บททั้งหมดของ UNWED AND EXPECTING : บทที่ 111 - บทที่ 120

**Threads of Redemption and Echoes of Hope**The tension between Clara and Lord Wickham was palpable as they emerged from the underground chamber. The air aboveground felt heavy, the looming storm clouds mirroring the storm of emotions within Clara. Margaret stayed a few steps behind, her usual humor subdued.As they walked back toward the manor, Clara broke the silence. "How could you, Wickham?" Her voice was cold, each word deliberate. "You kept my children away from me. You tampered with their lives. Our lives."Wickham sighed, running a hand through his disheveled hair. “You have every right to hate me. But you need to understand—I thought I was protecting them. There were forces I couldn’t control, threats beyond what you know.”Clara stopped walking and turned to face him. “You don’t get to decide what’s best for my family. You played God, and now my children are paying the price. If I hadn’t come here, how long would you have let this go on?”Margaret cleared her throat gently.

** Shadows of the Past**The house, once a battleground of light and darkness, was eerily silent. Clara moved through the halls, her fingertips brushing along the walls as though trying to ground herself. The children’s laughter from outside offered some relief, but it couldn’t dispel the unease that lingered.Wickham was resting in the library, a blanket draped over him as if he were fragile, an image Clara couldn’t reconcile with the powerful man he once was. Her thoughts spun in a whirlwind—grief for what was lost, gratitude for what remained, and uncertainty for what lay ahead.Margaret entered the room, holding two steaming mugs of tea. She set one down in front of Clara. “You’re overthinking again, aren’t you?”Clara gave her a weak smile. “When am I not?”Margaret sat beside her, her expression softening. “We made it through, didn’t we? The darkness is gone. The kids are safe. Wickham... well, he’s alive. That’s something.”“It feels like the quiet before a storm,” Clara admitt

** The Summoning**The air in the mansion was thick with tension as Clara, Wickham, and the group prepared for the ritual to summon Eleanor Blackwood's spirit. The Guardian had provided them with a list of items required: candles, mirrors, a lock of hair from someone connected to the house’s lineage, and an ancient incantation from the library’s most forbidden tome.Margaret, usually the skeptic, seemed particularly invested. “If this is what it takes to protect those kids, I’ll do whatever it takes,” she said, handing Clara a carefully folded map of the mansion’s oldest section.The ritual needed to take place in the heart of the house—the great hall where generations of secrets had been buried.“You’re sure about this?” Wickham asked as he carried a bundle of candles into the hall. His voice was steady, but Clara could see the worry in his eyes.“We don’t have a choice,” Clara replied, setting the mirrors into a circular pattern on the floor. “If we don’t confront her now, she’ll ke

**Revelations and Resolutions**The morning sun bathed the small home in its golden glow, yet the warmth did little to dispel the heavy cloud of uncertainty hanging over Clara and her family. The mysterious letter remained a stark reminder that their battle wasn’t over. While the children played in the garden, oblivious to the storm brewing in their parents’ minds, Clara and Wickham prepared to dive deeper into the mystery.“We can’t keep this from them forever,” Clara said, her eyes following Edward and Lily as they chased butterflies. “They have a right to know what might be coming.”Wickham placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “We’ll tell them when the time is right. For now, let them have this moment of peace. We’ll need their strength soon enough.”Clara nodded reluctantly, her heart heavy with the burden of protecting her children while preparing them for an uncertain future.Their investigation began with the orb. After retrieving it from the mantle, Wickham carefully exam

** The Keeper’s Dilemma**The tension in the chamber was suffocating. The shimmering woman—half-light, half-shadow—stood before the group, her piercing blue eyes scanning their faces. The golden light radiating from the relic flickered uncertainly, as if unsure of its own power in the presence of this enigmatic figure.Elias tightened his grip on the relic box, his expression torn between awe and confusion. “Who are you really?” he asked, his voice trembling.The woman smiled faintly, her voice like a haunting melody. “I am what remains of the first Keeper. Once, I was a guardian of balance, but the shadows corrupted me. Now, I am neither Keeper nor shadow. I exist in between.”Clara exchanged a glance with Wickham, unease written across their faces. “If you’re neither, then what are you doing here?” Clara asked cautiously.“I am here because the balance has been disturbed,” the woman replied, stepping closer. “The relics you’ve gathered hold immense power, but they are also a burden.