All Chapters of After My Last Breath: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

[Elara]When I walk inside Cora’s ward, I find her already waking up.She looks confused at first, her gaze darting around the room—until her eyes land on me. Then, relief floods her tiny face.“Mommy,” she whispers, her voice so small and fragile it shatters me completely.“Hey, sweetheart.” I rush to her side, brushing her hair back gently. “Mommy’s right here, okay? You did so well, my brave girl.”“It hurt,” she murmurs, her lips trembling, “but I didn’t cry. I… I heard what you said. About the amusement park.”A laugh escapes me, choked and tearful. “You heard that?”She nods, her eyes fluttering. “You promised.”“I did.” I press her hand to my cheek. “And Mommy never breaks her promises.”For a long moment, I just sit there, watching her chest rise and fall—each breath a small miracle. Everything else fades. The hospital, the walls, even Damon’s voice echoing in my head. None of it matters. Only this. Only her.Then, the door opens softly behind me. Gwen peeks in, a faint smile o

[Elara] I head back to Cora’s ward. To my surprise, she isn’t alone — a male doctor is talking to her, making her giggle. I rush inside, feeling guilty for leaving her alone.“And then what happened, Dr. Wolfe?” Cora asks, barely able to hide her grin. “Did he find his heart or not?”“He did,” the man says, his back still turned as he writes something on his notepad. “But only after he groveled at his wife’s feet. She was a tough one.”Despite her fragile state, she laughs as if she can’t help it.“What’s going on?” I ask, drawing their attention to me.Cora instantly grabs my hand and smiles. “Mommy, Dr. Wolfe just told me a wonderful story. It’s about a man who loses his heart after he eats a chocolate cake without telling his wife.”“Sounds… interesting?” I don’t know what to say about it, but if it makes Cora happy, then maybe it’s not a bad one. I turn to face the doctor, who is now gazing at me — and those eyes, they make me straighten up a bit.“It’s you,” I recognize him rig

[Beatrice]His words catch me off guard. I can’t help but laugh. “Are you serious? Why didn’t you tell me this before? Maybe I should have tossed her some change myself. She would have worshipped me for being kind by now.”I finish the drink, only to make one for him. “Well, looks like I’ve been right all this time. Damon doesn’t really care about her. It’s probably because of that daughter that he seems to be tolerating her. Nothing more.”“Exactly.”“Hm,” I say, carrying the tumbler with me as I walk back to the couch. “That’s great. At the family dinner, when I mentioned the divorce briefly, he looked unsettled. I almost thought he was reluctant. But it turns out he merely sees Cora as his responsibility.”“That’s probably all there is to it.”I nod. “Perfect. Then maybe all he needs is a little push, and we can finally get rid of that useless pair.”I quickly dial Damon.He picks up on the second ring. “Yes?”“Come home for dinner. I have something important to discuss.”I hang up

[Elara]“Mommy, what is this place?” Cora asks, her eyes full of curiosity and excitement as she looks around.I glance around too, feeling quite satisfied with this new place myself.“It’s a surprise,” I say with a grin as I turn to her. “According to your doctors, you need a calm and quiet place to recover quickly. You know, to avoid stress and all that. And I think a villa by the beach is exactly what they meant. What do you think? Do you like it?”“I love it!” Her grin widens, her eyes sparkling. “We haven’t been to the beach in such a long time. And now we live next to it? It can’t get better than this. But really, Mommy, are we actually going to live here? What about Daddy?”The mention of Damon makes her grin falter. She hesitates before continuing. “Is he coming to live with us?”Even though she doesn’t say it out loud, her eyes betray what we both already know.Damon never had time for us in the past—and now is no exception.“Daddy is busy with work,” I say, ruffling her hair

[Damon]During the entire ride to the Blackwood residence, Elara doesn’t say a word.It’s so unlike her—I can’t help but notice. If there’s anything she hates the most, it’s silence. She can’t stand it. She has to fill the quiet and spark conversations—no matter how awkward or rushed they come out.I clench my fist, unable to understand what’s going on with her. She has never acted this way—this distant. In the last five years, whenever I messed up, she would sulk for an hour or two and then go back to being responsible and obedient.But now, half a day has passed, and she still hasn’t tried to talk to me about what happened—about how she’s willing to let things go if I spend the weekend with Cora or something along those lines.I pull the car over as we reach the Blackwood residence. But before we enter the property, her phone starts ringing.“Hello?” she answers, stepping away. “I feel terrible troubling you at this hour, but is it possible for you to check on Cora until I’m back? I