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Chapter181 Chapter 181 Chapter181 Chapter 181 ThepenthousewasquietwhenCamillearrivedhome.Onlythekitchenlightglowed,spillingontothepolishedfloor.Shefound The penthouse was quiet when Camille arrived home . Only the kitchen light glowed , spilling onto the polished floor . She found Alexanderattheislandcounter,papersspreadbeforehim,aglassofwhiskeyathiselbow.Theamberliquidcaughtthelightashe Alexander at the island counter , papers spread before him , a glass of whiskey at his elbow . The amber liquid caught the light as he raisedit,notlookingupwhensheentered. raised it , not looking up when she entered . “Longday?”heasked,stillscanningthedocumentinfrontofhim. “ Long day ? ” he asked , still scanning the document in front of him . Camillesetherbagdown,herheartbeatingfaster.TheweightofEleanorPierce’svisitpressedonhershoulders.“Youcouldsay Camille set her bag down , her heart beating faster . The weight of Eleanor Pierce’s visit pressed on her shoulders . “ You could say that.” that . ” Shemovedtotherefrigerator,buyingtimeasshepulledout abottleof water.Hermindraced,searchingfortherightwords.How She moved to the refrigerator , buying time as she pulled out a bottle of water . Her mind raced , searching for the right words . How / <![CDATA[ / fpm_start( "true" ); / ]]> / doyoutellsomeonetheirestranged mother showedupafter sevenyearsof silence? do you tell someone their estranged mother showed up after seven years of silence ? “Someonecametoseemetoday,”shesaid,hervoicequieterthansheintended. “ Someone came to see me today , ” she said , her voice quieter than she intended . Alexandermade anoncommittalsound,stillabsorbedinhiswork. Alexander made a noncommittal sound , still absorbed in his work . “Attheoffice.”Camilletwistedthecapoffherwater.“Yourmother.” “ At the office . ” Camille twisted the cap off her water . “ Your mother . ” Thestillnessthatfollowedwasabsolute.Alexander’shandfrozemid–turnof apage.Hisshouldersstiffenedunderhisdressshirt. The stillness that followed was absolute . Alexander’s hand froze mid – turn of a page . His shoulders stiffened under his dress shirt . Whenhefinallylookedup,hiseyeshadturnedtoice. When he finally looked up , his eyes had turned to ice . “Mymother,”herepeated,hisvoiceflat.“EleanorPiercecame toyouroffice.” “ My mother , ” he repeated , his voice flat . “Eleanor Pierce came to your office . ” “Yes.Thisafternoon.” “ Yes . This afternoon . ” Alexandersethisglassdownwithcarefulprecision.“Andwhatdidmymotherwantaftersevenyearsofsilence?” Alexander set his glass down with careful precision . “ And what did my mother want after seven years of silence ? ” ThecoldnessinhisvoicesentachillthroughCamille.ThiswasasideofAlexandersherarelysaw,thehardedgebeneathhis The coldness in his voice sent a chill through Camille . This was a side of Alexander she rarely saw , the hard edge beneath his usualwarmth. usual warmth . “Shewantstoseeyou.Totalk.”Camillemovedcloser,restingherhandsonthecounter.“Shesayssheandyourfatherneedto “ She wants to see you . To talk . ” Camille moved closer , resting her hands on the counter . “ She says she and your father need to apologize.” apologize . ” Alexanderlaughed,asharpsoundwithnohumorinit.“Apologize.That’srich.”Hestoodabruptly,thestoolscrapingagainstthefloor.“Didshetellyouwhytheymightneedtoapologize?Didshesharethatparticularstory?” Alexander laughed , a sharp sound with no humor in it . “ Apologize . That’s rich . ” He stood abruptly , the stool scraping against the floor . “ Did she tell you why they might need to apologize ? Did she share that particular story ? ” “Someofit,”Camillesaidcarefully.“Abouttheaccident.AboutJames.” “ Some of it , ” Camille said carefully . “ About the accident . About James . ” “Abouthowtheychosetobelievemybrotherinsteadofme?”Alexander’svoiceroseslightly.