All Chapters of After My Last Breath: Chapter 171 - Chapter 180

[Elara]The flight back to Sun Tech City was just as long as it had been when the trip was the other way around.But somehow, it felt longer. Not because I was bored out of my mind or had nothing better to do, but because I was tired of looking at Vera and meeting a dead end every time I tried to talk to her.Conversations with her were always one-sided. She only responded to whatever I asked, did what I told her to do and the way I told her to do it. Other than that, she had no personality of her own. She didn’t bounce around the private plane the way Cora would have. She didn’t ask millions of questions. She didn’t smile or giggle or point at anything that caught her eye, but it didn’t make sense, because it was something new for her.She did nothing like that.Just sat in her seat, eyes either glued to the screen in front of her, or tightly shut, as if she was catching up on some much-needed sleep.I sighed deeply into my chest, peeling my gaze off her after what felt like hours, a

After Cora and Vera are fast asleep in their room, I walk down the grand stairs and make a cup of plain coffee for myself.I’ll be honest—I feel so much relieved knowing how easily Cora accepted Vera, and vice versa.Now that the moment has passed, I realize I had been worried for nothing.I should never have doubted my own daughter. I mean, when has she ever really let me down or made my life difficult? If anything, she has been absolutely amazing and understanding all this time.I still cannot believe so much has happened in the last few hours. Not only did I learn about having another daughter, but we also brought her back from that hell to us.It almost feels like a dream—a twisted dream that somehow makes me hopeful for the future.The only thing that worries me now is Vera’s indifference and lack of emotional investment in literally anything around us. It’s as if, even though she’s present in this moment with us, she’s not really there. Like she’s disconnected, and nothing we do

[Elara]I still cared about him?He couldn’t have been more wrong.But I don’t try to correct him.I just smile and nod at Harry, who seems to have seen a ghost or something. He doesn’t even react when I walk past him. It’s only when I take a seat on the chair that’s placed next to Damon’s bed that I catch him turning around.“I... I’ll be right back,” he says, looking all sorts of confused while rubbing his nape. “Call me if you need anything.”Damon nods, silently thanking him with his eyes.I pretend not to see it.“So…” he trails off, looking relieved enough to chuckle. “Sorry, I still can’t believe you came. I left so many messages. I thought you never wanted—”“I misplaced my phone,” I lie right through my teeth, not feeling one bit guilty about it. “Found it under the couch this morning. Maybe I knocked it over or something.”“Of course,” he rushes to agree with me, for my sake—or maybe for his own—and smiles. “It happens all the time. I still lose track of my phone so many tim

I look down at his hand and try to summon the love that I used to feel for him.I get nothing back. Nothing at all.Not even a flicker.I pull my hand away and move it back to my lap. I try not to lose the smile, however—that soft and easy smile that I know I can pull off, having done it so many times in the past, especially for Damon, for his family, and for the rare guests that he sometimes introduced me to.“Well, I guess you really have changed,” I say, if only to let him know that I see—and appreciate—the changes he seems to have brought in himself. I look down at my lap, sighing. “Earlier, you never showed interest in anything I ever did. You didn’t even want to hear—”“That was wrong of me,” he says rather quickly, not even letting me finish. “I was a jerk and treated you like you were doing me some kind of favor, and I had no obligation to play nice. Now that I think back, I really have been such an asshole to you. And you, being you, never complained. I think that’s what make

[Elara]By the time the next morning rolls around, I’m once again vibrating with a tad of excitement.Being the last day of the science summit, my research team has decided to meet up for dinner and celebrate our upcoming success.It’s sad that Nora has some other Gordon business to attend to, or else she would have loved those chaotic nerds.Anyway, once I’m ready in a light blue dress and equally light makeup, I head downstairs to find Cora and Vera already sitting in the dining room.“Good morning, girls,” I greet them with a kiss on the top of their heads before finding myself a seat right across from them, from where I can see their faces clearly. “So, what’s the plan for today?”Cora looks excited as she grins on both their behalf. “Uncle Lucas said he would be taking us to an art gallery.”“An art gallery?” I instinctively turn my head to where Lucas sat last night as we discussed my next course of action for the Blackwoods and find it strangely empty. I look back at the girls.