บททั้งหมดของ The Price of a Second Chance: บทที่ 71 - บทที่ 80

Casper wasn’t the type to leave traces. Still, after that conversation on the bridge, I realized he might be changing his personality.Two days later, the city was restless with the preparation for the Autumn Fair. I had already forgotten that it happened every year. It was a big event, but not as big as the stories of people coming from outside said.Lancelot had mentioned that he thought the festivities were very interesting, but that it was better not to go this time. "Too many people, too much noise," he said. I had already settled for the idea of spending the weekend at home. Only that morning, I received a message from Casper. 'Come to the festival. 'Ignored. At least I tried. But in the early evening, as the city lit up with lanterns and distant music, something in me began to move. A curiosity, although I knew it could be a mistake."Are you thinking of leaving?" Lancelot asked, without taking his eyes off the book he was leafing through. "I know you would like to go.I didn’

The air seemed to tear when his voice echoed. Frozen. That’s how I stayed. Neither the pain of the interrupted transformation, nor the look of Naomi, nor the poisonous smile of Casper could compete with the weight of his presence. My body reacted before my mind—the bones, which were still throbbing from almost breaking, retracted. The unfinished claws became nails again. Because I knew who was there. I knew what it meant.My father.Naomi took a step back, but I realized the instant she recognized him. Her face lost color, her lips were half open, and her eyes widened the same way as in the cafeteria when she saw him bending me without any effort.Casper, on the other hand, stood still. The smile disappeared as if it had been forcibly torn out. He did not expect this.I meant something, anything. But the air seemed stuck inside me. I could only look at it—the same upright posture, the same dark suit, as if he had come from a funeral."It’s stronger," he said, the look running through

I slowly moved away from the crowd, letting the music and laughter dissolve behind me. The taste of victory was in my mouth, but it wasn’t mine. Not that time. I had come close to exposing Lancelot before Naomi, to finally make her see that he was nothing but an animal disguised as a man. The medium-sized wolves were a real problem. I had prepared every detail, picked every word. And it worked. I saw the wild glow light up in his eyes, I saw the skin tremble under the weight of change, and I saw Naomi freeze before what one day would still destroy her. Only that fucking Alpha appeared.I walked through the darkest streets of town before leaving. There was no hurry. I knew that Naomi would now be trying to calm Lancelot. She was always like that, always believed in the best of people. It was what irritated me most and what attracted me from the beginning. I knew this naivety and knew exactly how to use it. Perhaps what was annoying me at the time was that she was more worried about an

When I finally called Naomi, my voice was serene. "Naomi," she said, pausing long enough to feel the tension on the line, "I was thinking… How about a coffee? A quieter place, just the two of us. No crowds, no distractions." There was a pause on the other side, and I could hear the conflict in her voice before she even answered."I do not know…"I interrupted with calculated softness. "Don’t worry about him for a few hours. I promise it’s just coffee. We need to talk." I could feel her hesitation, but also curiosity, and that was all I needed. She gave in, agreeing.I chose a small cafe, far from the center of town, where the tables were spaced. "Hi," he said, his voice low enough for only her to hear. "Thank you for coming." She nodded, turning her eyes away, and I sat facing her. I ordered a strong coffee, almost bitter, and watched as she decided on an herbal tea, something light, perhaps to calm the nerves."Casper, what’s all this?" she asked, the first real sentence since she ca

The smell of coffee seemed to fill every corner of the cafeteria when I pushed the door, almost as if entering a shelter from the world outside. For a few seconds, I let the noise of customers, the sound of machines, and the tinkling of cups wash my mind to think. Lancelot was behind the counter, calm, moving with precision, and seeing this gave me an unexpected comfort."Good morning," he said, without lifting his eyes from the coffee he was preparing. The simplicity of the greeting and the normality of the moment made me feel that maybe I could breathe again. I smiled, even if a little forced, and began to organize the cups, trying to concentrate on work and not the thoughts that insisted on pulling me to Casper. The feeling of routine, tasks that required my attention, was a relief.Lancelot finally raised his eyes, and when our glances met, something passed between us—a mixture of concern and silent confidence. He didn’t ask about my meeting with Casper; he