“AbouthowtheyvisitedhimdailywhileIwas learningtowalkagain?Abouthowtheyhelpedhimavoidcharges whileIwentthroughthreesurgeriesalone?” “ About how they chose to believe my brother instead of me ? ” Alexander’s voice rose slightly . “ About how they visited him daily while I was learning to walk again ? About how they helped him avoid charges while I went through three surgeries alone ? ” Heturnedaway,movingtothewindow.Outside,thecitysparkledinthedarkness,athousandlightsagainstthenightsky. He turned away , moving to the window . Outside , the city sparkled in the darkness , a thousand lights against the night sky . “Alexander…” “ Alexander … ” 1/6 1/6 Chapter181 Chapter 181 +25Bonus +25 Bonus “No.”Hisvoicecutthroughtheroom.“Whateverelseshe toldyou,whateversheasked,theanswerisno.I’mnot interested.” “ No. ” His voice cut through the room . “ Whatever else she told you , whatever she asked , the answer is no . I’m not interested . ” Camilletookaslowbreath.“ShementionedJames’sdeath.Yourfather’sstroke.” Camille took a slow breath . “ She mentioned James’s death . Your father’s stroke . ” Alexander’sreflectioninthewindowshowednoreaction,buthisknuckleswhitenedwherehegrippedthesill. Alexander’s reflection in the window showed no reaction , but his knuckles whitened where he gripped the sill . “Shesaidtheytriedtoreachyou.Thatthey cametoyourapartmentafterJames’sfuneral.” “ She said they tried to reach you . That they came to your apartment after James’s funeral . ” “Theydid,”Alexander saidcoldly.“Withhisconfessionletterinhand.Fouryearstoolate.” “ They did , ” Alexander said coldly . “ With his confession letter in hand . Four years too late . ” “Youknew abouttheletter?”Camilleasked,surprised. “ You knew about the letter ? ” Camille asked , surprised . “OfcourseIknew,”Alexandersaid,turningtofaceher.“Theysentitbycourier afterIrefusedtoseethem.Isentitbackunopened.” “ Of course I knew , ” Alexander said , turning to face her . “ They sent it by courier after I refused to see them . I sent it back unopened . ” Camillemovedtowardhim,stoppingwhenhetookastepback.“Shebroughtaphoto.Of youasachild.Winningasailingcompetition.” Camille moved toward him , stopping when he took a step back . “ She brought a photo . Of you as a child . Winning a sailing competition . ” Somethingflickeredacrosshisface,pain, quicklymaskedbyanger.“Shekeptmybabypictures.Howtouching.” Something flickered across his face , pain , quickly masked by anger. “ She kept my baby pictures . How touching . ” “Alexander,please…” “ Alexander , please … ” “Pleasewhat,Camille?”Hisvoicewasdangerouslycalm now.“PleasemeetwiththepeoplewhoabandonedmewhenIneeded “ Please what , Camille ? ” His voice was dangerously calm now . “ Please meet with the people who abandoned me when I needed themmost?Pleasegivethemabsolutionsotheycan sleepbetteratnight?Ialreadyrefusedwhenmyfather hadhisstrokelast them most ? Please give them absolution so they can sleep better at night ? I already refused when my father had his stroke last month.WhatmakesyouthinkI’vechanged my mind?” month . What makes you think I’ve changed my mind ? ” “Youknewaboutyourfather’sstroke?”Camilleasked. “ You knew about your father’s stroke ? ” Camille asked . “Theirlawyercontactedme.Saidmyfatherhadcollapsedafterseeingour engagementannouncement.Thathewasaskingfor “ Their lawyer contacted me . Said my father had collapsed after seeing our engagement announcement . That he was asking for me.”Alexander’sexpressionhardened.“Itoldhimmyfathermadehischoicesevenyearsago.Iwassimplyhonoringit.” me . ” Alexander’s expression hardened . “ I told him my father made his choice seven years ago . I was simply honoring it . ” “No.”Camilleheldhisgazesteadily.