The Presidential Suite was luxurious beyond anything I’d experienced in years. Plush carpets,
elegant furniture, a bathroom larger than my entire cottage kitchen.
I ran my fingers along the marble countertop, feeling strangely detached from my
surroundings. The day with Lucas had been… nice. For brief moments, I’d forgotten the
crushing weight of grief that had become my constant companion.
But now, alone in this opulent suite, reality crashed back in. Lily was still gone. My life was
still shattered. And no amount of go–kart racing or luxury accommodations could change that.
I filled the enormous bathtub with hot water, adding the lavender bath salts provided by the
hotel. My muscles ached from the day’s activities, unaccustomed to so much movement after
months of grief–induced lethargy.
As I was about to undress, my phone rang with a video call from an unknown number. I
almost ignored it, but something–intuition perhaps–made me answer.
The screen remained black for several seconds. Then a voice spoke, distorted and
unrecognizable.
“Hello, Olivia. Missing something?”
The camera shifted, revealing a familiar object that made my blood freeze in my veins. The Moonwood Ceremonial Urn containing Lily’s ashes.
4/6
<Chapter 119: Fragile Spirits a…
“No,” I whispered, horror washing over me. “How did you-”
“Doesn’t matter,” the voice cut in. “What matters is what happens next.”
The camera panned to show Sacred Moonlight Cemetery, the moonlight casting eerie
shadows across the gravestones.
“If you want to see this urn again, come to your daughter’s grave. Alone. Now.”
“Who are you?” I demanded, my voice shaking with fury and fear. “What do you want?”
“Justice,” the voice replied simply. “You have thirty minutes.”
The call ended abruptly, leaving me staring at a blank screen.
+15 Points >
Without hesitation, I grabbed my coat and purse. I didn’t bother changing out of my casual
clothes or even putting on proper shoes. Nothing mattered except getting to Lily’s ashes.
I slipped out of the suite, taking the service elevator to avoid being seen by Lucas or hotel
security. My hands trembled as I hailed a taxi outside, giving the driver directions to Sacred
Moonlight Cemetery.
The ride felt interminable, each second stretching into eternity as I imagined what might be
happening to Lily’s remains. Those ashes were all I had left of my daughter. The thought of
losing them was unbearable.
When we finally arrived, I threw money at the driver and ran through the cemetery gates, my
heart pounding in my chest. The moonlight illuminated the path to Lily’s grave, a route I had
walked countless times before..
As I approached, I saw a figure standing beside my daughter’s tombstone. The Moonwood
Ceremonial Urn sat precariously on the edge of the stone.
“Victoria,” I breathed, recognizing her even in the dim light.
She turned, a cruel smile playing on her lips. “You came faster than I expected. Maternal
instinct is such a powerful thing, isn’t it?”
“Give me my daughter’s ashes,” I demanded, taking a step forward.
Victoria’s hand moved to the urn, her fingers brushing its surface. “Not so fast. One wrong move and little Lily goes flying.”
I froze, terror gripping my heart. “Please,” I whispered. “Don’t do this.”
“Begging already?” Victoria laughed, the sound echoing through the silent cemetery. “But we’ve barely begun.”
< Chapter 119 Fragile Spirits a…
+15 Points
She picked up the urn, cradling it with mock tenderness. “Such a pretty container for such a
worthless child.”
Rage surged through me, but fear kept me rooted in place. “What do you want, Victoria?”
“What I’ve always wanted,” she replied, her voice hardening. “For you to disappear from Ethan’s life completely.”
She took a step closer, the urn still clutched in her hands. “You’ve become a problem again, Olivia. Running to Lucas Blackwood, turning Ethan against me…”
“I never-”
“Silence!” Victoria snapped. “I’m not interested in your excuses.”
She held the urn up, moonlight glinting off its polished surface. “One call from me, and Ethan
will know you’ve been consorting with his greatest rival. How do you think he’ll react to that
betrayal?”
I shook my head desperately. “There’s nothing between Lucas and me. He’s just been kind-”
“Kind?” Victoria laughed again. “Men like Lucas Blackwood aren’t kind without reason. He’s
using you to get to Ethan, to weaken the Silvercrest Pack.”
She tapped the lid of the urn thoughtfully. “But that’s not my concern right now. My concern is
making sure you understand your place.”
“What do you want from me?” I asked again, my voice breaking.
Victoria’s smile widened. “I want you to kneel.”
I stared at her in disbelief. “What?”
“Kneel before me,” she repeated, her voice silky with malice. “Beg for your daughter’s ashes.”
Pride warred with maternal instinct inside me. For myself, I might have refused. But for Lily…
Slowly, I sank to my knees on the cold ground, my eyes never leaving the urn in Victoria’s
hands.
