All Chapters of Stay Dead This Time: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

"Mother, let me remind you. I am the mistress of this estate. With Stellan gone, my word is law here."I turned to the servants standing outside the chapel. "Well? Escort the young lady to the crypt."The servants exchanged uneasy glances, none of them daring to move.I swept a cool look over them. "Think carefully about who the future master of this estate will be."They did not know Stellan's death was staged. All they knew was that Ansel, his only son and the sole heir to everything, was in my arms.A moment later, a crowd of them rushed forward, seized Daphne, gagged her, bound her hands, and dragged her out. The whole thing was over in seconds. Vivienne did not even have time to react.When she finally processed what she was seeing, she pointed a trembling finger at me. "You... Elara, just you wait. My son's spirit will not let you get away with this!"I ignored her and instructed the servants to escort the old woman to her chambers to rest.I knew perfectly well what sh

The servants scrambled to drag Vivienne back inside."You vile woman!"I could still hear her screaming from halfway across the courtyard, but I paid it no mind. Sealing Stellan's death in the official record was the only thing that mattered right now. As for Vivienne, there would be plenty of time to deal with her later.…On the third day, I sent a letter to the military camp. It was addressed to Vice Commander Garrett Soren, Stellan's sworn rival in the ranks.I could handle the people and affairs within the estate easily enough, but Stellan was a seasoned battlefield commander with loyal men scattered throughout the army. If he had left contingencies in place, I could not afford to be caught off guard.That afternoon, Garrett arrived at my invitation."I'm not sure what could be so urgent that the general's wife needs to see me personally."He offered me a perfunctory bow, and his tone was far from warm. I did not take it personally."Stellan Montclair is not dead."Tha

"You vile woman!" Vivienne finally abandoned every last shred of composure and lunged at me, fists swinging. "You're trying to destroy my son! You planned this from the very beginning!"I did not move. The head maid behind me had already stepped forward and caught Vivienne, holding her firmly in place."Mother, you have it wrong." The smile left my face. My voice was level, without so much as a ripple. "I'm not the one who destroyed him. It was you, Daphne, and Stellan himself."The three of you schemed to fake his death. You wanted to force me out of my position as the lawful wife and turn my son from a legitimate heir into a bastard. Did any of you think to ask my opinion?"Did any of you stop to think about what would happen to me? A woman, alone, with a child to raise. How was I supposed to survive?"No, you did not consider that. The three of you simply assumed that Elara Renworth would do as she was told, that I would take whatever was done to me without complaint, and that

I froze."When Aunt Daphne was around, Father only ever smiled at her. Grandmother said I'm a wretched child who never should've been born, so I don't deserve to be held by Father. I wanted to go say good morning to Father once, and Grandmother said I was an eyesore."Ansel's voice grew smaller and smaller. "Mother, what does 'wretched child' mean? Does it mean I'm worse than other children?"I pulled him into my arms, and the tears I had been holding back finally fell. "No. You're not a wretched child. You're the most precious thing in my life. And you're the only legitimate heir of the Montclair estate."Ansel gave a muffled hum against my chest, his small fingers gripping the front of my dress."Mother, don't cry.""Alright. I won't cry."I wiped my tears and made a silent vow. In this life, I would never let anyone hurt Ansel again.…On the seventh day, it was the funeral procession.I was awake before dawn. Today was the day the death-feigning potion would wear off. It

How was Stellan supposed to prove he was himself?Just then, more hoofbeats approached from a distance. The officials from the Ministry of Rites had arrived.The Deputy Minister Edmund Hale dismounted at the head of the column and strode into the chapel. He took one look at Stellan sitting inside the coffin and furrowed his brow."What's going on here?" His voice was cold as ice.I stepped forward and spoke with the utmost deference. "My lord, this man climbed out of the coffin during the funeral and claims to be General Stellan Montclair. But the whole world knows my husband fell in battle, and Lady Daphne Langford, whom His Majesty personally honored with the title of Lady of Fidelity, has already followed him in death."This man appeared out of nowhere, and I have no idea what to make of it."Edmund's gaze lingered on Stellan for a moment, then shifted to Vivienne. "Madam, is this man your son, Stellan Montclair?"Vivienne began to tremble violently. She opened her mouth, loo