“Pleaselisten.JustlistentowhatIhave to say.” “ No. ” Camille held his gaze steadily . “ Please listen . Just listen to what I have to say . ” Foramoment,shethoughthewouldrefuse.Thenhegaveacurtnod, movingbacktothecounterandhisabandonedwhiskey. For a moment , she thought he would refuse . Then he gave a curt nod , moving back to the counter and his abandoned whiskey . “Yourmothercamealone.Shedidn’tknowifI’dseeher.Shedidn’tdemandanything.”Camillechoseherwordswithcare.“She “ Your mother came alone . She didn’t know if I’d see her . She didn’t demand anything . ” Camille chose her words with care . “ She saidtheyfailedyou.Thosewere herwords,thattheyfailed youwhenyouneededthemmost.” said they failed you . Those were her words , that they failed you when you needed them most . ” Alexanderstaredintohisglass,sayingnothing. Alexander stared into his glass , saying nothing . “Shesaidforgivenesswouldbetoomuchtoask.Shejustwantsachancetoapologizeinperson.Toacknowledgethetruth.” “ She said forgiveness would be too much to ask . She just wants a chance to apologize in person . To acknowledge the truth . ” “Whynow?”Thequestioncamequietly,someoftheicemeltingfromhisvoice.“Whykeeptryingafteralltheseyears?AfterI’ve “ Why now ? ” The question came quietly , some of the ice melting from his voice . “ Why keep trying after all these years ? After I’ve madeitabundantlyclearIwant nothingtodowiththem?” made it abundantly clear I want nothing to do with them ? ” “Shesaidtheywereafraid.Ashamed.”Camilletook astepcloser,relievedwhenhedidn’tpullaway.“Yourfatherstruggledto “ She said they were afraid . Ashamed . ” Camille took a step closer , relieved when he didn’t pull away . “ Your father struggled to acceptwhatthey’ddone,thatthey’dchosentobelievelies.” accept what they’d done , that they’d chosen to believe lies . ” Alexanderdrainedhisglass,settingitdownwithasharpclick.“Myfather,strugglingwithhispreciouspride.Thatsoundsabout Alexander drained his glass , setting it down with a sharp click . “ My father , struggling with his precious pride . That sounds about 2/6 2/6 Chapter181 Chapter 181 right.” right . ” “Butthey’reherenow,”Camillesaid.“Stilltryingtomakeamends.” “ But they’re here now , ” Camille said . “ Still trying to make amends . ” +25Bonus +25 Bonus “No.”Alexandershookhishead.“They’reherenowbecausethey’regettingolder.BecauseJamesisgoneandthey’refacingtheirownmortality.Theywantabsolutionbeforeit’stoolate.” “ No. ” Alexander shook his head . “ They’re here now because they’re getting older . Because James is gone and they’re facing their own mortality . They want absolution before it’s too late . ” “Maybe,”Camilleconceded.“Does thatmaketheirregretlessreal?” “ Maybe , ” Camille conceded . “ Does that make their regret less real ? ” Alexanderpushedawayfrom thecounter,pacingthelengthofthekitchen.HismovementsremindedCamilleofacagedanimal,powerfulandrestless. Alexander pushed away from the counter , pacing the length of the kitchen . His movements reminded Camille of a caged animal , powerful and restless . “Youdon’tunderstandwhatitwaslike,”hesaidfinally.“Jameswasalwaystheirgoldenchild.Thestarathlete,thepopularone,thesonwho coulddonowrong.Whentheaccidenthappened…”Hisvoicecaught.“Ikepttellingthemhe’dbeendrinking.Thathe’dinsistedondrivingeventhoughIofferedtocallacab.Thathe’dlaughedwhenIaskedhimtoslowdown.” “ You don’t understand what it was like , ” he said finally . “ James was always their golden child . The star athlete , the popular one , the son who could do no wrong . When the accident happened … ” His voice caught . “ I kept telling them he’d been drinking . That he’d insisted on driving even though I offered to call a cab . That he’d laughed when I asked him to slow down . ” Camillestayedsilent,lettinghimspeak. Camille stayed silent , letting him speak . “Theylookedmeintheeye….theirson,ina hospitalbedwithpinsinmyleg….andtoldmeImustbeconfused.ThatJamessaidIhadwantedtodrivebuthestoppedmebecauseI’dhadtoomuchtodrink.”Alexander’slaughwasbitter.“James,theresponsible “ They looked me in the eye …. their son , in a hospital bed with pins in my leg …. and told me I must be confused . That James said I had wanted to drive but he stopped me because I’d had too much to drink . ” Alexander’s laugh was bitter . “ James , the responsible

