Chapter 142\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bella\u00a0<\/p>\n
After we returned home from the witch kingdom, my body was tired, but my mind refused to rest. My whole life played in my mind right from the time mom left us. Father was so heartbroken, how Lucy stood next to him with Maya. At that time, father was not in her control. But over time, things worsened so much.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I lay in bed with Scott beside me, listening to the quiet of the villa, and I kept thinking about my father standing outside our home with that lost look in his eyes. I kept seeing him wiping his tears, and I kept remembering how he had asked about the kids, not in his usual cold voice, but like someone who didn\u2019t know how to ask for anything without feeling ashamed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scott stayed awake longer than I did. He held me close, his hand resting on my belly, and I could feel him thinking. When I finally spoke, my voice was low and full of trepidation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you think I should tell my father anything?\u201d I asked softly. \u201cAbout Lucy, about the potions, about what happened to him?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scott was quiet for a moment, choosing his words carefully. Then he said, \u201cYou can\u2019t tell him about the potions, Bella. Not in a way that explains everything, because the witch world won\u2019t allow it. But that doesn\u2019t change something important. Your father didn\u2019t know what was happening to him. He didn\u2019t understand the fog he was living in. He was being controlled, and he was used.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I swallowed, my chest tightening because I knew what he said was the truth.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scott continued in a gentle voice, \u201cAnd the fact that you\u2019ve seen him standing our something. He is wanting to reconcile. He knows he hurt you. He knows he gave he is probably feeling that he wasn\u2019t himself, even if he can\u2019t explain how it happ coming out of that fog in his mind.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ir villa means\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t reply. I just stared at the ceiling, letting his words sink in. Because his thoughts mimicked mine even though I didn\u2019t want to accept it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scott shifted closer, his arm tightening around me. \u201cI\u2019m not saying you have to forgive him if you don\u2019t want to,\u201d he added quietly. \u201cBut if he is truly changing, maybe he should be given a chance to redeem himself. Not for his comfort. But for yours. So you don\u2019t carry this pain forever.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I took a deep breath and nodded slightly even though he couldn\u2019t see it. My heart felt anxious, like it was trying to protect itself by keeping the wall up. But another part of me was tired of holding that wall.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t sleep much that night. I kept turning in bed, my mind replaying old memories of my father, good ones and bad ones mixed together. Sometimes I saw him holding my hand when I was small. Other times I saw him turning his face away when I needed him most. I kept wondering what part of him had been real during those years and what part of him had been poisoned and controlled.\u00a0<\/p>\n
By morning, I still didn\u2019t have a clear answer, but I knew I couldn\u2019t keep sitting with this confusion.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At breakfast, I spent time with Ryan and Emma. They were chattering like they always did, asking for more pancakes from Cindy, arguing about whose juice was sweeter, and laughing when Scott tried to pretend he didn\u2019t want to taste their syrup\u2013covered fingers. Watching this normal eased something inside me. They were\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 112\u00a0<\/p>\n
my reminder that my life was not only pain\u00a0<\/p>\n
While they were busy eating. I looked at Scott and said, \u201cCan you take a leave from work today?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scott raised his brows. \u201cOf course I can,\u201d he said easily. \u201cBut only if you promise me that you\u2019re going to relax.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
1 let out a small laugh. \u201cI do want to relax,\u201d I said. \u201cBut I also want to do something.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scott studied my face, \u201cWhat is it?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I hesitated for a second, then said, \u201cI want to visit my father. But I want to go with you and the kids.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scott looked surprised at first. He hadn\u2019t expected me to decide so quickly. Then his expression softened. He reached for my hand across the table and squeezed it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIf that\u2019s what you want, then I\u2019ll go with you,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019ll do it together.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Even with his support, I felt awkward as we prepared. My stomach kept tightening, and I kept thinking of reasons to delay, but I didn\u2019t. Scott helped get the kids ready, and we drove out toward Isla\u2019s countryside home. The road was quieter than the city, and the air looked cleaner, the trees thicker. But the calmer surroundings didn\u2019t calm my mind. The closer we got, the more nervous I felt, until my palms were damp with excessive thinking. Was I too fast in forgiving my father?\u00a0<\/p>\n
When we finally reached Isla\u2019s house, I sat in the car for a moment and stared at the front gate. My heart pounded so hard it made me feel lightheaded.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t do this,\u201d I said suddenly, my voice strained. \u201cScott, maybe we should go back\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scott didn\u2019t rush me. He just reached over and held my hand. \u201cYou\u2019re scared,\u201d he But I\u2019m here. I\u2019m right behind you. You don\u2019t have to handle this alone.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I shook my head, still tense. \u201cI don\u2019t even know what to say to him.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scott squeezed my hand again. \u201cYou don\u2019t have to say everything perfectly,\u201d he replied. \u201cNow that you\u2019ve come so far, you should at least meet him. If it feels wrong, we can leave. But don\u2019t let fear make the decision for you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His calmness steadied me a little. I took a deep breath and forced myself to open the car door.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The moment the housekeeper allowed us and we stepped inside the house, Isla appeared in the hallway. Her face changed so quickly that it made my chest ache.\u00a0<\/p>\n
200\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 143\u00a0<\/p>\n
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\u2019s breathtaking cold.<\/p>\n
When Midnight Winds Carry Secrets Toward Worlds Yet Unknown 142 Chapter 142\u00a0 Bella\u00a0 After we returned home from the witch […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23107","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-new-world-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23107","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23107"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23107\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23126,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23107\/revisions\/23126"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23107"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23107"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23107"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}