After My Last Breath のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 261 - チャプター 270

“That’s settled then,” Celine grins, before a quick frown crosses her face. “But Mom, I don’t have a dress. And my makeup? I need to get it done by the absolute best. The banquet is in a week, so I have to pull out all the stops. Then—and only then—will I be able to become the center of attention.”“Of course, sweetheart,” Mom says without skipping a beat, waving her hand as if our bank accounts aren’t actively bleeding dry. She fixes her hair—looking prouder than she has the right to. “You deserve to look like royalty. Damon will give you his credit card. Don’t worry. Won’t you, Damon?”I just stand there, staring at the two of them, wondering if they can really hear themselves.“Damon?” Mom prompts, her voice dropping into that sharp, bossy tone she always uses when I don’t jump to obey her fast enough. “Are you listening to me? Give Celine your card so she can book her appointments.”A dark, bitter laugh bubbles up in my throat. I can’t even hold it back.“No,” I say, my voice dead

Grandma doesn’t answer right away. She just stares at me for a long, heavy moment, as if searching my face for answers.“I heard what happened today,” she says, voicing the exact thing I’ve been afraid of. “I can’t believe you wronged her again today, Damon. You had one last chance, and you blew that too.”I flinch, her words hitting me harder than any physical blow. I hang my head, completely unable to look her in the eye.“Grandma, It’s not what you think. I had my reasons—”“You had your reasons?” She cuts me off, her voice filled with profound disappointment and sadness. “What reason could you possibly have to break her heart all over again? Don’t you understand, Damon? The more you hurt her, the further you push her away. You’re giving her every reason to believe she shouldn’t expect a single thing from you—because you will never take her side. You will never stand up for her.Elara is young, beautiful, and kind. She has her whole life ahead of her. If you think a small matter li

So I keep my head down, wear old clothes, avoid crowded places, and pretend I’m just another ordinary woman trying to survive. It’s humiliating. I used to have servants waiting on me, designer clothes filling my closet, and people fighting for my attention. Now I’m scrubbing greasy dishes, cleaning sticky tables, and counting every penny before buying groceries.Mom keeps saying we should lie low for now. That sooner or later, an opportunity will come because nothing stays the same forever.Until now, I had dismissed all her talk as complete bullshit. Despite her irritating optimism that gives me a headache sometimes, I find myself leaning forward on the old, rickety chair we own, my eyes widening in disbelief.“Are you saying Elara was never one of us?”It’s not the first time I’ve heard something like this.A few years ago, I overheard Mom and Dad talking about Elara’s past. I knew she wasn’t a Graham, and I even used that fact to torment her whenever I got the chance. I’d sneer at

[Elara]I let Damon take a seat in the sofa chair across from me.He looks like he wants to say something, but something seems to be holding him back.A few years ago, I would have done everything in my power to make him talk. I might have even begged him to say something because I was always afraid he was mad at me again.But not today.Not anymore.I simply don’t care.I shift my gaze to Griffin instead. He’s standing off to the side, leaning against the glass wall that separates the living room from the balcony, and I give him a slight nod.He responds with a crooked smile, silently assuring me that everything is under control.By “under control,” he means Nora and the girls are currently watching TV in his room. If the need arises, they can be called over at any moment.“So…” Damon starts, hesitating clearly. “What is it…that you wanted to talk about?”I lean back in my seat, cross my legs, and look at him with all the suppressed rage in my heart. “Have you ever heard of Voss Apex

[Elara]I should feel better now that I’m watching Damon break down like this.I should feel like I’ve won.The rage I’ve been suppressing all this time—the rage that has been yearning to avenge my daughters—should have eased, even if only a little, now that he’s finally seen the horrible, ugly face of his own mother.But it doesn’t.I don’t feel victorious.I don’t feel satisfied.I don’t feel anything.Ever since I learned the truth myself, I have been dreaming about this exact moment. I spent countless sleepless nights imagining what it would feel like to break his golden, pristine world into a million sharp pieces. I wanted him to suffer the way I suffered. I wanted him to feel the suffocating, helpless terror of realizing his life was built on a pile of sickening lies.I thought watching him crumble would fix something inside me. I thought it would put out the fire burning in my chest.But as I stand here, watching tears drip between his fingers and stain his expensive leather sh