Chapter 97

Eliza's POV

“He’s dead?” I gasped, my heart racing as I looked at Morgan slumped on the ground, his body lifeless and still. The sheer weight of the moment settled over me like a thick fog, an odd mix of disbelief and relief coursing through my veins.

The expression on my father’s face was a tumultuous mixture of anxiety and relief. He enveloped me into his arms, lifting me off the ground as I instinctively buried my face in his shoulder.

“Thank the stars that you are safe and okay. I was so worried,” he exclaimed, his voice muffled against my shoulder. I clung to him tightly, feeling the warmth and safety in his embrace, like the sun breaking through the clouds after a storm. My father’s fear for my safety had always weighed heavily on me, and now, in this moment of reunion, it felt like an anchor grounding us both.

My brother stood slightly behind us, his wide eyes taking in the scene with a mix of shock and confusion. “What happened, Eliza? We saw the stor