THE RECKONING

The world had started to feel lighter at least, it had until the phone call.

Charlotte’s voice was like poison wrapped in silk, still echoing in my ears:

“You really thought the fall was an accident, Evelyn?”

Those words wouldn’t leave me alone.

But I didn’t tell anyone. Not yet.

***

The next morning, sunlight spilled across my room like it was trying to pull me out of the darkness. I stared at the ceiling for a long time, remembering Sarah’s words from yesterday’s session: “Healing isn’t forgetting, Evelyn. It’s remembering without breaking.”

So I got up, dressed, and tried to breathe through the shaking in my hands.

Downstairs, the smell of coffee and toast filled the air. Julian was on his third cup already, laughing with Mom. Damian was scanning the morning news on his tablet. Elias was talking quietly on the phone…always in control, always composed.

For a moment, it almost felt like peace.

“Morning,” I said, forcing a smile as I sat down.

Julian grinned. “Finally! Sleeping beauty joins the living.”

“Don’t tease her,” Mom said softly, though her eyes warmed at the sound of laughter in the room.

I reached for the orange juice, trying to steady my voice. “What’s the plan for today?”

Elias looked up. “Therapy at eleven, right? Sarah texted me to confirm.”

I nodded. “Yes. I’m… looking forward to it.”

Damian raised a brow. “You actually like therapy now?”

I shrugged, smiling faintly. “It helps me remember that I survived.”

For a second, everyone went quiet. Even Julian stopped fidgeting. Then Elias said, gently, “We’re proud of you.”

That simple line almost broke me.

***

Later that morning, Sarah’s office felt calm…soft sunlight, warm tea, a steady heartbeat of quiet music.

I sat across from her, fingers twisting my bracelet.

“Something’s on your mind,” she said. “You’re distracted.”

I hesitated. “Charlotte called me.”

Sarah frowned. “What did she say?”

“That the fall wasn’t an accident.”

Her pen stopped mid-note. “Evelyn…”

“She said Camilla pushed me,” I whispered. “She said I was meant to die.”

Sarah took a deep breath. “How does that make you feel?”

I almost laughed. “How do you think? Angry. Scared. But mostly… tired.”

She leaned forward. “You don’t have to face this alone.”

“I know,” I said quietly. “But I think I need to.”

Sarah studied me for a long moment, then nodded. “If you do decide to confront him, do it for closure, not revenge.”

“Closure,” I repeated. “Yeah. I like that word.”

When I left her office, the sun felt a little warmer. For the first time in months, I wasn’t walking like a victim. I was walking like someone getting ready to take back her story.

***

Back home, Luca was waiting in the courtyard, arms crossed.

“You missed practice yesterday,” he said.

“I had therapy,” I replied.

He smirked. “That’s mental training. I’m talking about the kind that teaches you not to get pushed again.”

I rolled my eyes, stepping into the ring he’d set up. “You really know how to motivate people.”

“That’s my job,” he said simply.

We went through drills…light footwork, balance, blocking. I wasn’t perfect, but I was stronger. More stable. Every move reminded me that I wasn’t the same woman who once fell down those stairs.

At one point, Luca caught my wrist mid-swing and said quietly, “You’re hesitating. Why?”

“Because every time I close my eyes, I see her face,” I admitted.

He didn’t let go. “Then stop running from it. See it. Face it. And beat it.”

Something in me clicked. I swung harder. And this time, I didn’t miss.

When we stopped, I was breathless but smiling. Luca nodded approvingly. “You’re getting your fire back.”

“I never lost it,” I said softly. “It was just buried.”

***

That evening, during dinner, Damian noticed my silence. “You’ve been quiet since morning. What’s going on?”

I froze. Then I said it.

“Charlotte called me last night.”

Elias put down his fork. “What did she want?”

“She said my fall wasn’t an accident. That Camilla pushed me.”

The air went still.

Julian muttered, “That woman…”

Damian’s voice turned sharp. “And you didn’t tell us sooner?”

“I wasn’t sure if I should,” I said. “I needed to think.”

Elias leaned forward. “Evelyn, if that’s true, we’ll…”

“No,” I interrupted. “I don’t want you to do anything. Not yet.”

Julian blinked. “You can’t be serious.”

“I am,” I said firmly. “I need to confront him myself. I need him to hear it from me.”

“Adrian?” Damian asked.

“Yes.”

Elias exhaled slowly. “If you’re sure, we’ll back you up. But not before you’re ready.”

“I’m ready,” I whispered.

And for the first time, I actually meant it.

***

Across the city, at that same hour, Adrian Blackwood sat alone in his office, scrolling through the news on his phone.

His breath caught when he saw it…a photo of me at a charity luncheon last week, standing beside Elias and Damian.

The headline read: “Evelyn Hartman Returns …Stronger Than Ever.”

He zoomed in on my face…confident, calm, radiant. It was the same face that used to cry in his arms. Only now, it didn’t look broken.

Without thinking, he grabbed his keys.

It was just past sunset when the black car rolled up the long driveway. Luca appeared at my side instantly.

“Uninvited guest,” he murmured. “Adrian Blackwood.”

My stomach twisted. “Let him in.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

When the doors opened, Adrian stepped out. He looked stunned by the size of the estate…by the guards, the gates, the quiet power that surrounded it.

“Evelyn,” he said slowly. “So it’s true. You’re a Hartman.”

I folded my arms. “Does that bother you?”

His eyes searched mine. “You hid it from me.”

“You never asked,” I replied. “You didn’t care who I was…only what I could give you.”

He flinched. “That’s not fair.”

“No, Adrian,” I said coldly. “What wasn’t fair was you believing lies over me.”

He ran a hand through his hair, frustration clear. “I came here to talk, not fight.”

“Then listen,” I said. “Charlotte called me. She told me the truth…that the fall wasn’t an accident. Camilla pushed me.”

He stared at me. “You can’t be serious.”

“I am.”

“That’s ridiculous,” he said. “Camilla wouldn’t…”

“She did,” I cut in sharply. “And you defended her while I was lying in a hospital bed.”

“I thought you were jealous,” he said quietly. “You sounded so…”

“So broken?” I laughed bitterly. “You made me that way, Adrian. You let her destroy me and called it love.”

He stepped closer. “I didn’t know.”

“You didn’t want to know,” I snapped. “Because it was easier to believe her.”

The silence between us burned. Then he asked, barely above a whisper, “Was it hate, then? All this time?”

“No,” I said softly. “It was love that died the moment you stopped fighting for me.”

He swallowed hard. “Evelyn, please. I’m sorry. I was wrong.”

Luca stepped between us, his tone firm. “That’s close enough.”

Adrian’s eyes flicked toward him. “Bodyguard now?”

“Protector,” Luca corrected.

Behind me, I heard footsteps…my brothers, watching from the veranda.

Adrian’s face paled as realization dawned. “The Hartmans…”

Elias’s voice was calm but sharp. “You’ve said enough, Mr. Blackwood.”

Adrian looked at me one last time. “I still care for you, Evelyn.”

I shook my head. “You cared for control, not for me.”

Then I stepped forward, close enough for him to hear the final words that would end us.

“This isn’t revenge, Adrian. This is freedom.”

I turned away, walking toward the house. My heels clicked softly on the stone, steady and certain. I didn’t look back.

Behind me, I could feel his eyes on me — the weight of regret, too late to matter.

***

When I reached the front steps, Luca held the door open.

“Are you okay?” he asked quietly.

I took a long breath. “No. But I will be.”

And for the first time, I believed it.