Semua Bab After My Last Breath: Bab 221 - Bab 228

[Elara]When I get back to the apartment, Griffin is already waiting for me.The moment I see him, I drop everything and run to him.His arms wrap around me instantly, and I bury my face in his chest.He strokes my hair softly, waiting until I pull back enough to look up at him. “You did great. I’m so proud of you.”I nod, happy that I could help. “So, how did it go? Did you catch him?” I ask.The corner of his lips lifts slightly. “We did. He didn’t go home right away, however. He went to some shady clinic first, probably to get himself patched up. But then, just as you guessed, he headed straight for the Blackwood manor.”Of course he did.“Then what?”“Our men were already waiting outside the property, and the moment he showed up, he was picked up and brought back to where he belonged.”I nod, relief washing over me.Because if Nolan had managed to reach Damon or anyone else in the family and spill everything, it would have been a disaster.I would have lost the upper hand.And I c

[Damon]“This is it!” Mom says, breathing a little louder and straightening her spine even more. “Remember, stick to the plan. No distractions. And do not, under any circumstances, draw attention to yourself. This is our final chance, Damon. We make it or not, all depends on how we handle this night.”I nod, realizing rather quickly how long it’s been since I’ve seen Mom this nervous.Then again, this isn’t just any event.It’s the Dark Knights—an event that shouldn’t even exist in the first place, and yet it does. All because people with money are constantly looking for something new to indulge in, while others, like us, are desperate enough to put their principles on the line to survive this cruel business world.I give her a nod, and soon we step out of the car together. The moment I walk onto the grand steps leading up to the auction house, I feel it: the tension, the power, the danger.It’s all around us.Men and women in expensive suits and gowns walk past us, their faces either

[Elara]"Do you think I'm being cruel?" I ask, my voice barely a whisper as I watch everything go down at the auction from the privacy of a glass cabin.Griffin, standing next to me with his hands tucked into his pockets, doesn't even flinch. "Of course, not. This is what they owe you--what they owe Vera. This is justice, my love. It might not look pretty, but sometimes justice isn't."I nod, my eyes locked on Damon and his mother as they anxiously watch the auctioner reveal the two vials in his hands.One contains the Miracle drug—the real deal. The other? A dangerous poison that should not even exist. And both are sitting on a table, looking exactly the same."You think they'll bite? Or will they chicken out?" I ask, unable to help myself. Even though I know the answer, I still want to hear it.Griffin smirks, his gaze shifting to me. "Oh, they'll bite. People like them always do when desperation kicks in. Especially Beatrice. She'd sell her soul if it meant saving her precious litt

[Elara]I can only smile at Beatrice’s words.Why? Because the time when she would have nothing more to say is just around the corner.Seeing my smile, however, she only grows more annoyed. “You really have no shame, do you? Here I am, telling you to have some dignity and get the fuck out of here before you say or do anything to embarrass yourself—and us— you have the audacity to smile at my face? What kind of stupidity is this?”The urge to smile even wider is ridiculous, but I try to get a hold of myself. I sigh instead. “What’s wrong with smiling? Anyone having a good day has every right to express how they feel. Isn’t that right, Damon?”“Elara—” Damon tries to intervene, but Beatrice cuts him off once more.“Don’t talk to him. Talk to me. I’m the one who decides what’s right and wrong. And I clearly just asked you to get the hell out of here, didn’t I?”“You did,” I say, nodding slowly. “But that’s the thing, Beatrice. I’m not obligated to do as you say. Let me remind you, in cas