Chapter 197: Choose One of Two

Chapter 197: Choose One of Two

Aviah's POV

Seeing her provocation fail, Chloe turned to Griffin. "Either you kill Sebastian, or I kill her."

The dagger pressed tighter, and the pain intensified.

I looked at Griffin, my heart a tangled mess of emotions.

I was the mother of his child, and Sebastian was his life-or-death companion. Whichever he chose, he would carry that regret for the rest of his life.

The warehouse fell deathly silent, only our breathing audible.

Griffin's eyes were conflicted, his struggle obvious.

Just as he was about to speak, a gunshot shattered the silence. Chloe's body stiffened, the dagger slipped from her hand, and she slowly collapsed to the ground.

Still shaken, I turned my head. Mason stood at the warehouse entrance, holding a gun, smoke still rising from the barrel.

"When I woke up and saw your car still in the parking lot, I knew something was wrong." He strode over quickly, his eyes full of concern. "After checking the surveillance footage, I followed you here."

He paused, looking at me with a serious expression. "I've recovered my memory, Aviah. I'm Kevin."

I stared at him blankly as tears fell uncontrollably.

"When I jumped from upstairs that year, I broke my leg." He sat beside me, slowly recounting the past. "While escaping, I stumbled upon Keith loading kids into a car and realized he was trafficking children."

"He discovered me, knocked me out and took me away, sending me to the Order of the Obsidian Moon." His voice carried a weathered tone. "There, by chance, I became an assassin. During one mission, I was injured in the head and lost my memory. It wasn't until recently that someone found me and told me to get close to you, promising two million dollars if I succeeded."

He condensed his entire life's experiences into a few sentences for me. Looking into his eyes, my heart was full of mixed feelings.

All I could say was that fate plays cruel tricks.

The next day, on the music festival stage, the lights were dazzling.

Wearing a silver mask and a gorgeous performance outfit, I stood at center stage.

The music started, and I began to sing. My voice filled the venue, earning waves of cheers.

Three days later, the music festival invited me to the awards ceremony.

The host walked on stage and announced the winners. "The winner of Lakeview's Best New Artist Award is—Skylar!"

The spotlight focused on me. I took a deep breath and slowly removed my silver mask.

The venue instantly fell silent, then erupted in thunderous applause and gasps of surprise.

No one had expected that the mysterious Skylar was actually me.

After all, I was somewhat of a famous figure in Lakeview.

"I sang as Skylar to fulfill my own dream." I picked up the microphone, my voice calm and firm. "I hope everyone can like the real me."

Thunderous applause filled the room. Griffin sat in the first row, his eyes full of pride and adoration.

After the performance, I took Kevin to see Scarlett.

She was being held in one of Griffin's private villas, looking haggard.

She had been under control for a while. After Griffin dealt with outside matters, he had taken care of Scarlett as well.

When she saw Kevin, he only said one thing: "I'm the real Kevin. You have three black moles on your private area."

Scarlett froze at first, then broke down crying. "Kevin, you're not dead? You're really not dead?"

Kevin's expression remained calm, not responding to her excitement. I looked at Scarlett and got straight to the point. "What really happened with my father's death?"

Scarlett's crying stopped abruptly. She looked at me, her eyes flickering.

At that moment, Griffin beside us spoke calmly. "Keith is already dead. If you tell the truth, I won't make things difficult for your mother."

After going through multiple shocks, Scarlett finally revealed the truth. "It was my father who drove Alexander to his death."

"He used you as leverage, saying that as long as Alexander died, he wouldn't hurt you." Her voice trembled. "To protect you, Alexander ultimately chose to jump from the building."

My chest felt like it had been struck by something heavy, the pain unbearable. I had always thought Alexander took his life because of my scandal, never imagining he did it to protect me.

"My father joined the Order of the Obsidian Moon and had been secretly running a human organ trafficking business." Scarlett seemed to have lost all her spirit.

Griffin asked again, "Does Aviah's mother have any connection to this Order of the Obsidian Moon?"

Scarlett confessed everything. "Aviah's mother was killed by the Order of the Obsidian Moon. She's been gone for a long time. The one behind all of this was indeed my father."

My legs gave out, and I collapsed to the ground.

Fortunately, Griffin was right behind me to support me.

Scarlett suddenly looked at Kevin, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "Kevin, did you ever love me? Even just a little bit?"

Kevin shook his head without hesitation. "Never. All I feel for you is disgust."

The light in Scarlett's eyes instantly dimmed. She started laughing, a shrill laugh that eventually turned into mad raving.

After leaving the villa, Griffin took me to find Keith.

He hadn't killed Keith but was waiting for me to take revenge personally.

Without any extra words, I avenged Alexander and Ruby with my own hands. Keith fell in a pool of blood, ending his sinful life.

Scarlett, unable to bear the shock, became completely deranged.

Not long after, news came of Uma's suicide.

She had experienced everything I once endured but wasn't able to stay strong like me, ultimately choosing to end her life.

Griffin told me that he had indeed caused Joseph's death and had taken over the Fisher family.

As for the Allen family, he turned the tables and made them go completely bankrupt. Except for Scott and Juniper, everyone else was sent abroad, never to return to Lakeview again.

With all grudges settled, sunshine finally dispersed all the shadows.

And he had truly become the most powerful figure in Lakeview.

On the beach of Dawnlight Isle, a gentle breeze carried the salty scent of the sea.

Griffin held my hand as we walked along the beach. The shore was filled with bright red roses and flickering candles. Paintings that Diane and Ethan had drawn themselves hung on strings, with the words "We hope Mommy marries Daddy" written on them.

Edna, Sebastian, Felix, Hazel, Kevin, and others stood not far away, their faces wearing blessed smiles. There were also some representatives of my fans, holding light signs with "Skylar" written on them.

Griffin stopped, got down on one knee, and pulled out a velvet box from his pocket. Opening it, inside was a brilliant diamond ring.

"Aviah, from meeting and knowing each other to understanding and loving each other, we've been through so much." His gaze was tender yet firm, his voice full of deep emotion. "Thank you for appearing in my life, thank you for everything you've given me. I hope that every day for the rest of our lives, I can be with you, take care of you, protect you, and love you. Will you marry me?"