All Chapters of After My Last Breath: Chapter 211 - Chapter 220

I never thought I would feel this bad for any of the Blackwoods.But here I am, feeling as terrible as humanly possible.Now I understand why Damon must have held back—why he didn’t tell me the truth about this. He must have known their condition would make me feel guilty. The fact that it happened because of the car accident—the car I wasn’t even in—makes it even worse.I never imagined anyone could care about Cora and me this much—enough to fall so gravely ill.But I should have known.And now, my thoughtlessness makes me feel like the worst person in the room.At the sight of me, Grandma smiles so big it hurts my heart."Elara, you're finally here, my child." She wraps her arms around me. "It's so good to see you. I never wanted to believe that we lost Cora and you forever. And I didn't." She pulls away, looking down at her husband. "Didn't I always say that our Elara is too strong to just die like that?"Grandpa doesn't respond. There's not even a flicker of movement.But his wife

[Damon]I have no idea why I said that.It just slipped out.Maybe because it had been sitting inside me for years, growing heavier with every day I spent with Hannah.And when it finally came out, I realized I should have said it sooner.I expect Elara to react—maybe pull her hand away, or maybe just stay quiet—but she doesn’t do either of those things.Instead, she looks up at me, her expression unreadable. Then, slowly, she laces her fingers through mine.“I don’t know about that,” she says softly, almost like she’s trying to be kind. “Hannah was a lot prettier than me. I don’t think you would have preferred me over her at all.”For a second, I just stare at her.Is she serious?Does she really think I’d choose beauty over substance? That I’d marry someone just because she looked good in photos?I let out a dry laugh, shaking my head. “You really think I’m that shallow, don’t you?”She blinks, like I caught her off guard. “No, I didn’t mean—”“Yes, you did,” I cut in, my voice drop

The next morning, I wake up to the fragrance of something really delicious.I sit up, blinking at the empty space beside me where Griffin was supposed to be. The sheets are still warm, though.A small smile tugs at my lips as I get out of bed, slipping into my gown and heading toward the kitchen.Sure enough, Griffin is there, standing by the stove, wearing nothing but a pair of grey sweatpants—again—and a white shirt that’s unbuttoned just enough to be distracting. His hair is still damp, and he's humming softly to himself as he flips something in the pan.I lean against the doorway, watching him for a moment."Morning," I say, my voice still a little rough from sleep.He turns, his lips curving into a smile when he sees me. "Morning. I didn't want to wake you, but I made breakfast. Thought you'd need some energy after last night."I raise an eyebrow. "Is that so?"He winks. "You know I'm always thinking of you."I roll my eyes, but I can't help the warmth spreading in my chest.He's

[Elara]When Griffin returns to the table, he looks strangely distracted and a whole lot pissed off.I can tell because he looks nothing like the man he was just moments ago—a man who knows how to joke and take one. A man who smiles and laughs and teases.But now? Now, something has changed. He still offers me a small smile before resuming his meal, but that's a far cry from the excitement he had been vibrating with just moments ago.I can't help but lean forward, covering his hand with mine."Is everything alright?"He stiffens at my touch, but then visibly relaxes when his gaze finds mine."You're going to hate this," he grumbles, shifting his gaze elsewhere, either too embarrassed to talk about it or too angry to keep his calm for long. Anything is possible here."What happened?" I ask anyway, more than just curious now."Nolan escaped."Two words.Just two words, and suddenly I can't breathe.A hard frown crosses my face, my fingers curling into fists. "What the hell are you talki

“The Gordons?” Mom’s voice loses its sharp, defensive edge, replaced by a rare, breathless disbelief. “Damon, are you playing a prank on me? Because if you are, I assure you, I am in no mood for it.”“I wouldn’t joke about this, Mom,” I say. “Their representative called my office directly. They reviewed the Blackwood Group proposal. They want to meet over dinner tonight to discuss the terms.”“My goodness…” she gasps. I can practically hear the wheels turning in her head. “Tonight? That is an extremely short notice for a meeting this important. Don’t you think?”“That’s what Jordon said. Apparently, a family member is in town and doesn’t have much time,” I explain, straightening a few papers on my desk. “So, are you coming? I think it would help if they saw the family standing together.”“Of course I am coming,” she says instantly. “We cannot afford a single misstep, Damon. The Blackwood Group’s entire future is riding on this. Do you have any idea which member of the Gordon family is