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googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1744740134379-0'); }); one.James,whowouldneverlie.” one . James , who would never lie . ” Hestoppedattherefrigerator,pullingoutthewhiskeybottleandrefillinghisglass.“Didshetellyou thatpart?HowtheychosetobelieveIwaslyingratherthanfacethetruth abouttheirpreciousfirstborn?” He stopped at the refrigerator , pulling out the whiskey bottle and refilling his glass . “ Did she tell you that part ? How they chose to believe I was lying rather than face the truth about their precious firstborn ? ” “No,”Camillesaidsoftly.“Shejustsaid theymadeaterriblemistake.” “ No , ” Camille said softly . “ She just said they made a terrible mistake . ” “Amistake.”Alexander’svoicedrippedwithdisdain.“Isthatwhatwe’recallingit?” “ A mistake . ” Alexander’s voice dripped with disdain . “ Is that what we’re calling it ? ” “Whatwouldyoucallit?”Camilleasked. “ What would you call it ? ” Camille asked . Thequestionhungintheairbetweenthem.Alexanderstaredintohisglassasifitheldanswers. The question hung in the air between them . Alexander stared into his glass as if it held answers . “Betrayal,”hesaidfinally.“Thekindyoudon’tcomebackfrom.” “ Betrayal, ” he said finally . “The kind you don’t come back from . ” Camillemovedslowlytowardhim,closingthedistanceuntilshestoodjustastepaway.“Ithoughtthesamethingonce.Aboutmyparents.” Camille moved slowly toward him , closing the distance until she stood just a step away . “ I thought the same thing once . About my parents . ” Alexanderlookedupsharply.“That’sdifferent.YourparentsweremanipulatedbyRose.Theydidn’tchoosetobelieveheroveryououtofpreference.” Alexander looked up sharply . “ That’s different . Your parents were manipulated by Rose . They didn’t choose to believe her over you out of preference . ” “Didn’tthey?”Camilleheldhisgaze.“Theywanted tobelieveherversionbecauseitwaseasier.Becausefacingwhatshe’ddone,whatthey’dallowed,wastoopainful.” “ Didn’t they ? ” Camille held his gaze . “ They wanted to believe her version because it was easier . Because facing what she’d done , what they’d allowed , was too painful . ” Shereachedforhishand,relievedwhenhedidn’tpullaway.“I’mnotsayingyoushouldforgivethem.I’mnotsayingwhattheydidwasn’thorrible.I’mjustaskingyoutolistentothem.Once.Thendecide.” She reached for his hand , relieved when he didn’t pull away . “ I’m not saying you should forgive them . I’m not saying what they did wasn’t horrible . I’m just asking you to listen to them . Once . Then decide . ” Alexander’sfingerstightenedaroundhers.“Whyareyoupushingthis?AfterI’vealreadyrefusedthemmultipletimes?” Alexander’s fingers tightened around hers . “ Why are you pushing this ? After I’ve already refused them multiple times ? ” 211 211 Chapter181 Chapter 181 +25Bonus +25 Bonus “BecauseIknowwhatit’s liketothinkadoorisclosedforever,”Camillesaidquietly.“Tobelievesomewoundscanneverheal. “ Because I know what it’s like to think a door is closed forever , ” Camille said quietly . “ To believe some wounds can never heal . AndtodiscoverIwaswrong.” And to discover I was wrong . ” Shethoughtofherparents,oftheslowrebuildingoftrustbetweenthem.Oftheunexpectedjoythat hadcomewithlettinggoof She thought of her parents , of the slow rebuilding of trust between them . Of the unexpected joy that had come with letting go of oldpain. old pain . “Ifyou meetwiththemanddecidenothinghaschanged,thattheyhaven’t earnedasecondchance….I’llsupportthat.”She “ If you meet with them and decide nothing has changed , that they haven’t earned a second chance …. I’ll support that. ” She squeezedhishand.