Chapter 98
Violet's POV:
I shook my head quickly at Evan's question. "Not me—I'm here with my mother for her regular checkup. She's doing a routine gynecological exam. I'm just waiting for her to finish."
"When did you get back?" I asked.
"Landed last night, pretty late. Didn't want to disturb your rest."
"Do Daemon and the others know you're back?"
"Not yet. Haven't told them." Evan paused, studying my face. "How are things between you two?"
I smiled without warmth. "How could we be anything? If Celeste weren't constantly throwing herself in my face to prove she's won, Daemon and I would have zero reason to interact."
Celeste insisted on appearing before me repeatedly, establishing dominance, proving victory. In doing so, she kept dragging Daemon into my line of sight.
A nurse appeared and pulled Evan away urgently. I watched his retreating figure with an uncomfortable twinge. If his friendship with Daemon suffered because of me, I'd feel genuinely guilty.
Mom emerged from the exam room, beaming. "Everything's fine! No problems at all."
I linked my arm through hers. "That's wonderful!"
---
We were heading toward the main entrance when I spotted Iris near the automatic doors. When she caught sight of me, her eyes lit up before she strode over.
"Hello, Mrs. Goldcrest!" She greeted my mother first, then asked, "Ma'am, could I borrow Violet for just a moment?"
"What's this about?" I asked.
"Violet, can I ask you a few questions?" Iris's face showed hesitation before transforming into fearless determination. "They're about Daemon. I know bringing him up probably annoys you, but you and he are unbound now. I can pursue him openly and honorably!"
I found myself appreciating Iris's directness—she didn't just talk behind my back, she was willing to be upfront. Instinctively, I compared her to Celeste. Iris seemed more straightforward, more honest.
Celeste had once confronted me too, but always followed up with hypocritical justifications that drove me insane.
"Go ahead," I said simply.
After several questions, I realized she genuinely liked Daemon. What type of women did he prefer? What were his favorite foods? What entertainment activities did he enjoy?
I answered each one methodically.
When I finished, Iris stared at me with wide eyes. "I heard you chased him for years. Based on how detailed your answers are, it must be true."
"Good luck to you," I said with detached amusement.
Iris grabbed my arm, lowering her voice. "Violet, do you know Celeste is at this hospital?"
"Why are you looking for her?"
"I want to meet her face-to-face. I've never even seen her in person. What does she have that makes Daemon so obsessed?"
I fell silent. This girl had no idea about Aurora. Her behavior mirrored my own from the past life—wanting to find Celeste, to see her real face.
"Violet, say something!" Iris pushed my arm insistently.
"Iris, my advice is to give up on Daemon and go back to your pack."
Iris's eyes widened. "No way! I won't give up until I've seen Celeste with my own eyes!"
I knew which hospital Celeste was in, but if I told Iris, she would definitely confront Celeste. If something went wrong, Iris would carry the blame. She was just one of Daemon's admirers without bad intentions. I didn't want her getting involved in a huge mess.
I told Iris I didn't know where Celeste was, then said goodbye and drove Mom home.
---
That evening, Sienna called.
"Lucian is at the hospital right now. Iris isn't a bad person at heart—she's no match for Celeste!" Sienna sounded worried.
I had underestimated Iris's determination to self-destruct. Somehow she'd tracked down which hospital Celeste was in and actually showed up, successfully enraging Daemon.
"Your belly is huge. Stay home where you're safe," I said with a resigned sigh. "I'll go and try to get Iris to leave."
"You shouldn't go—Daemon's there too," Sienna warned.
"Iris's father and my dad have a good relationship. If I don't go, it looks even worse." I hung up and drove to the hospital late that night.
Celeste's private room was quite the scene. Celeste lay in bed with red-rimmed eyes, while Iris stood nearby looking furious. When Lucian saw me arrive, he rushed over and whispered, "Violet, you've got to talk some sense into Daemon! Iris came to find Celeste and he's completely lost it!"
Daemon had collaborated with Iris's father Harrison for three years. The fact that he'd lose his temper at her over Celeste showed exactly how much weight Celeste carried.
