Chapter 105: The Morrigan’s

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 meant status, protection, and power. Losing it would leave them exposed.

Vivian, who had been glaring at me moments ago, suddenly changed. Her sharp eyes softened, and her voice turned careful.

I smiled lightly. "I didn’t mean 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 came easier.

Fiona, however, wasn’t convinced. Her gaze stayed cold as she looked me 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 me online. Do you know what it’s like to be cursed by strangers every day?"

Fiona hesitated. For the first time, 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 me. 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 met Dr. Zimmer. He spoke to me about Elena long before any rumors started. When lies spread online, we chose to speak for someone 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 me but couldn’t form a sentence.

I gave her a small, tired smile. "I’ve always wondered something. 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 me as a child. Once, she was my mother.

Now, she looked at me like an enemy.

In another life, I had already paid the price. I had died quietly, unfairly. That was my punishment.

The satisfaction I’d felt earlier drained away.

I inhaled slowly, steadying myself.

"Keep your curse," I said calmly. "But remember 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 immediately.

"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 me 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 means," he said, voice low and steady. "You’re not the one who should be hurting. If someone 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 me. Some wounds didn’t fade with time. They stayed buried deep, pressed into the heart, waiting for quiet moments 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 me.

"Yeah," I said. "Really hungry."

A small smile curved his lips. "Come on. I know somewhere."

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 me, 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 same way. It gets better when you choose to let it."

Something loosened inside me. 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 me a can of fruit wine. "Try this. People your age like it."

I eyed it warily. "Last time I drank, I blacked out. I don’t trust alcohol."

"This is barely stronger than soda," he said, amused, watching me like someone guarding their mate without meaning 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 me laugh again.

Temptation stirred. The memory of warmth, of forgetting. I hesitated. "Can I try yours?"

He gave me 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 me 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 me 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 me 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 me softly, passing the warmth from his lips to mine. I tasted the alcohol, bold and sharp, mixed with something 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 hummed awake, aware, and no longer alone.