Chapter 151: My Husband And I
Chapter 151 of "Mated To The Crippled Alpha" begins with suspenseful moments: Grant understood Lincyâs intention almost instantly.He had never meant for her to challenge me. In... Donât miss it!
Grant understood Lincyâs intention almost instantly.He had never meant for her to challenge me. In fact, he had expected her to embarrass herself. His gaze hardened as he looked at her and said flatly, "Enough. Go back."
Lincy froze.
In the past, when Grant spoke like that, his words were always aimed at me never at her. The realization hit her hard, and resentment flashed across her face.
"So what?" she snapped, eyes sharp. "As the Ashbourne daughter, you canât even play the violin? What a joke."
I smiled faintly, calm on the surface. "Actually, I donât know how to play the violin."
Camilla was here tonight too. I could feel her eyes on me somewhere in the crowd, quietly watching, waiting for a crack. The last time I forced myself to perform, old habits nearly slipped through. I wasnât about to expose myself again.
Still, I couldnât tolerate Lincy making a scene in front of everyone.
She laughed bitterly and turned to Grant. "Dad, look at Riley. She doesnât have to do anything. She just looks pretty and marries well. I work so hard, and you still donât like me. How is that fair?"
Her words landed loudly.
Even though no one dared speak, the blame she placed on me lingered in the air. I knew how fast whispers spread. If I stayed silent, I would become the decorative wife people talked about over tea pretty, useless, replaceable.
That wouldnât just hurt me.
It would stain the Ashbourne name.
Lincy didnât understand that reputation was shared. In the past, Grant had indulged her. But now, in this new territory he was trying to dominate, her recklessness only dragged him down.
For a brief moment, I sensed something dark ripple through Grant cold, sharp, dangerous. If Lincy pushed any further, no one would be able to protect her.
Before things could spiral, I stepped forward.
"Today, weâre honored by everyoneâs presence," I said clearly, my voice steady. "As the host, I should express my gratitude."
The room quieted.
"Iâm not skilled with the violin," I continued calmly, "but my husband taught me how to play the piano. If you donât mind, my husband and I would like to perform something for you. Please donât laugh."
This wasnât a challenge.
It was control.
The guests werenât foolish. They knew when to applaud and when to stay silent.
Grant and my mum exchanged uneasy looks. I turned to my mom and gave her a reassuring smile. "Itâs fine."
Then I reached for Lewisâs hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Shall we play together?"
I caught the brief flicker of surprise in his eyes before he relaxed and answered easily, "Sure."
With Theoâs help, Lewis took a seat beside me at the piano.
"What should we play?" he asked softly.
"The Wind Rises," I said.
He raised a brow. "Only if thereâs sheet music."
Theo moved quickly, retrieving it at once.
Lincy crossed her arms and scoffed. "No wonder you chose the piano. Relying on someone else again? Playing a few notes and calling it yours?"
"Enough," Grant snapped coldly, his patience finally gone.
Ever since Lincy tried to drag Yenik into the Hudson mess, she had been skating on thin ice. And she was still testing it.
Theo handed over the music. Lewis skimmed it once, eyes sharp, memory flawless.
"Ready?" he asked.
"Yes."
This wasnât our first duet.
As my fingers touched the keys, the sound pulled me backward in time back to when I was eight years old.
The sun had been blazing outside. Cicadas filled the air. I followed the sound of piano music up the winding stairs of the Bolton residence, all the way to the attic.
When I opened the door, the wind rushed in through the open window, white curtains lifting and falling gently. Sunlight poured in, bathing the young man in white as he sat before the black piano, fingers moving effortlessly across the keys.
That moment bright, quiet, unreal had carved itself into my memory forever.
Now, as Lewisâs fingers pressed the keys beside mine, our gazes met.
Time seemed to fold back on itself.
For a breath, I felt as though we were standing in that same afternoon years ago the moment our paths first crossed, before the world hardened us, before choices carved scars into our lives.
Lewisâs hand covered mine gently. He guided my fingers across the keys, steady and calm. Under his touch, the piano felt alive, as if it recognized him. Each note responded smoothly, rising and falling like a shared heartbeat.
We had never played this piece together before.
And yet, there was no hesitation.
Our hands moved as if they had practiced this a thousand times. No signals. No reminders. Just understanding.
The melody carried a quiet longing.
It spoke of first wonder of staring at the sky and believing it was close enough to reach. Of daring to suffer, just to relive a single perfect moment.
It spoke of wandering through the world, still amazed by it. Of turning back through memory and finding yourself lost in a smile you never forgot.
The notes softened, then lifted again, like youth stretched into something timeless. Like summer held between two hands and played into existence.
When the final sound faded, the hall fell completely silent.
No one moved.
Then, all at once, applause broke out. Loud. Unrestrained. It washed over us like a wave.
I never thought that after all these years, our first duet would feel so... whole.
I never understood how powerful it would look Lewis and I seated side by side, not performing, but connected.
In that moment, I saw Julian.
Tears filled his eyes.
Some people watched quietly, emotion shining openly on their faces. Others looked at me as if seeing a ghost of someone they once loved. The Morrigans family stared, stunned, as though I carried a reflection of Elena, and they wondered what might have been if fate had been kinder.
No one looked at Lewisâs legs.
No one thought of me as decoration.
Lincy stood frozen, disbelief written across her face. She had come tonight convinced the orchestra existed to lift her higher, to crown her.
But what Lewis and I shared wasnât something you could rehearse.
Our presence intertwined. Our focus aligned. The music came from somewhere deeper than technique.
It wasnât a classical masterpiece.
It wasnât complicated.
It was a song people knew.
And still, it moved them to tears.
The applause grew louder, more urgent.
Only music that carries truth can reach people like that not the cold repetition of notes, not empty perfection.
I felt Grantâs gaze settle on me.
It was different this time. No dismissal. No distance.
For the first time, he looked at me fully and said, clearly, "Well played."
"Thank you," I replied.
If the old Riley were still here, she would have cried. All she ever wanted was her fatherâs attention. One kind word.
Lincy broke the moment with a sharp voice. "How do you even know how to play the piano?"
I smiled, slow and calm. "My husband taught me."
She opened her mouth to speak again
And the doors swung open.
Uniformed officers stepped inside.
Something inside me went cold. I knew, deep down, that Nelsonâs team had found what they were looking for.
Lincy, completely unaware of the danger closing in, stood her ground.
Grant frowned. "What is this? No one reported anything."
The officers flashed their badges. "Mr. Ashbourne, we believe your daughter, Lincy Ashbourne, may be involved in a vehicle incident. We need her to come with us for questioning."
Grant stiffened. "What incident?"
Nelson stepped forward, his voice slow and heavy.
"Nolan Morriganâs death is linked to your daughter."
The room froze.
Every member of the Morrigans family turned sharply toward him.
Vivian rushed forward, panic breaking through her composure.
"Captain Tucker, what are you saying? My son wasnât in an accident... are you saying he was murdered?"
The silence that followed was suffocating.