My heart sank. So what was the point of everything he'd said to me before? Was he just playing me for a fool?
Though I'd long since stopped expecting anything from him, discovering such a stark gap between his words and actions still struck me as laughable.
"Violet, why did you tell Miss Iris I was in this hospital?" Celeste looked at me with tear-filled eyes. "You know how dangerous my current condition is..."
Daemon's brow furrowed. "Celeste!" His eyes flashed cold and sharp, his expression radiating irritation and impatience.
Celeste physically recoiled, a crystalline tear escaping down her cheek, as if she couldn't believe Daemon would be so harsh with her.
I ignored them both and walked directly to Iris, grasping her hand. "Let's go. You're driving straight back to your pack tonight."
"Celeste, get your facts straight. Violet didn't tell me where you were—you're making shit up to throw dirt on her!" Iris refused to leave, instead shouting angrily. "This is what Daemon likes? This fake, manipulative act?"
Celeste began crying harder. "That's not what I meant at all! Didn't you say yourself that you asked Violet? I just assumed she told you..."
"I said Violet refused to tell me! You're deliberately twisting my words!" Iris was furious. "Daemon, I thought you were smart, but you actually like this type of woman? You're pathetic! I wasted my time crushing on you!"
With that, Iris grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the door.
"I... I..." Celeste was gasping roughly, as if struggling to breathe.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Daemon start to follow us out, but then Celeste's condition clearly worsened again, and he had no choice but to stay behind.
---
In the elevator, Iris looked dejected.
I'd known this would happen—one visit would completely shatter her illusions. She had a direct personality and was no match for Celeste's manipulations.
"Violet, what did you actually lose to?" Iris asked from her car before leaving. "What is Daemon thinking? Sienna was right—Celeste is absolutely a manipulative bitch!"
"As long as you give up on Daemon, that's enough. There are so many good men in the world—why choose a scumbag?" I stood by her car door, smiling.
Iris glanced behind me with an awkward expression. "Violet... the scumbag's here."
I turned around. Daemon stood there with a cold expression, having clearly overheard me.
I calmly waved goodbye to Iris. "Drive carefully."
Iris nodded, shot Daemon one last glare, then peeled out with a roar of her engine. The way she could pick up and walk away so decisively—it was genuinely impressive.
If I'd had even half her ability to let go, I probably never would have ended up with Daemon in the first place.
"I'm a scumbag in your mind?" Daemon's tone was dangerous.
"It doesn't matter what I think of you. As long as you're the best man in Celeste's eyes, isn't that enough?" I said sarcastically. "Daemon, face your true feelings. Celeste is extremely important to you, and not just because of Aurora. Please stop saying strange things to me in the future."
I turned to leave, but Daemon grabbed my wrist and forcibly dragged me to his car, pushing me into the passenger seat. I tried angrily to open the door, but discovered it was locked.
I rubbed my aching wrist and demanded furiously, "What the hell are you doing?!"
"Explain this to me." Daemon pulled out several photographs, his voice ice-cold.
I took the photos, unable to hide my surprise. They were from when I'd gone back to my pack for ancestor worship and met Zane. We'd had a meal together, and when we parted, he'd hugged me. Someone had photographed it.
From the angle of the shot, it looked very much like an intimate couple embracing.
"Where did you get these photos?"
"Explain why you were hugging him. Didn't you tell me you two were just ordinary friends?" Daemon's face was full of anger, as if I'd cheated on him.
"Since you were able to obtain these photographs, you obviously know when they were taken. At that time, you and I had already been unbound. What happens between Zane and me is none of your business." I answered composedly, then tried the door handle again. "Open the door. I want to get out!"
Daemon seemed extremely agitated. He unlocked the car door, but just as I reached to open it, he leaned over faster than me and slammed it shut again.
Seeing this, I lost my temper too and deployed my signature move: biting!
Through the thin fabric of his dress shirt, my teeth sank vengefully into Daemon's skin. I heard him suck in a sharp breath.
The taste of blood filled my mouth. I released him. His left forearm was bleeding from my bite, the wound severe enough that even his sleeve was stained.
"Violet!" Daemon rolled up his sleeve to examine the damage, then exploded with profanity.
