The air in the Morrigans’ living room felt heavy, like an unseen pressure pressing down on everyone’s chest.
Camilla’s condition was clearly a secret they were desperate to protect. If word got out now, their plans to bind themselves to the Hudson family would collapse. That bond ant status, protection, and power. Losing it would leave them exposed.
Vivian, who had been glaring at monts ago, suddenly changed. Her sharp eyes softened, and her voice turned careful.
I smiled lightly. "I didn’t an anything serious. I was just worried Camilla might feel sick if she gets too emotional. Stress isn’t good for her right now."
The tension eased a little. Shoulders relaxed. Breaths ca easier.
Fiona, however, wasn’t convinced. Her gaze stayed cold as she looked over.
"Mrs. Hale," she said stiffly, "we’re connected now. Don’t you think you’ve gone too far, embarrassing us in front of everyone?"
Vivian nodded quickly. "Yes. What have we ever done to you? Why won’t you leave our family alone?"
I ignored Vivian and looked straight at Fiona. My voice was calm, but there was a quiet ache beneath it.
"I didn’t want things to turn out like this. I only asked Camilla one question whether she was really ’S.’ I didn’t attack her. I didn’t accuse her. But after that, she went after online. Do you know what it’s like to be cursed by strangers every day?"
Fiona hesitated. For the first ti, doubt flickered across her face.
Still, she sighed. "Even so, public disgrace was unnecessary. Elena is gone. How can you prove she was ’S’? Or that she suffered the way you claim?"
All eyes turned to . Especially Camilla’s.
Her gaze burned with hatred. She was betting everything on my lack of proof.
I didn’t flinch.
"I once went through a dark period myself," I said evenly. "That’s how I t Dr. Zimr. He spoke to about Elena long before any rumors started. When lies spread online, we chose to speak for soone who no longer could."
Then I looked directly at Camilla.
"I warned you before the competition. I told you to step back quietly. I gave you a way out. You ignored it. What happened after that was your choice."
Vivian trembled with rage. She pointed at but couldn’t form a sentence.
I gave her a small, tired smile. "I’ve always wondered sothing. You had two daughters. Why was one cherished and the other treated like a burden? Was Elena ever truly loved?"
Vivian exploded.
"Watch your mouth! Elena died because of her own fate! Don’t drag us into it! You’re cruel, Riley Ashbourne. You’ll pay for this!"
Her words cut deeper than I expected.
Once, she had held as a child. Once, she was my mother.
Now, she looked at like an enemy.
In another life, I had already paid the price. I had died quietly, unfairly. That was my punishnt.
The satisfaction I’d felt earlier drained away.
I inhaled slowly, steadying myself.
"Keep your curse," I said calmly. "But rember when people push too far, consequences always circle back. Since Camilla is fine, I’ll leave you to your family matters."
I turned and walked out.
Inside the car, Lewis noticed imdiately.
"What happened?" he asked softly.
I shook my head. "Nothing. I’m fine."
But the weight in my chest said otherwise. I had never been enough for them. Not in life. Not after death. All those years of silence and endurance felt hollow.
Lewis said nothing at first. Then he pulled into his arms.
"Didn’t I tell you not to carry everything alone?" he murmured. "You know what that darkness feels like. You don’t need to return there."
He gently lifted my sleeve.
The faint scars on my wrist caught the light old marks from nights I barely survived.
Lewis’s fingers closed gently around my wrist, turning my arm so I couldn’t look away from the mark.
"Don’t forget what this ans," he said, voice low and steady. "You’re not the one who should be hurting. If soone dares to cause you pain, they should be the ones paying the price. Not you."
I swallowed and nodded. "I understand now."
Even with this second chance at life, the past still lived inside . So wounds didn’t fade with ti. They stayed buried deep, pressed into the heart, waiting for quiet monts to resurface.
Lewis studied my face for a second, then softened. "It’s late. Are you hungry?"
Only then did I notice how empty I felt. My body was heavy, tired in a way sleep alone couldn’t fix. My stomach answered for .
"Yeah," I said. "Really hungry."
A small smile curved his lips. "Co on. I know sowhere."
He drove us out of the city, away from noise and eyes, to a quiet seaside place hidden from the main road. The kind of spot packs favored calm, private, safe. After we ate, I stepped onto the open terrace. The ocean stretched endlessly ahead of , dark and vast. Cool air brushed my face, easing the tightness in my chest.
The sky burned softly with sunset colors orange bleeding into purple.
Then Lewis lifted his hand.
A tiny spark flared to life.
I blinked. "Isn’t that for kids?"
"You’re twenty," he said lightly. "You’re allowed to enjoy things."
He placed the sparkler in my hand and lit another. The light danced between us, small but stubborn. I couldn’t stop myself from smiling.
"See?" he said quietly. "Light doesn’t really disappear. It fades, sure but you can always bring it back. Life works the sa way. It gets better when you choose to let it."
Sothing loosened inside . I twirled the sparkler, laughing under my breath. Maybe I had carried too much for too long. Maybe tonight, I could let go.
He handed a can of fruit wine. "Try this. People your age like it."
I eyed it warily. "Last ti I drank, I blacked out. I don’t trust alcohol."
"This is barely stronger than soda," he said, amused, watching like soone guarding their mate without aning to.
I raised a brow. "You sound like an uncle."
He laughed. "Watch it."
I took a small sip. Sweet. Light. Harmless. I handed it back with a grin. "Your turn."
He lifted his glass. "I’ll stick to this."
That made laugh again.
Temptation stirred. The mory of warmth, of forgetting. I hesitated. "Can I try yours?"
He gave a knowing look. "No. You get affected too easily."
"Just one sip," I pleaded.
He sighed, already defeated, and poured a little.
The burn hit instantly. Heat slid down my throat, sharp and familiar. My head felt lighter almost at once. Too fast.
He noticed my stare at the bottle and narrowed his eyes. "That’s it."
I lifted one finger. "One more. Please."
He stared at for a long second, then poured half a glass. "You’re trouble."
The world started to blur. My legs felt weak. When I reached out again, I lost my balance.
Lewis caught before I fell, arms firm, unyielding. Safe.
I leaned into him without thinking. "Lewis... drink..."
His voice dropped near my ear. "You want more?"
I nodded, slow and hazy. "Yes."
"Then say it," he murmured, teasing. "Call honey."
"Ho... honey..."
He chuckled. "Not enough. Say good honey."
"Good honey... I want more..."
His hand lifted my chin. He leaned in and kissed softly, passing the warmth from his lips to mine. I tasted the alcohol, bold and sharp, mixed with sothing that felt dangerous and right. I swallowed, breath catching, a little escaping at the corner of my mouth.
And in his arms, with the sea roaring quietly below us, my instincts humd awake, aware, and no longer alone.
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