hapter 182
Elle’s POY
At Moonshade Bay airport, I stood with my small group of companions, feeling the weight of finality in the air. Harper Blair looked concerned as the checked her watch for the third time,
“Elle, are you sure you don’t want me to come with you? Harper asked, her hand resting gently on my arm. “I can reschedule the family business meetings.”
I shook
head firmly. No, Harper. Besides, Sophia and Abigail will be with me.
Harper’s eyes moved to Sophia Luna, who stood nearby with her usual composed demeanor, and then to Abigail Carter, who was coordinating with human assistants the Blair family had arranged for our journey.
At least take the security detail I arranged,” Harper insisted. “And these assistants know how to handle… difficult situations.”
I squeezed her hand gratefully. “Thank you. For everything.”
Laymond Carter approached our group, carrying a single travel bag
“Ladies,” he nodded politely. “My flight to Montreal leaves in an hour, so I should head to my gate.”
Take care of yourself, Raymond,” I said sincerely,
After Raymond left, Harper pulled me aside one last time. “Elle, remember that you have a family who loves you. The Blairs will always be here for you.”
Her words brought tears to my eyes, but I blinked them back. I’d done enough crying.
The three commercial vehicles Harper had arranged were waiting outside the airport. One was family that I’d initially protested but Harper had insisted on.
was filled entirely with clothes and jewelry–gifts from the Blair
“Think of it as armor, she’d said. “Sometimes looking the part gives you the confidence to play it
Now, settling into the middle vehicle with Sophia and Abigail, I watched the familiar landscape of Moonshade Bay pass by the windows. Soon, we’d be heading to the community where Susan lined.
“Sa,” Abigail said, breaking the comfortable silence. “Elle, what made you suddenly want to go back to your adoptive mother’s place?”
I considered her question carefully.
‘I’m curious about my background, I guess,” I said finally. “And honestly, I needed to get away from all the Rayne family drama. There’s something about what we discovered in Moonvale Tows that’s been bothering me.”
“Plus,” I added, resting a hand on my still–small belly, ‘I want to travel while I still can. The air away from the werewolf district tension s
should be good for
Abigail leaned forward with interest. I have to admit, I’m more curious about your background now. After all these years, you’ve never asked about your birth parents?”
ค
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Chapter 182
My laugh was bitter. “When you’re living on the edge of human society, you don’t have the luxury of asking too many questions. I didn’t want to burden Susan with my curiosity, and honestly, I never had the resources to investigate.”
Sophia’s expression softened. “That must have been incredibly difficult.”
As our convey pulled up to Sun’s house, the sound of waiting immediately reached our ears.
Susan, you heartless woman! This is how you treat your mother–in–lut You’ll be struck by lightning for this!”
I felt my face bum with embarrassment as I noticed neighbor–both human and werewolf–gathered in watch the spectacle. Grace West at on the ground in front of Susana doon, disheveled and dramatic,
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” I muttered, stepping out of the car.
Grace looked up as I approached, and her expression shifted from theatrical grief to calculating anger when she noticed Brad wasn’t with me.
“What are you doing at Susan’s house, Grace?” I asked coldly. She and Dad are divered now
Grace’s eyes narrowed. “It’s because of your mother, that shameless bitch, that we have you, you little bitch! Your mother was disgusting: Abonately
shameless!”
I felt my temper rising, but before I could respond, Grace had grabbed her walking stick and swung it toward me.
My two human assistants moved with impressive speed, blocking her path.
“Ma’am,” one of them said firmly, “you might an heir of the flair family.”
at want to think carefully about that. Youre not just threatening the Luna of the Rayne Group–you’re threatening
The effect was immediate. The gathered neighbors–especially the werewolves–stepped back with expressions of shock and awe, Murmurs of “Rayne Group” and “Blair family rippled through the crowd.
Graces stick clattered to the ground.
Susan appeared in the doorway, her face pale and drawn. “Elle? What are you doing here?
My heart ached seeing her distress. I took her hands gently. “I wasted to visit. Maybe we should move somewhere in the werewolf district where you’d be more comfortable.“
Susan shook her head silently, but before we could talk further, Grace had recovered from her shock and was back to her dramatics.
“What a sin!” she wailed, throwing herself back on the ground. “Ungrateful bitches!”
The neighbors watched with a mixture of disgust and fascination, but no one moved to help Grace. Several werewolf neighbors actually looked contemptuous.
Seeing that her audience was sympathetic, Grace sat up and began a different lactic–loud, weeping complaints about her hand life.
“What a sin!” she cried, slapping her thighs dramatically, “I known back then, I never should have take her in for that money!”
take in this burden! I never should have agreed to
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Chapter 182
The words hit me like a physical blow. My eyes fixed on Graves face as the implications sank in
Taken in Fer money.
If Grace was paid to take me in, I thought, my hand instinctively moving in my belly, then win was paying? And why?
The questions multiplied in my mind, but one
me thing was becoming clear: my journey to uncover the
th was just beginning.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
