Chapter l233

Chapter 0233

Eventually, Nicholas returned to my side. “Let me take you back to your room.”

“But my sister –”

“Is safely on the other side of that door. Come on.” He spoke slowly and calmly. He must have seen me trembling. “You’ll feel better when you are at Elva’s side. Mark just checked on her, she is safely sleeping.”

Some relief washed through me. It wasn’t enough to totally quiet the anxiety that had taken root, but it

did help smooth the edge a bit.

Nodding, I looped my arm with Nicholas and he began leading me from the room.

At the door, Julian touched my shoulder. “Goodnight, Piper,”

“Goodnight,” I said, though there was nothing good about it. And I doubted I would sleep. None of that

was Julian’s fault.

Nicholas slowly walked me away. We didn’t say a word, but I found strength in his steady comfort. He was always so sturdy and strong, so dependable. I know I could count on him in any situation.

Even this.

His closeness gave me the strength I needed to finally give voice to heartbreak that plagued me.

“It hurts so much.” I blinked and tears fell down my cheeks. I hadn’t even felt them well.

Nicholas stopped in the hallway. He faced me as much as he could without releasing my arm. I gripped fiercely at his sleeve, my only anchor in this hurricane of torment.

“Jane was always the rebel. The troublemaker. She acted out against authority, and never listened to anyone.” I sniffled. “But even with all that, I never would have thought that she’d…”

Nicholas inched closer. Finally I released his arm and he wrapped both around me. I buried my face in

his chest and released a terrible sob.

“She hates me, Nick. Maybe she always did.” The tears left hot tracks on my face. I couldn’t stop them. I

didn’t even know how,

Even in my darkest moments, I’d always believed that someday Jane would find her way back to me and

Elva. I was her twin and Elva was her child. How could she just throw us away like we meant nothing at

all?

“I wished the best for her. I’d hoped she would come back.”

1 gripped at Nick’s shirt with both hands. I ruined it with my tears. He didn’t seem to care, he just kept

holding me.

“What am I supposed to do now? What should I hope for? My own sister wants to torture me.

It was too much. My heart was aching, tearing in my chest. Anguish.

I had not cried this hard since I had to leave Nicholas. And even then, I’d felt like I had saved him. There had been anguish and tears, but it had come with the belief that Nicholas would live a good life.

What hope did Jane have for happiness? Could she only feel joy when witnessing my utter destruction?

“I can’t give her what she wants this time,” I cried, Because what she wanted was my demise. My

torture. Maybe even my death.

She’d held that knife to my throat like she had been ready to use it. She’d left a mark on my n*eck.

I wanted to mourn the girl my sister used to be, but maybe this vicious, vile woman was always my

sister. Maybe I started kidding myself at even a young age.

“Nick…”

He softly combed his fingers through my hair. “I won’t lie to you and say it will be alright. It won’t.” He swallowed hard. “But I will be with you, Piper, through every step of your grief.”

“She isn’t dead,” I sniffed.

He didn’t reply.

No, I knew what he meant.

The sister who had been my shadow. She was gone. She wasn’t coming back.

And it was time to mourn her.

Nicholas shielded me from the rest of the world, and I cried until I couldn’t cry anymore..