CHAPTER 317: SPARE THEIR LIVES (3)

Reagan’s POV

Thank God Nick finally lowered the gun. The moment Dad snatched it from his hand, I could breathe again—barely. My chest still heaved like I’d just survived drowning.

Vicky and Liam didn’t just lead him away; they practically dragged him back toward the mansion, his fury radiating through the air like a storm that hadn’t passed yet.

I won’t lie. Nick terrified me.

For a moment, staring into his eyes felt like staring down death itself. The rage there wasn’t just anger—it was grief, desperation, and a fire so raw it could burn through bloodlines. I honestly thought that was it for me. I thought I was going to die.

As his figure disappeared into the dark, my knees gave out. My back, still pressed against the cold tree trunk, slid down until I hit the ground with a thud. I stayed there, trembling, my palms digging into the dirt as the adrenaline drained out of me.

Everything was spinning. My ears were ringing so loud that the world went muffled, almost silent—until Sarah’s voice broke through it all.

"Reagan!" Her hands cupped my face, forcing me to look at her. Tears streamed down her cheeks, her lips trembling. "Can you hear me? Please say something!"

Her touch snapped me back into reality. The warmth of her palms... the terror in her voice. For a second, I didn’t know what to feel. Was she really this worried about me? Or was she just relieved that Nick didn’t pull the trigger in front of everyone?

Her thumb brushed my cheek, and that’s when I realized—tears. My tears. I was crying.

And then I broke.

It was like everything I’d been holding in for years ripped through me all at once. The fear, the guilt, the resentment. The weight of every lie, every mistake, every choice that led me to this exact moment.

I buried my face in my hands, my shoulders shaking as I finally let it out. "I hate myself, Sarah," I choked out between sobs. "I hate myself so damn much."

She didn’t say anything at first—just cried harder. Then she pulled me into her arms, wrapping me in a tight embrace like she was trying to keep me from falling apart completely.

"Oh, Reagan..." she whispered, voice trembling against my ear.

And I let her hold me. I clung to her like she was the only solid thing left in this collapsing world, the only warmth in the cold that surrounded me.

Because beneath all the chaos, beneath the anger, the fear, the guilt, one truth burned in my chest.

Sarah is my hope; she’s my anchor in this ocean that was swallowing me deeper and deeper each day.

Nick might have almost killed me tonight...

But I’d been killing myself for years.

Then I heard my mother’s voice cut through our sobs... soft, trembling, but desperate.

"Please, Reagan... tell me the truth. Do you have something to do with this?" Her voice cracked as she took a step closer. "If you did, just say so, and I’ll do everything in my power to protect you."

For a second, I just stared at her.

My mother. The woman who had always cleaned up my messes, no matter how deep or dirty they were. The woman who carried guilt that should’ve been mine. The only person in this world who has protected me and is willing to give up her life just to save me.

But not this time.

I shook my head firmly, my voice raw and uneven. "Mom, I swear to God, I didn’t know anything about this. I have nothing to do with it."

Her lip quivered as she covered her mouth with her trembling hand. "Oh, my boy..." she whispered before pulling me into her arms. "My precious boy."

And that was it, the last push that shattered whatever control I had left. I broke again.

I buried my face in her shoulder and sobbed like I hadn’t done in decades. I couldn’t remember the last time tears like this left my eyes. Maybe when I was still a kid, still naive, still believing that being a Knight meant something pure.

But everything changed the day I found out I wasn’t one of them, not by blood. Since then, I’d built a wall of arrogance and charm, pretending I didn’t care, pretending I was stronger than I really was.

That wall collapsed tonight.

Nick’s rage. His gun. The sadness and desperation in his eyes. Even when he was jailed, he didn’t look like that. Tonight, something broke within him.

I can still picture the way everyone looked at me. The weight of my lawyer’s call echoing in my mind. Everything collided in my chest until it hurt to breathe.

I wiped my tears and slowly pulled away from my mother’s embrace. My voice was quiet, but heavy with the truth I could no longer hold.

"Mom..." I said, looking at her, then at Sarah, who was still clutching her hands to her heart, eyes red from crying. "I need to talk to my mother. Alone."

Sarah blinked at me, hesitant. "Reagan, you promised, no more secrets between us. Don’t send me away. I want to stay by your side. Let me share whatever burden you have. I am here with you. Please don’t push me away."

"Please," I said, my tone sharper than intended, but pleading, "Just... go back to the mansion first. This is something I need to tell my mother privately. I don’t want to involve you any further. Both my conscience and heart can’t take that. Please, my love..."

Her expression softened, though confusion lingered. She gave a small nod and reluctantly turned away.

As she disappeared into the shadows, I turned back to my mother—her tear-streaked face pale under the moonlight.

"My lawyer called earlier, before Georgia disappeared. It’s about Nancy..."

There was a storm brewing between us, one that had been waiting years to break.

And tonight... I was done keeping secrets.