“Butdon’tmakethatdecisionwithouthearingthemout.” squeezed his hand . “ But don’t make that decision without hearing them out . ” Alexanderpulledaway,movingbacktothe window.Foralongmoment,hestaredoutatthecity,hisbodyrigidwithtension. Alexander pulled away , moving back to the window . For a long moment , he stared out at the city , his body rigid with tension . “Sheaskedifyoustillhavenightmares,”Camille saidsoftly.“Beforeimportantevents.” “ She asked if you still have nightmares , ” Camille said softly . “ Before important events . ” Alexander’sheadsnappedaround,surprisebreakingthroughhisanger.“Sherememberedthat?” Alexander’s head snapped around , surprise breaking through his anger . “ She remembered that ? ” “Yes.”Camillewatchedas somethingshiftedinhisexpression.“Itwasthelast thingsheasked.Ifyouweresleepingwell.” “ Yes . ” Camille watched as something shifted in his expression . “ It was the last thing she asked . If you were sleeping well . ” Alexander turnedbackto thewindow,butnotbeforeCamillecaughttheflashofvulnerabilityinhiseyes. Alexander turned back to the window , but not before Camille caught the flash of vulnerability in his eyes . “Itoldher youhavemenow,”shecontinued.“Thatyoudon’tfacethingsaloneanymore.” “ I told her you have me now , ” she continued . “ That you don’t face things alone anymore . ” Theminutesstretchedbetweenthem,filledonlywiththedistantsoundsofthecitybelow.Finally,Alexander’sshoulders sagged The minutes stretched between them , filled only with the distant sounds of the city below . Finally , Alexander’s shoulders sagged slightly. slightly . “Onemeeting,”hesaid,hisvoicelow.“Inapublicplace.AndImakenopromisesabout whathappensafterward.” “ One meeting , ” he said , his voice low . “ In a public place . And I make no promises about what happens afterward . ” ReliefwashedthroughCamille.“That’sallI’masking.” Relief washed through Camille . “ That’s all I’m asking . ” “No,itisn’t.”Alexanderturnedtofaceher,hisexpressionsoftenedbutserious.“You’reaskingmetoreopenwoundsthattook “ No , it isn’t . ” Alexander turned to face her , his expression softened but serious . “ You’re asking me to reopen wounds that took yearstoheal.TofacepeoplewhochosesomeoneelseovermewhenIneededthemmost.PeopleI’vealreadyturnedaway years to heal . To face people who chose someone else over me when I needed them most . People I’ve already turned away multipletimes.” multiple times . ” Hecrossedtheroomtoher,takingherhandsinhis.“Butyou’rerightaboutonething.Idon’tfacethingsaloneanymore.” He crossed the room to her , taking her hands in his . “ But you’re right about one thing . I don’t face things alone anymore . ” “I’llbewithyou,”Camille promised.“Whateveryoudecide.” “ I’ll be with you , ” Camille promised . “ Whatever you decide . ” Alexandernodded,pressinghisforeheadagainsthers.“Setitup,then.Someplaceneutral.SomeplaceIcanleaveeasilyifIneed Alexander nodded , pressing his forehead against hers . “ Set it up , then . Someplace neutral . Someplace I can leave easily if I need to.” to . ” “Thankyou,”Camillewhispered. “ Thank you , ” Camille whispered . “Don’tthankmeyet,”Alexandersaid,pullingbacktolookather.“Thiscouldgoverybadly.” “ Don’t thank me yet , ” Alexander said , pulling back to look at her . “ This could go very badly . ” “Oritcouldbethestartofhealingsomethingyouthoughtwasbrokenforever.”Camilletouchedhisfacegently.“Eitherway, “ Or it could be the start of healing something you thought was broken forever . ” Camille touched his face gently . “ Either way , you’llknowyoutried.” you’ll know you tried . ” Later,astheylayinbed,Alexanderspokeintothedarkness.“IsawJames,youknow.Beforehedied.” Later , as they lay in bed , Alexander spoke into the darkness . “ I saw James , you know . Before he died . ” Camilleturnedtofacehim,thoughshecouldbarelymakeouthisfeaturesinthedarkroom.