Chapter 104

Chapter 104
Violet's POV:

"Processing a discharge," Daemon answered, his tone flat and dismissive.

Celeste was being discharged already? I felt a flicker of confusion cut through my exhaustion. Did that mean she'd be heading to North Summit Pack for the second transplant procedure soon?

Since Daemon had come specifically to handle Celeste's arrangements, there was no reason for me to tag along. The moment the car stopped, I pulled out my phone and called Leo, requesting he pick me up from the hospital entrance.

"You're not coming up to visit?" Evan asked, pausing before opening his door.

I watched Daemon's solitary figure disappear through the hospital's main entrance, noting the rigid set of his shoulders and the deliberate distance he was maintaining from both Evan and me. His anger radiated off him in waves so thick they were almost tangible—he was pointedly ignoring us.

"I don't make a habit of visiting my rivals," I replied evenly. "You should get to work."

"Once Celeste's discharge paperwork is finalized, she'll likely head straight to North Summit Pack for the second transplant procedure," Evan continued, making no move to leave. Instead, he stood beside the car with both hands tucked into his pockets, his pale green eyes studying me with that clinical assessment he'd perfected over years of medical practice. "Daemon will accompany her, of course."

I'd already anticipated as much. Daemon had promised that once the surgery was complete, he wouldn't interfere with whatever consequences I chose to deliver. I was content to wait.

"I know," I said simply, waving him off with a dismissive gesture. "Seriously, go. Don't let me keep you."

Evan hesitated, something flickering across his features—words that seemed to rise and die before reaching his lips. Then he simply nodded and turned toward the hospital entrance.

I remained alone at the curb, watching the steady stream of people flowing through the automatic doors. What I hadn't expected was to encounter Ruby Morrison and Mason Morrison before Leo arrived.

Mason had clearly been discharged recently, but he looked diminished—his complexion ashen, his movements careful as though his chest might split open. When they spotted me, they exchanged a significant look weighted with wariness.

"Miss Goldcrest," Ruby approached first. "What brings you here?"

"Waiting for my ride," I answered simply.

Ruby nodded, then Mason beside her suddenly pressed one hand against his chest, his face contorting with discomfort. Ruby's hands reached out to steady him as alarm flooded her features. "Miss Goldcrest, please—I need help! I can't support him alone!"

I hesitated briefly before stepping forward to help steady Mason's weight between us.

"The heart still gives me trouble sometimes," Mason managed after several ragged breaths. "Random episodes."

"Thank you," Ruby said before they moved toward the hospital entrance, leaving me alone once more.

When Leo's car finally pulled up to the curb, I slid into the backseat without ceremony, immediately leaning my head back against the leather and closing my eyes. Sleep had been elusive lately, and what rest I'd managed to find last night had been poor quality at best—alcohol-induced unconsciousness leaving me more drained than refreshed. Before I knew it, exhaustion pulled me under again.

"Miss Goldcrest?" Leo's voice eventually penetrated the fog, gentle but insistent. "We're home."

I blinked awake slowly, disoriented and cotton-mouthed. Reaching automatically for my phone to check the time, my fingers met empty fabric. Confusion sharpened to alarm as I patted down my pockets more frantically. "That's strange—where's my phone?"

A cold sense of foreboding crawled down my spine as I twisted in my seat, checking the floor beneath me and the cushions around where I'd been sitting. Nothing. The phone was simply gone.

My mind raced backward, landing with uncomfortable certainty on my encounter with Ruby and Mason. Had I dropped my phone while helping steady Mason, or had it been taken deliberately? Ruby had heard the recording on my phone before—she would have told Celeste, and Celeste would absolutely try to destroy that evidence.

"Turn around," I said sharply. "Take me back to the hospital. My phone was stolen by the Morrisons. I'm certain of it."

By the time we returned, both Celeste and her parents had already departed—approximately thirty minutes prior.

"They should be at the airport," Evan confirmed when I found him. "What's wrong? I thought you didn't visit rivals."

"Your phone," I said without preamble, holding out my hand. "I need to borrow it."

Evan handed over his unlocked device without question. I dialed my own number, and it rang twice before disconnecting. Rage and vindication flooded through me—someone had deliberately hung up, confirming my suspicions.

I found Daemon's contact next and pressed dial, forcing my voice to remain level. "Where's Celeste?"

"If you have something to say, say it to me," Daemon replied immediately, his tone defensive.

From the background, I heard Celeste's soft voice: "Daemon, is that Violet looking for me?"

"Yes," Daemon confirmed. "Whatever it is can wait until later."

"It's fine," Celeste insisted, her words carrying that particular quality of martyred patience she'd perfected. "We're almost at the airport anyway. I'd rather clear things up with Violet now. Otherwise, I won't be able to focus on the surgery with a clear conscience."

She had my phone and presumably felt secure enough with that leverage to face me directly. Celeste had always been calculating beneath the innocent facade, but she'd miscalculated one crucial detail—I'd sent backup copies of those recordings to both Blaine and Zane. The physical phone was just hardware. The evidence itself was already replicated and safely stored beyond her reach.

My urgency stemmed not from panic but from sheer rage at the audacity—at the Morrison family's collective willingness to engage in petty theft and deception, at their apparent inability to acknowledge that their daughter was the architect of her own downfall.

I ended the call and contacted Lucian, who confirmed the airport location. I handed Evan's phone back and turned to leave.

"I'm coming with you," Evan said, already moving to follow.

During the drive, I uploaded the carefully prepared exposé and backup audio files across multiple platforms. The information went live, spreading with inexorable momentum. I had no idea whether Daemon would see it immediately, but eventually, everyone would see it.

