be talked about like that was the genius Jesse! Everyone admired Jesse, whose hands were naturally skilled with a scalpel, unmatched in cardiac surgery, and whose treatment methods were both ingenious and astonishing.

Cecil couldn't compare to Jesse, and that was fine. After all, Jesse was indeed a standout among the younger generation.

But why should Katniss, as a newcomer, overshadow him?

As a result, Byron found her increasingly irritating.

Cecilia snorted, "I just can't stand Nova, that hypocrite. Seeing Katniss step over her to rise up really makes me happy!"

Byron crossed his arms and gave a look that said, "Are you crazy?"

Recalling what she had seen while visiting Golden Crest Estates, Cecilia got all excited, her face full of nostalgia. "Katniss has an impressive background. She actually lives in Golden Crest Estates. When I went to pick her up, she took me inside for a look. Everyone who lives there is either rich or powerful."

Byron rolled his eyes at her but was internally shocked by this.

He had never seen Katniss as a wealthy heiress before.

Cecilia's eyes sparkled as she talked, but Byron grew impatient and waved her off. "I think you're crazy. If you want to fangirl over Katniss, go ahead, but don't bring her into our circle. Especially since Cecil's been in a bad mood lately, so watch yourself!"

Then he checked his watch. It was almost eight o'clock. "Ashley isn't here yet. I'll give her a call."

So he walked out with his phone.

The room was noisy, but Katniss felt very calm inside. In half an hour, she planned to tell Cecilia she was leaving to go home and read. However, Cecilia, slightly tipsy, sat next to her, resting her head on Katniss's shoulder.

Then looking at the door, she sniffled. "Do guys prefer women who are ultra-feminine, or someone like you, a naturally charming beauty?"

It was the first time Katniss had received this kind of compliment.

In her previous life, the most common comments she heard about herself were that she was dull and awkward, or even malicious and ungrateful.

Katniss blinked and said. "Come on, I'm not likable."

"If they don't like someone as pretty as you, they're insane!" Cecilia's eyes were full of shock, then she slumped her shoulders, a bit dejected. "He likes Ashley so much, she's all he thinks about, and he even goes out of his way to pick her up. What a simp!"

"You like Byron," Katniss's heart skipped a beat. She then asked her, "Have you told him?"

Cecilia was a bit surprised and furrowed her brow. "I just like him a little. Once he's with Ashley, I'll find someone else to like."