I calmly pulled out a tissue and wiped my mouth clean. "If you don't open this door right now, I'm calling your parents."
Daemon's face turned iron-dark, but he finally unlocked the door. If I went to his parents and complained, he'd definitely get an earful, and Celeste would likely be dragged into it as collateral damage.
---
Back in my own car, I immediately contacted Blaine and asked him to investigate who had taken those photos of Zane and me.
His reply came quickly: Got it. I'll let you know what I find.
I set down my phone and looked through my windshield at Daemon's car. He was still sitting inside.
I believed Daemon had developed genuine feelings for me—otherwise he would never entangle himself with me like this, never sign over half his assets to me. But it was too late now.
If I hadn't experienced that bone-deep pain from my past life, or if he had never wavered over Celeste, I might have turned back.
To put it even more pathetically: if my baby had survived, as time passed I would have gradually released my resentment and let the child acknowledge him as their father.
But there were no "ifs."
From every possible angle, he and I were a karmic disaster that should never have continued.
---
In a few days, it would be Mom's sixtieth birthday.
I temporarily set aside everything else and focused on arranging a celebration for her. Sienna and the others would definitely attend. As for other guests, Mom and I compiled the list together.
I added Evan's name. He now counted as a close friend, and I was happy to invite him.
Mom completely ignored the Blackwoods when finalizing the guest list. Once everything was confirmed, she handed it off to be made into formal invitations.
---
On the day of Mom's birthday, the venue was lively and full of guests. Sienna, Lily, Jade, and I sat together in a corner, eating and chatting.
Lucian naturally attended, and somehow Felix had tagged along. The two stood not far away, conversing with other guests.
Suddenly Jade nudged me. "Isn't that Evan?"
I looked over.
Evan's looks, build, and bearing were unquestionably exceptional. But because of his work, he rarely wore formal attire. Most of the time he was in his white coat, and during off-hours he preferred casual clothing.
Today's black suit was incredibly striking. His presence commanded attention in a way completely different from his usual cool, detached doctor persona.
"Did you invite him?" Sienna asked.
"Yes," I confirmed.
"Huh, so the only one not invited is Daemon?" Lily blurted out.
Jade tapped her head lightly. "Of course Daemon wasn't invited!"
Lily realized her mistake and laughed awkwardly. "I just think it's weird—wherever Evan, Lucian, and Felix are, Daemon's usually there too. His attention must be completely on Celeste now. He's probably distanced himself from all his friends."
Sienna rolled her eyes dramatically. "He's prioritizing romance over friendship!"
"Daemon is so strange," Jade said, looking genuinely puzzled. "If you say he values relationships, he treated you with consistent coldness for ten straight years. But if you say he doesn't, why is he so obsessed with Aurora's heart?"
Sienna spoke without thinking. "He just doesn't love you!" Realizing immediately what she'd said, she quickly tried to comfort me. "Violet, don't be sad. You'll meet better men after leaving him. He doesn't deserve you."
"I'm not sad at all. I've made my peace with it," I said with a genuine smile.
Just as I finished speaking, Sienna suddenly stood up and marched toward Lucian with aggressive purpose. Apparently some woman had been flirting with him. The moment she saw Sienna approaching, the woman quickly retreated.
Lily, Jade, and I watched the drama unfold with amusement, but from the corner of my eye I noticed Evan walking toward our table.
"Come on, Jade, let's go get some air outside!" Lily immediately stood up and dragged Jade away.
Like Sienna, they were convinced Evan had feelings for me. Behind my back, they kept urging me to accept him—not only would it infuriate Daemon, but I'd also gain a good man.
I naturally refused without hesitation. I had no intention of using Evan's genuine feelings as a weapon. The more sincerely someone treated me well, the less I wanted to exploit them.
"Dr. Thorne looks incredibly handsome today!" I gave him a genuine thumbs up.
"How handsome?" Evan sat down beside me, smiling faintly.
I teased, "Handsome enough that half the young women here have been sneaking glances at you. Haven't you noticed?"
"What about you?" he asked, his pale green eyes holding mine steadily. "Did you sneak glances at me too?"