The private aviation terminal was exactly the sort of exclusive facility I'd expected. Evan and I headed directly for the VIP lounge area. The moment I stepped through the door, Daemon's head snapped up, his dark eyes locking onto me. His expression cycled through surprise and confusion before settling into cold displeasure. He glanced toward Celeste, something protective flickering across his features.

"Violet is here to see me off, aren't you?" Celeste said brightly, her baby-blue eyes wide and innocent. Ruby and Mason stood flanking her, with Linda hovering nearby, and even Felix had appeared—a whole entourage assembled like she were royalty.

Ruby and Mason couldn't meet my eyes, their gazes skittering away whenever I tried to make contact.

I ignored Daemon entirely and walked straight to Celeste. "Where's my phone?"

"Violet," Celeste blinked with studied confusion. "What are you talking about? What phone?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about," I said quietly, my voice dropping into something more dangerous. "You're aware I have evidence—recordings that prove what you've done. So you had your parents steal my phone when they had the opportunity." I let the threat hang between us. "Give it back now, and maybe you won't regret this more than you already should."

Daemon moved before Celeste could respond, his hand closing around my upper arm and pulling me back several steps. "Violet, have you forgotten what you promised me?"

"Of course I haven't forgotten," I shot back, yanking my arm free and rounding on him with all the fury I'd been bottling up. My voice rose despite my efforts to maintain composure. "But I can't do it anymore, Daemon! I can't keep quiet while she destroys everything! You're blind—willfully, stubbornly blind—and she's playing you like a goddamn puppet!"

The color drained from Daemon's face, his expression shifting from anger to something like shock. No one talked to him like this—certainly not in public.

"Have you lost your mind?!" Linda burst out, storming toward me with her fists clenched. "You and Daemon dissolved your bond! You have no claim on him! Coming here to make a scene—don't you have any shame?!"

She raised her hand to strike me, but Evan moved with preternatural speed, catching her wrist mid-swing. "What exactly do you think you're doing?"

"Evan, what does this mean?" Linda demanded, struggling against his grip. "You're protecting her? Taking her side?"

"It means exactly what you think it means," Evan replied, his pale green eyes hardening to something glacial. "You won't lay a hand on her. Not while I'm here."

Daemon's expression, already dark, turned even more thunderous as he watched Evan position himself protectively in front of me, something dangerously possessive flaring in his eyes.

"Please, everyone, stop!" Celeste's voice cut through the tension, higher and more distressed than usual. She pushed herself up with visible effort, her good hand pressed against her chest. Tears welled in those impossibly blue eyes, spilling down her cheeks. "This is all my fault. I'm so sorry. Once the surgery is done, I'll disappear completely. I won't bother any of you ever again. I promise."

Ruby immediately rushed to comfort her daughter, shooting reproachful looks at the rest of us.

I watched the performance with cold detachment. "Celeste," I said, cutting through the theatrical sobbing with deliberate calm, "some truths are easier to confess before they're forcibly extracted. Coming clean now might make things better for you. Otherwise, you're going to lose everything you've worked so hard to build."

Celeste's crying stuttered for just a moment, genuine fear flickering across her features before the innocent mask slammed back into place.

Then she seemed to gather herself, squaring her shoulders. "Violet, I know you resent me because of Mr. Blackwood. I understand. But I promise, once I have money, I'll pay back every cent he's spent on me. I'll treat it as a loan. You don't need to worry—"

"That won't be necessary," Daemon interrupted flatly. He hadn't taken his eyes off me since Evan's declaration.

Triumph flashed across Celeste's expression before she quickly suppressed it.

"Daemon!" Lucian's voice rang out across the lounge, sharp with urgency. He burst through the entrance looking disheveled and out of breath, as though he'd sprinted here. His eyes swept the group before landing on Daemon with visible relief.

Sienna appeared behind him, along with Jade and Lily. Celeste's face brightened when she spotted Lucian. "Lucian, did you come to see me off?"

I seriously doubted that. Would Lucian dare bring Sienna here to bid Celeste farewell? Not unless he had a death wish and wanted to face his mate's wrath. Sienna had zero tolerance for Celeste, especially after everything that had happened.

"Heh," Lucian forced out something between a laugh and a grimace. "Actually, I'm here to see Daemon about something." He moved quickly to Daemon's side, leaning in to murmur something too quiet for the rest of us to hear.

I watched Daemon's face carefully, noting the subtle shift—surprise, followed by resistance.

"Whatever it is can wait until we're at North Summit Pack," Daemon said firmly. "Everything's already arranged there. We need to get Celeste to the facility on schedule."

"But you should look at this now," Lucian pressed, his voice taking on an edge of desperation. "Seriously, just take five minutes. Please."

"Lucian, what does Mr. Blackwood need to see?" Celeste asked, her voice trembling with anxiety. Her eyes darted between them, fear beginning to overtake the carefully maintained innocence. "Is something wrong?"

"It's nothing," Daemon assured her, though his jaw was tight. "Don't worry about it."

"Then let's not stay here," Celeste said quickly, rising and moving toward the boarding gate. "The sooner we leave, the better."

"Wait—" Lucian lunged forward, physically blocking Daemon's path. He yanked his phone from his pocket, fingers flying across the screen as he pulled up whatever he'd come here to show. Before Daemon could protest, Lucian thrust the device directly in front of his face and pressed play on an audio file.

The lounge fell silent as Celeste's voice—crystal clear, unmistakable, and utterly damning—began to play.