(Olivia’s POV)
Ethan Stone hadn’t finished speaking when my hand flew across his face in a resounding slap.
The sharp c***k echoed through my small cottage as his head snapped to the side.
“Ethan Stone, are those the words of a human being? What does Lily mean to you after all?” I
trembled with fury, my eyes burning with unshed tears as I glared at him.
His amber eyes widened in shock. He raised a hand to his reddening cheek, looking stunned
that I had actually struck him.
“Olivia, please-” he started, but I cut him off.
“How dare you?” My voice shook with rage. “How dare you suggest we have another child? As
if Lily was just some… some pet that can be replaced?”
Ethan’s expression crumpled. “That’s not what I meant-
“Then what did you mean?” I demanded, my hands clenched into fists at my sides. “Our daughter is dead, Ethan. Dead! And you weren’t there when she needed you most.”
I could see the pain in his eyes, but I was beyond caring. Five years of grief and betrayal poured out of me like a flood.
“You abandoned her when she was sick. You chose Victoria and Emma over your own daughter. And now you think we can just… start over? Have another baby as if Lily never
existed?”
“No, Olivia, that’s not it at all,” Ethan pleaded, reaching for my hands. I jerked away from his touch. “I don’t want to replace Lily. I could never replace her.”
His voice softened, filled with a desperate hope that only fueled my anger. “I thought… I thought that if we had another child, maybe Lily could be reborn. Maybe she could return to
us.”
I froze, staring at him in disbelief.
“I’ve been speaking with Elder Tobias Gray,” Ethan continued quickly. “He believes in
reincarnation, that souls can return if there’s enough love calling them back.”
His eyes shone with a fervent light that frightened me. “Lily loved us so much, Olivia. If anyone
< Chapter 118: Shattered Bonds
could find their way back, it would be her.”
+15 Points
For a brief, terrible moment, I felt myself wavering. The thought of holding Lily again, of seeing her smile, hearing her laugh… it was almost too much to bear.
But then reality crashed back in. This wasn’t about Lily at all.
“You’re not seeking Lily’s return,” I said coldly, stepping back from him. “You’re only trying to ease your own guilt over her death.”
My voice trembled with emotion as I continued, “Even if Lily were to return to this world, you
would never be worthy to be her father again.”
Pain flashed across Ethan’s face, raw and real. “Olivia, please. I know I’ve made terrible mistakes. I know I can never fully make up for what I’ve done.”
He stepped toward me, his hands outstretched in supplication. “But I want to try. I want to be better. Any child we might have–whether Lily’s soul or not–I swear I would cherish them. I would never make the same mistakes again.”
