Wings of Broken Time by Alina Das 522
A warmth spread through her chest. Her parents must have waited up for her.
Sure enough, before she even reached the door, she heard her mother’s voice.
“There, Neville, what do you think of this design?”
Larissa stepped inside to see her mother handing a tablet to her father on the sofa. He set down his magazine and studied the screen, nodding in approval. “It’s beautiful. It has your signature style all over it.”
Her mother blushed slightly. “Good. I hope Larissa likes it.”
“Mom, what are you designing for me?” Larissa asked, her curiosity piqued as she walked
over.
Sapphira quickly snatched the tablet back, hiding it behind her. “Oh, it’s nothing.”
She deftly changed the subject. “What did Zoltan want to talk to you about tonight?”
Larissa didn’t press the issue; a surprise wouldn’t be a surprise if it was revealed. She sank into the sofa, replying casually, “Faith had Finley accuse me of poisoning her in front
of Zoltan.”
Sapphira didn’t ask if it was true. Instead, her eyes widened in shock. “Finley actually went through with it?”
Larissa nodded, her expression unreadable. “He did.”
A flash of anger and disappointment crossed Sapphira’s face.
“I don’t know what goes through that boy’s head.” She sighed, a wave of resignation washing over her. “After Paxton had the west wing’s butler kidnap me, I lost all respect for his family. But Finley… your father and I watched him grow up. We treated him like our son.”
“When he was little,” she reminisced sadly, “he used to come over all the time just to chat with us, promising he’d never let us be lonely and that we should think of him as our own.” Neville added, “He was such a kind–hearted boy back then. But as he got older, he started to drift away. After he took over the company three years ago, he stopped visiting us altogether.”
“We didn’t think much of it,” Sapphira continued. “We just assumed he was busy. It wasn’t until the day we went to bring you home, and he didn’t even show up… that’s when we truly felt disappointed.”
“We thought that after they learned Honora had deceived them, they might reflect on their actions,” Neville said, shaking his head. “We hoped that if they truly felt remorse and
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Chapter 522
stopped trying to hurt you, it would at least bring you some peace. But to think…”
He trailed off with a sigh. “Not only has Finley made no effort to atone for his mistakes, but he’s chosen to betray you yet again. He’s a lost cause.”
“Mom, Dad, you’re too soft–hearted,” Larissa said gently. “That’s why you still held out hope for them. I saw them for who they were from the very beginning. When you don’t expect anything, you can’t be disappointed.”
“As it turns out, you were right all along,” Neville admitted with a heavy heart.
“Enough of this,” Sapphira said, clearly wanting to move on. “It’s late. Go get ready for bed. Your father and I are turning in as well.”
“Okay,” Larissa agreed.
Back in her room, after a shower, Larissa gave Shadow a new command before sleeping. From now on, Faith’s poison was not to activate without her direct order.
As she’d told Haskell, the poison was intrinsically linked to Shadow; unless her Shadow died, it could never be truly cured. The antidote she’d given Faith was merely a suppressor. If Faith and Solomon behaved, the poison would remain dormant forever. But if they ever dared to cause trouble again, it would return with a vengeance.
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
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