“Younevertoldmethat.” Camille turned to face him , though she could barely make out his features in the dark room . “ You never told me that . ” 4/6 4/6 Chapter181 Chapter 181 +25Bonus +25 Bonus “Hecametomyoffice.Lookedterrible,drinkingtoomuch, hislife fallingapart.”Alexander’svoicewasdistantwithmemory.“Saidhe hadtotellmesomethingimportant.Thathecouldn’tlivewiththelieanymore.” “ He came to my office . Looked terrible , drinking too much , his life falling apart . ” Alexander’s voice was distant with memory . “ Said he had to tell me something important . That he couldn’t live with the lie anymore . ” “Whatdidyoudo?” “ What did you do ? ” “Itoldhimitwastoolate.Thatnothinghecould saywouldchangewhathappened.”Alexander’sfingersfoundhersbeneaththecovers.“Twoweekslater, Iheardhewas dead.Drunkdriving,theysaid.” “ I told him it was too late . That nothing he could say would change what happened . ” Alexander’s fingers found hers beneath the covers . “ Two weeks later , I heard he was dead . Drunk driving , they said . ” Thepaininhisvoicewrapped aroundCamille’sheart.“Youcouldn’thaveknown.” The pain in his voice wrapped around Camille’s heart . “ You couldn’t have known . ” “No,”heagreed.“ButI’vewonderedsincethen…ifI’dlistened,ifI’dlethimconfess,wouldhestillbe alive?Ordidtheguiltkillhimassurelyasthedrunkdriving?” “ No , ” he agreed . “ But I’ve wondered since then … if I’d listened , if I’d let him confess , would he still be alive ? Or did the guilt kill him as surely as the drunk driving ? ” Camillehadnoanswerforthat.Shesimplyheldhimcloser,feelingthe steadybeatofhisheartagainstherpalm. Camille had no answer for that . She simply held him closer , feeling the steady beat of his heart against her palm . heycameafterthefuneral,Icouldn’tbeartoseethem,”Alexander continuedquietly.“Couldn’tbeartowatchthem hey came after the funeral, I couldn’t bear to see them , ” Alexander continued quietly . “ Couldn’t bear to watch them orJameswhenthey’d abandonedme.Andwhenmyfatherhadhisstrokelastyear…”Hetrailedoff.“Itoldmyselfthey’d or James when they’d abandoned me . And when my father had his stroke last year … ” He trailed off . “ I told myself they’d etheirbed.Thattheydidn’tdeservemysympathy.” e their bed . That they didn’t deserve my sympathy . ” Andnow?”Camilleasked gently. And now ? ” Camille asked gently . “NowIdon’tknow.”Hisvoicewasbarelyaudible.“Part of mestillwantstorefuse.TomakethemfeelafractionofwhatIfelt.But “ Now I don’t know . ” His voice was barely audible . “ Part of me still wants to refuse . To make them feel a fraction of what I felt . But anotherpart…” another part … ” “Istiredofcarryingtheweight,”Camille finishedforhimwhenhedidn’tcontinue. “ Is tired of carrying the weight , ” Camille finished for him when he didn’t continue . “Yes,”headmitted.“Tiredofwonderingwhattheymightsay.Iftheytruly regret whattheydid,orifthey’rejustlonelynowthat “ Yes , ” he admitted . “ Tired of wondering what they might say . If they truly regret what they did, or if they’re just lonely now that Jamesisgone.” James is gone . ” “I’llmeetthem,”Alexandersaidafteralongsilence.“ButI’mdoingitforme, notforthem.Ineedtoknowifthere’sanything “ I’ll meet them , ” Alexander said after a long silence . “ But I’m doing it for me , not for them . I need to know if there’s anything worthsaving.Orifit’strulytoolate.” worth saving . Or if it’s truly too late . ” Ashisbreathingdeepenedintosleep,Camilleremainedawake,thinkingofEleanorPierceandhersadeyes.Ofsecondchances As his breathing deepened into sleep , Camille remained awake , thinking of Eleanor Pierce and her sad eyes . Of second chances androadsnottaken.Ofthehealingpoweroftruth,evenwhenitcomesyearstoolate. and roads not taken . Of the healing power of truth , even when it comes years too late . ShehadpersuadedAlexandertomeethisparents.Nowshecouldonlyhopeshehadn’t madeaterriblemistake. She had persuaded Alexander to meet his parents . Now she could only hope she hadn’t made a terrible mistake .

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