Mated To The Crippled Alpha-Chapter 360: Family Reunion

Lewis stood in front of me like a shield, his presence blocking the hostility coming from the Morrigans.

Greg finally spoke.

"Mr. Hale," he said carefully, "my father’s heart is weak. Please let him go."

Lewis released Malcom and pushed him back onto the couch with a sharp motion.

Whitney immediately rushed over and handed Malcom a glass of water.

"Dad... drink this first."

Malcom breathed heavily for a moment, then sat still, one hand pressed against his knee. When he looked at me again, his gaze was cold.

"Back then," he said slowly, "we were deceived. When we heard about your death, do you think we weren’t worried?"

He leaned forward slightly.

"I even went to Chedor with Juilian to search for you. I searched everywhere."

His eyes hardened.

"You were reborn, yet you didn’t acknowledge us. You said those terrible things at the funeral. Do you really believe Nolan and Jake’s deaths had nothing to do with you?"

Greg added quietly, "Yes, Elena. You didn’t die... but you didn’t come back to us either. You made us suffer for nothing."

He looked tired.

"Dad and Mom are getting older. They’ve already lost two sons. Do you know how painful that is for them?"

I couldn’t help laughing softly.

The sound carried no warmth.

"How painful is it?" I asked.

I looked straight at them.

"The day after I died, the police called you for questioning. Do you remember what you said?"

Their faces stiffened.

"You said someone like me deserved to die," I continued. "Mrs. Morrigan was more interested in doing her nails. And both of you rushed back to your company instead of staying to help the police."

My smile grew colder.

"Honestly, I wish I could have returned as a real evil spirit back then."

My voice dropped.

"I would have torn every one of you apart."

"You should know what it feels like," I said slowly, "to be skinned alive... to have your bones crushed."

That was exactly why I never wanted to acknowledge them again.

There was no point.

People who truly loved you would love you no matter what you became.

And people who hated you...

They would still hate you even if you were dead.

They stared at me, confused and uneasy.

"Did Juilian tell you all this?" someone asked.

I shook my head.

"No."

I looked at them quietly.

"After I died, I became a wandering spirit. I saw everything."

Every single thing.

"I saw how my family ignored my disappearance. I heard you badmouth me. I even watched you eat from the bowl that held my ashes."

Their faces turned pale.

"I watched all of you get fooled by the fake Camilla... and still defend her like she was real."

I laughed softly.

"It was honestly ridiculous."

I took a slow breath.

"Acknowledge you?" I said calmly. "I fought so hard to come back to life. Why would I waste that life on heartless people like you?"

My gaze turned sharp.

"The Elena you once knew is gone."

"I’ve already repaid everything I owed you."

"So stop pretending to pity me. I know exactly how dirty you all are."

My voice dropped into a quiet warning.

"If you don’t want me to expose everything... stay out of my way."

When I finished speaking, something inside my chest finally felt lighter.

I turned to Whitney.

She was staring at me with a complicated expression, caught between confusion, sadness, and worry.

I smiled gently and patted her head.

"Sorry for scaring you."

At that moment, a sudden sound echoed through the room.

Clap.

Clap.

Clap.

Slow applause came from the staircase.

"What a wonderful show," a voice said lazily.

Vito came down the stairs slowly, and the Morrigans all looked confused.

Malcom frowned at him. "Mr. Blackwell, what are you doing here?"

Then the truth hit him.

Because of Jake. Because of everything that had happened today. Because of where they were.

His face changed at once.

"It was you!" he shouted. "You killed my sons and brought us here!"

Then he turned on me, like I had betrayed him.

"Elena, we always treated you well. Even if we neglected you these past few years, it was because we were influenced by others. Do you hate us so much that you would work with outsiders to hurt your own brothers?"

His words made my chest burn.

I had thought my death would matter to them. I had thought coming back alive would mean something. But it clearly didn’t. There was no joy in their faces. No relief. No love.

Only blame.

They blamed me for hiding my pain. They blamed me for the Morrigans’ downfall. They blamed me for everything.

My fists tightened.

How could people be this foolish?

They refused to face their own mistakes, so they painted me as the villain to make themselves feel cleaner.

Lewis must have felt my anger rising, because he pulled me into his arms and held me close.

"Elena, it’s okay," he said quietly. "You have me. Don’t let these people upset you."

Whitney still didn’t fully understand what was going on, but she stepped forward anyway.

"Dad, how can you think that of Elena?" she asked. "Why would she ever want to hurt you?"

Malcom looked at her in frustration.

"If it weren’t for her and the Blackwells, how would we end up in this mess? Camilla, you don’t know what we’ve been through. I haven’t slept in days. Every little sound made me think I was going to die."

Vito gave a cold sneer.

"The Morrigans have lived comfortably for too long," he said. "How can you not survive a few hard days? Mr. Morrigan, your life must be very precious."

Malcom glared at him.

"Vito, we have no grudge against you. Why do you want to hurt us? When Jake was alive, he treated you like a brother. Don’t you feel ashamed?"

Vito laughed once.

"No grudge?"

He walked toward Malcom with a darkness in his eyes that made the room feel colder.

"If it weren’t for your mother, my grandparents wouldn’t have died," he said. "My father wouldn’t have suffered his whole life. Do you know who pretended to be your daughter? She is the granddaughter of my grandfather’s brother. The same brother your old woman helped destroy."

Malcom finally understood.

"The Blackwells," he said in shock. "I should have known."