All Chapters of After My Last Breath: Chapter 181 - Chapter 190

[Elara]“Cheers!” Sarah beams, her grin stretching from ear to ear. “To our breakthrough—the one that’s going to change everything.”We all cheer with her, before drowning our drinks—alcoholic for some and non-alcoholic for the rest—and taking our seats around the round table.Joshua lets out a low whistle. “Still, it’s a shame the Magnus Group pushed the unveiling back by three months. This isn’t just any project—it’s history in the making. We’re talking about something that could redefine medicine as we know it. Can you imagine the impact once it finally comes out?”I smile, but feel incredibly guilty inside.It’s probably because of that agreement with Adrian Voss that Griffin was forced to delay the unveiling.Everyone has worked so hard for this research—for this day—it’s unfair that they have to wait this long.Besid

[Elara]Griffin doesn't even blink at my surprise.He simply stares at the wet patch and the very exposed black bra underneath as if that's the source of all the evil in the world.For a moment, it's as if the entire restaurant has faded away, leaving only the two of us locked in this awkward, charged silence. His expression, though unreadable, holds a hint of something—amusement? Disapproval? I can't tell, and that uncertainty gnaws at me, making my pulse race even faster.Then, with the kind of practiced elegance that makes me feel way more flustered than I already am, he shrugs off his jacket, drapes it over my shoulders, and buttons it up, covering me completely."Thank you," I whisper, adjusting the lapels. The jacket is way too big on me, and it smells like him—crisp, expensive, and just a little too intoxicating. But I don't mind. I appreciate the gesture, if anything. "I'll have it returned once I'm done."He doesn't even acknowledge the offer.Instead, he reaches down, grabs

Even long after Griffin turns and drives away, my heart keeps racing like it's going to burst out of my chest.I continue to stand there, pressed against the wall, not able to think of anything but the words he painted in my head.What did he mean by "figure it out yourself"? What was he talking about?Was that something he said sarcastically? Or did he actually mean what he said? Was there really a mystery that I was supposed to uncover?I squeeze my eyes shut and drag in a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves.It doesn't help.I don't know what's happening to me—why my body reacts the way it does every time he's near. It's like my senses sharpen, my skin prickles, and my mind goes blank, leaving me completely vulnerable to him.It's terrifying.And yet...I don't hate it.I shake my head, pushing those thoughts away. Now is not the time to get distracted.I need to focus.I need to prepare for tom

I remember him once telling me that the Gordons had always given birth to the most courageous people in the world—that courage wasn’t just something they admired, it was something woven into their very blood, something no one in their lineage had ever betrayed by turning their back on an enemy.Back then, his words had felt distant, almost unreal, like they belonged to a legacy I wasn’t sure I had any claim to.But now, as he looks at me with that steady, unmistakable pride—his eyes brighter, his shoulders straighter—I can’t help but wonder if this is what he sees.Not doubt. Not hesitation. But certainty.As if, in this moment, I have finally become everything the Gordon name stands for.The daughter who stood her ground. The daughter who chose to fight. The daughter who didn’t just live up to his legacy—but made him prouder than he had ever expected to be.The thought should make me feel proud.Instead, it sits heavy in my chest—like a weight I don’t quite know how to carry.Because

[Beatrice]I stare at the phone, frowning so hard I can feel the lines etching into my skin.Damn that son of mine.Damn him to hell.After everything I did for him—after all the sacrifices I made, all the schemes I pulled to keep this family from falling apart—he still has the nerve to defy me.To choose that useless woman over his own family.I pace the length of the living room, my heels clicking against the marble floor, my hands clenching and unclenching at my sides.After seeing Hannah’s true colors, I realized I had been wrong about Elara. Perhaps I misjudged her. Went too hard on her. Made her go through all that humiliation for nothing.Yes, I regretted letting her go. I regretted it because seeing Damon after she was gone was far more painful than I had imagined.But my regret was short-lived. Sure, she might not have been as cunning and scheming as her sister, but that didn’t make her useful.She was a good-for-nothing housewife back then. And she would still be the same no