Chapter 171

Lumian’s POVThere she was.Liz.Alive.I stared at her from the doorway, and the world around me seemed to tilt. Everything I had done, every drink, every sleepless night, every insane plan to bring her back, had been leading to this moment. I wasn’t crazy. I hadn’t been wrong.She had come back to me.“Liz…” I said, my voice breaking. My feet felt heavy, unsteady, but I didn’t care. She was here, and I wasn’t letting her go again.She froze where she stood, her eyes locked on me, and I could see the fear in her expression. It hurt, but I pushed past it.“I knew it,” I rasped, my throat raw from too many nights drowning in whiskey and shouting at ghosts. “I knew you weren’t gone. I felt it, Liz.”“Lumian,” Carlos’s voice was angry, but I didn’t look at him. My eyes stayed fixed on her.She was even more beautiful than I remembered.“You came back,” I said, my steps faster now, desperate. “You came back to me. This this is our chance to fix everything. We can start over, Liz. I can m

Last Updated : 2025-08-04

Chapter 172

Liz’s POVFinn’s eyes were locked on me. “Liz… Arthur would—”“Arthur would understand,” I cut him off firmly, my voice leaving no room for argument.No one moved. They stood their ground, all of them silently refusing to leave me alone with Lumian.“He will not hurt me,” I said, steady and certain.I had things I needed to say to him. Although I owed Lumian nothing, I wasn’t going to let him keep making a fool of himself in front of everyone.Finn studied me for a moment, then gave a small nod. He turned to Lumian, his voice low and deadly. “If you touch her, I will kill you.”I watched as Carlos reluctantly stepped aside, his anger clear, but finally, one by one, they all left the room.The door clicked shut behind them, and silence filled the space.Lumian stood there, looking at me like he was seeing salvation, before his knees gave out. He fell to the ground, sobbing, his hands clutching at nothing.“Liz,” he begged through his tears. “Please… please love me again. Give me anoth

Last Updated : 2025-08-04

Chapter 173

Liz’s POVIt was done.I had said everything I needed to say. The girl who once stood in his shadow was gone. She wasn’t coming back.I turned away from the door— And was nearly tackled by a blur of wild hair and excitement.“LIZ!!!”The voice hit me a second before the body did. Arms wrapped tightly around my neck, pulling me into a breath-stealing hug as laughter bubbled out of my best friend’s throat.“Diana,” I gasped, but it came out as a laugh, my arms wrapping around her instinctively.She clung to me for a second longer before pulling back just enough to look me dead in the eye.“You’re so lucky you came back,” she said seriously, brows furrowing. “Otherwise, I was going to resurrect you myself just so I could kill you for leaving me in this dump.”I burst out laughing, and she grinned like that was the best compliment she'd ever received.“I'm serious,” she said, her hands flying wildly. “I was already plotting. A shovel, a witch, maybe a full moon sacrifice. I was this clo

Last Updated : 2025-08-05

Chapter 174

Liz’s POVCarlos led us down a side hall towards a room, Finn and Diana lingering behind. I could feel Diana’s stare burning into me, her worry loud even though she said nothing.Inside the room, I sat on the edge of the couch, hands clenched in my lap. My mother paced for a moment before she sat down across from me, my father taking her hand in his, but neither of them could look at me. Carlos stood to the side, arms crossed, silent but tense.She took a long breath, like the words themselves were a weight she could barely carry. “You were never supposed to find out like this.”Something inside me shifted.“Find out what?” I asked, my pulse quickening, my body bracing for something I didn’t want to hear.She looked at me, and I saw it real fear in her eyes. Regret. Tears welled up and slipped free as her lips parted.“You’re not my daughter, Liz. You’re Ruby’s.”The world stopped.My ears rang, drowning everything in static as the words echoed again and again in my mind. I blinked,

Last Updated : 2025-08-05

Chapter 175

Liz’s POVMy hands were still shaking. The room felt smaller. Like the walls were closing in on me, and I couldn’t breathe. But I refused to let this break me. My mother reached for the chain around her neck. I’d noticed the delicate gold locket a million times before, but it had never crossed my mind to ask her about it. It looked old, worn from years of being held too tightly. She unlatched it slowly and opened the small compartment, pulling out a folded, creased piece of paper.“I kept it hidden all these years,” she said, holding it out to me. “Just in case.”I took it from her with numb fingers.It was a number. No name. Just digits.I looked up at her. “Is it hers?”She nodded.I took the phone from the table and dialled. It rang my heart, pounding in my chest. What would I even say to her? The woman who birthed me then walked away.Someone picked up.“Hello?”.“Is this Ruby?” I asked.Silence.Then a choked gasp. “Liz?”“I need answers,” I said, not giving her time to catch u

Last Updated : 2025-08-06

Chapter 176

Lumian’s POVI stood at the top of the stairs, staring through the high windows as the car rolled to a stop outside the packhouse.Then I saw her step outside. Liz. My mate. My Luna. The woman I loved more than anything in this world.And she didn’t even look back.Finn walked beside her. I watched from the shadows, frozen in place, as Liz stepped into the sunlight. Her hair caught the light like it always did, wild and soft, like it had the first time I ever saw her. My heart clenched.Then I saw it.A mark.Not faint. Not old. Not mine.I stumbled back a step, like the air had been punched out of me.It was Arthur’s.It had to be.That was why she looked different. How had I not seen it or smelled him on her? How had I become so weak and stupid not to notice that someone else had marked what belonged to me?She had let him mark her.But I wouldn't believe that she didn't still love me; she had to.I reached out for the wall, my hand gripping it as my chest heaved. My vision blurred

Last Updated : 2025-08-07