Chapter 460

Olivia’s POV
Levi’s hand closed around my arm, firm and trembling. He pulled me to face him, his eyes dark with worry and exhaustion.
“Olivia,” he said quietly, his voice low but edged with frustration. “What did you do?”
His tone struck something inside me, that same mix of guilt and fury I’d been holding back.
I yanked my arm free, glaring at him through tears. “Why do you sound like that? Like you’re afraid of what I might do instead of hoping it works? Sometimes I feel like you don’t even want him back!”
The words came out before I could stop them, and I hated myself for it.
Levi froze. The look on his face shattered me instantly—a flicker of disbelief, then pain. His jaw clenched, his voice breaking. “How can you say that?”
For a heartbeat, guilt stabbed through my chest. I hadn’t meant it, not like that. But the pain inside me was too raw to take it back.
“I didn’t mean—” I started, my voice softening, but it didn’t matter. The damage was already done.
Levi stepped back slightly, shaking his head. “Everything we did, every choice we made, Olivia, was to save you. And now you think we don’t want our brother back?”
Louis stepped closer, his tone gentler. “He’s right. You think we don’t miss him too? You think we sleep easy knowing what we did?”
I looked between them, my throat tight. “I’m sorry,” I whispered.
A moment of awkward silence hung in the air before I added, “I have a plan.”
Levi frowned, his brows furrowing. “What are you talking about?”
I hesitated, then exhaled shakily. “I met with the witch. The one who helped me bring my mother back.”
Louis’s eyes widened. “Olivia—”
“She’s helping me,” I cut in quickly. “She told me what to do. It’s risky, yes, but it will work. I’m going to bring him back.”
Levi’s voice dropped, rough with disbelief. “You went back to her?”
“I had to,” I said firmly. “She said there’s a way to wake him. It’ll take seven nights. My blood. My energy. That’s all I need.”
He was quiet for a long moment, his chest rising and falling slowly. Then he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “If this witch really helped you before, then maybe this time, it’s not a bad idea.”
That caught me off guard. I blinked at him. “You mean that?”
He nodded slightly. “Yes. If it gives us a chance to get him back, I’ll take it.” Original content can be found at ͟.net
For a brief moment, something softened between us, but it didn’t last.
Levi’s gaze met mine again, heavy with something else. “But, Olivia,” his voice trembled, “can you ever forgive us? For what we did?”
I stared at him—at both of them—for what felt like forever.
Then I took a slow step back. “Pray,” I said quietly, my voice shaking, “that when Lennox wakes up, the mate bond wakes with him. Because if it doesn’t
My eyes burned as I looked at them one last time. “You won’t only have me to answer to; you’ll have him too.”
Neither of them spoke.
I turned toward the door, forcing my voice steady even though my heart felt like it was tearing apart. “Until then, I can’t forgive you.”
And with that, I walked out, leaving.
The garden was quiet when I stepped outside. The soft scent of morning dew clung to the air, and the early breeze brushed against my face.
I drew in a shaky breath and sank onto the stone bench near the fountain. My chest still felt heavy, my eyes stinging from the argument. I closed them, trying to calm my heart.
For a while, there was only silence until I felt a presence behind me. Familiar. Unwanted.
I frowned before even turning. “Frederick,” I muttered.
He walked around and sat beside me, his usual calm expression unreadable. The faintest trace of a smirk touched his lips. “You knew it was me.”
“I can feel you,” I said flatly. “You have a way of ruining quiet moments.”
He chuckled lowly, not denying it. For a moment, neither of us spoke. The sound of running water filled the stillness. Then I turned to him, folding my arms. “What now?”
His eyes lingered on the garden ahead, far too calm for someone like him. “Selene,” he said suddenly. “I love her.”
The words caught me off guard. My brows lifted slightly. “You love her?”
He nodded once, his gaze still distant.
A strange feeling—relief—fluttered in my chest. “Then that means I hesitated, my voice softening. “You’ll let go of me?”
He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he tilted his head, the corners of his mouth twitching. “She thinks I killed her mother.”
I turned sharply toward him. “Didn’t you?”
Frederick scoffed, finally looking at me. “What do you take me for? A monster?”
I stared at him, searching his eyes for the truth. “I don’t know what to take you for anymore.”
He gave a dry laugh and shook his head. “No, Olivia. I didn’t kill her. Deborah was a good student. A bright one. She didn’t deserve what happened to her.”
Something in his tone sounded real, like he was being sincere.
“Then what happened?” I asked softly. “If you didn’t kill her, why does Selene believe you did?”
He looked away, his jaw tightening. For a moment, it seemed like he might answer, but he didn’t.
I leaned forward, narrowing my eyes. “You’re in love with her, aren’t you? Deeply. So why not be with her? Fight for her?”
Frederick’s expression hardened. He rose from the bench slowly, brushing imaginary dust from his sleeves. “Until I prove my innocence,” he said quietly, “Selene won’t want to be with me.”
He turned away and began walking toward the edge of the garden.
“Frederick,” I called after him, but he didn’t stop. “We made a deal, you remember?”
He only paused long enough to say, without looking back, “Yes, Olivia, and I believe you should have gotten your answer now.”
And then he disappeared into the trees, leaving me alone again with more questions than answers.