Chapter 109

I was still trying to breathe when it happened.

Lewis kissed me.

For a second, I couldn’t move at all. My body went stiff, my thoughts scattered, and my heart slammed so hard it felt like it echoed in my ears.

Did that really just happen?

Lewis… kissed me?

He pulled back slightly, his forehead almost touching mine, eyes searching my face. There was no pressure in his gaze, only quiet warmth.

“Did I scare you?” he asked softly.

I blinked, my mind lagging behind my body. It had been so long since I’d felt anything like this this sudden heat, this pull that made my instincts stir even when my heart tried to stay guarded.

The last kiss I clearly remembered was years ago. Julian. Rain pouring down. An umbrella. An awkward kiss that felt more like an obligation than desire.

This was different.

This wasn’t careful or forced.

This was Lewis.

He lifted his hand and brushed his thumb lightly over my lips. The touch was gentle, but it sent a strange shiver through me, like something inside me recognized him before my mind could catch up.

“You’ll get used to it,” he said with a faint smile. “Closeness doesn’t have to be scary. We’ll move slowly. One step at a time p>

That last word made my face burn.

Since coming back, I had buried myself in work, numbers, plans anything that kept my heart quiet. I promised myself I wouldn’t fall again. Bonds break. Promises rot. Feelings make you weak.

I cleared my throat and grabbed onto the safest thing I could think of.

“I’m hungry,” I said quickly. “Let’s eat p>

Lewis didn’t tease me. He simply nodded, like he understood more than I’d said.

“Alright p>

He set the table while I sat down, forcing my breathing to steady. The room felt calm, but under it, there was a low hum like standing too close to something powerful and pretending not to notice.

“Lewis,” I said after a moment, “can you help me look into the Carline family p>

He paused, thoughtful. “Which branch p>

“I’m not sure,” I admitted. “Grandma only mentioned the name before Mrs. Thailon came back. I didn’t want to push her p>

He leaned back slightly, eyes distant. “If it’s tied to your grandmother, it’s probably old pack business. Likely something between the Carlines and the Morrigans. Long-standing tensions don’t fade easily p>

I nodded. That felt right.

He slid a glass of milk toward me. “Drink p>

I raised an eyebrow. “I’m twenty, not twelve p>

He smiled and ruffled my hair anyway, like it was instinctive. “Still young. Still mine to worry about p>

I huffed but didn’t pull away.

Then his tone shifted, quieter, more serious. “Riley, have you thought about what you want to do after the New Year p>

I looked up. “What do you mean p>

“If you want to finish school, I’ll handle the transfer. You can graduate next year. Or you can work with Hale Group. Or start something of your own.” His gaze was steady. “Whatever path you choose, the pack will back you. I will p>

The words landed heavier than I expected.

Riley had paused her studies once, overwhelmed and breaking. There was still one year left. One final stretch.

“I’ll finish school,” I said after a moment. “One more year. I want to close that Chapter properly p>

Lewis nodded. “Good. When you’re done, we’ll decide the rest together p>

Later, while the house settled into quiet, I scrolled through the news on my phone. Camilla’s name was everywhere and not in the way she liked. Old photos surfaced. Donation records. Messages from people Elena had helped quietly over the years.

Patrick had spoken up. Others followed.

The truth was spreading.

Elena the real one was finally being seen.

People always say kindness is pointless, that it gets you nowhere. But watching this unfold, I knew that wasn’t true. Good deeds don’t disappear. They wait.

So does darkness.

Camilla’s image was in ruins. The Morrigans and Hudsons were scrambling, throwing money and influence at the damage. But some things can’t be buried once they surface.

Back when I had nothing but regret and rage, I used to wonder why people like her always escaped consequences.

Now I knew.

They don’t.

It just takes time.

Truth has a way of pushing through, like breath breaking through clenched teeth slow, unstoppable, and impossible to silence.

Lately, Lewis had been buried in pack affairs. He came home late most nights, carrying the weight of decisions only an Alpha could make. I stayed behind at the Hale residence, helping Jeffrey manage the estate and keep things running smoothly.

As the New Year drew closer, the whole place felt restless. Lights went up along the fences. Gifts were sorted. Schedules were rewritten again and again. The air buzzed with anticipation, like something was about to shift.

After days of constant work, I finally gave myself a break.

That evening, while waiting for Lewis to return for dinner, I went outside to trim the overgrown branches in the garden. The sky had already darkened, a deep blue settling over the land. The cold crept into my fingers.

I checked the time.

He was late.

I pulled out my phone and called him.

He answered quickly, his voice sharp but excited. “Darling, I found something about Elena. Do you want to hear it p>

My heart skipped. I dropped the shears at once. “Tell me p>

“After Camilla left the hospital today, she went somewhere strange,” he said. “I had someone follow her p>

“Where did she go p>

“That repair shop you asked me to look into. The one you felt uneasy about p>

My pulse quickened. “What did she do there p>

“She went inside and stayed a long time,” he replied. “No customers. No activity. Then she walked out like nothing happened. It didn’t feel right p>

A chill slid down my spine.

“There might be something hidden under that place,” he continued. “A passage. Maybe a basement. Something they don’t want seen p>

Images flashed through my mind. Cold walls. Dim lights. The heavy silence of an underground space I remembered too well.

“Where are you now?” I asked. “I’m coming p>

He sent me the location.

I grabbed my coat and left without hesitation.

When I arrived, I spotted Lewis’s car parked far from the road, tucked into the shadows. He always moved carefully when instincts told him to.

I climbed into the passenger seat. “Did you find anything else p>

He handed me his laptop. “The shop’s been around for over ten years. Everything looks clean. Registered business. Taxes paid. No complaints p>

“Who owns it?” I asked.

“Fabian Carline p>

The name hit me hard.

“Carline?” I repeated.

Grandma’s voice echoed in my memory. Weak. Fading. That same name slipping from her lips before she fell asleep for the last time.

Lewis nodded. “I looked into it. Years ago, there was a Carline family in Westfolk. They clashed with the Morrigans over business territory. Steel. Resources. But that was decades ago. Their company collapsed, and they vanished p>

I stared at Fabian’s photo on the screen. A man in his thirties. Ordinary. Forgettable.

He wasn’t the one who killed me.

“Are they related?” I asked.

Lewis shook his head. “No clear connection. Just the same name p>

Disappointment settled in my chest, but it didn’t erase the tension crawling under my skin.

“Don’t give up,” he said quietly. “The guilty ones don’t rush. They hide. They wait. That’s how they survive p>

My gaze drifted back to the repair shop in the distance. It sat there quietly, like it had nothing to hide.

“I need to go inside,” I said. “I need to see it myself p>

Lewis turned toward me, studying my face. His eyes sharpened, instinct rising. “Riley… you’re holding something back p>

I hesitated.

He reached for my hand, his grip steady and warm. Protective. Certain. “You don’t have to hide from me. We’re bonded now. What’s yours is mine. I’m with you p>

I remembered that night on Mount Spiritus. The snow. The silence. The thousands of candles he lit alone to honor Elena.

I took a slow breath.

“I think this is the place,” I said softly. “I think this is where Elena was taken apart p>