AMBER did not love their father. She did not want the children to beco chains that tied her to that past.
That was why she sotis called Yael a little monster and hurt her own sons—to wound their father even after his death.
Everything was tangled together in a complicated web of emotions. From the outside, it was impossible to say who was truly right or wrong.
"Aunt Amber promised sothing," Carter said after a mont. "After the wedding, your sister will be allowed to leave. She understands Whitney’s situation. She never intended to harm her."
His words left feeling strangely lost.
What was truth, and what was illusion in this world?
The people I once believed were villains had their own hopes and pain. The ones I thought were good had destroyed other families.
Was it the Blackwells’ fault?
Or the Morrigans’?
Their hatred stretched back through generations, an endless knot no one could untangle.
And Whitney had been caught in the middle of it.
I sighed quietly.
"Carl... thank goodness I have you."
I rested my head against his shoulder.
"Let’s take Whitney back to Snowville. That’s her ho. Maybe she can finally find happiness far away from Vito."
"Alright," Carter said gently. "I’ll do as you say. I’ve already started investigating Wisteria’s whereabouts. She’s the biggest threat to you. Once she’s dealt with, you’ll finally be safe."
The way he looked at made my chest warm.
He was the one person in this world I could truly rely on.
I wrapped my arms around his neck and leaned closer, my lips brushing his as I whispered softly,
"Carl... I want us to have a child together."
If sothing ever happened to , I wanted to leave a piece of us behind. Soone who could keep him from doing anything reckless.
Carter hesitated slightly.
"Elena... we might not be able to have children."
I slipped my hand beneath his shirt, feeling his breath grow uneven.
"How can we know if we never try?" I murmured near his ear.
I believed that if we had children, they would love the way Carter did. They would never grow up cold and cruel like the people who had betrayed .
I pressed closer to him and smiled faintly.
"Carl... no precautions tonight."
His eyes softened as he looked at .
"Alright," he said quietly. "Then I’ll make sure you get pregnant."
He brushed his fingers along my cheek.
"And when that happens... we’ll have the most beautiful wedding."
No matter how the Morrigans acted, all I wanted was to treasure the ti I still had with the person I loved.
Their coldness only made more certain of one thing. I wanted a child with Carter. I wanted sothing that belonged only to us, sothing no one could take away.
The next day, I woke up around noon, still half asleep. My skin still carried the marks from last night, little reminders of how intense things had been between us. After taking a quick shower, I changed into fresh clothes and pulled off the pink floral sheets Yael had carefully laid out for .
He really did pay attention to small things.
I was bending over the bed, spreading clean sheets, when Carter walked in carrying breakfast. He set it down on the table and ca straight toward .
"Let do that," he said. "Go eat."
I didn’t argue. Carter loved taking care of , and I had long stopped pretending I didn’t enjoy it.
As I sat eating seafood congee, I asked casually, "What’s happening with the Morrigans? Vito didn’t kill them, did he?"
"They’re alive," Carter said. "They’re still Whitney’s family. If Vito really wanted them dead, they wouldn’t have lasted this long."
After everything that happened, whatever attachnt I once had to the Morrigans was finally gone.
Their indifference had made one thing clear. They didn’t need Wisteria whispering in their ears to see as the villain. That was simply how they chose to see . Oddly enough, I was grateful for that. Their coldness helped let go.
The past no longer mattered.
They had no place in my future.
"This congee is really good," I said with a smile. "Your aunt is an amazing cook."
Carter, who had already finished changing the sheets and tossing them into the washing machine, ca over and patted my head.
"I made it," he said.
I blinked and looked up at him.
"When we leave," he added softly, "I’ll cook for you every day if that’s what you want."
For the past few days, a quiet sadness had sat between us because of the Stone of Duality. Carter kept catching traces of pain in my eyes, and I knew he could tell I was forcing smiles to protect him. But now we didn’t need to keep pretending anymore.
He sat beside , his freshly washed hands reaching for the spoon.
"Let feed you."
"I’m not a child," I said lightly.
"Be good," he replied. "Let take care of you."
We didn’t talk about fate anymore. Neither of us wanted to.
We only wanted to hold on to each mont and leave behind as little regret as possible.
So I stopped resisting and smiled at him.
"Alright."
Carter had always been busy with work before, always buried in responsibilities. But lately he stayed close to all the ti, almost as if he didn’t want a single second apart.
After we finished eating and stepped outside, Yael ca in holding a pot of sunflowers. He placed it carefully on the table and looked at with a bright smile.
"Elena, these are for you. Sunflowers an having the courage to chase happiness. From now on, I want to be like a sunflower—"
He never finished.
A fruit knife flashed through the air, and the sunflower was sliced cleanly in half. Petals scattered all over the floor.
Carter stood there holding the knife, his expression cold.
"Don’t get too bold," he said. "Happiness is fragile. It breaks easily."
"Carter!" Yael snapped, clenching his teeth.
Carter reached out and tapped him on the head.
"Show so respect."
Yael glared at him. "When you die, I’ll carve sunflowers all over your gravestone so my happiness can bloom on your grave!"
Carter patted his shoulder calmly.
"Then make sure you live long enough to see it. Don’t die before ."
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