Chapter 119
Elodie’s POV~
After four hours of nonstop work, my brain felt like it was going to short-circuit. The screen had started blurring together, and even Johnny’s voice was beginning to sound like white noise.
“Alright, let’s take a break,” he said, and I could hear the exhaustion in his tone too. “We’ll pick this up again in two hours p>
“Sounds good,” I muttered, closing my laptop and rubbing my eyes.
I sat there for a moment, staring at the wall, trying to process everything we’d just covered. My thoughts were tangled, overlapping, refusing to settle into any kind of order.
I needed air.
I grabbed my coat and decided to head outside. Maybe I’d pick some apples while I was at it, then bring them back for Johnny and the others tomorrow. A small gesture, but it felt like something normal to do. Something that didn’t involve divorce papers or cold marriages or half-sisters stealing my life.
The resort was massive, sprawling across the mountainside. I had no idea where Dante and the others were, and honestly, I didn’t care. I slipped downstairs without running into anyone, which felt like a small mercy.
The sky was still light, painted in shades of gold and pink as the sun started to descend. I grabbed two staff members to help me with the baskets and headed up the mountain trail.
The air was crispy there, it was biting at my cheeks, but I was bundled up in a thick coat, so the cold didn’t bother me much. If anything, it felt good. Like it was washing away the fog in my head.
We picked apples for a while, the staff helping me fill two or three crates. My hands got sticky with juice, and I could smell the sweet, earthy scent of the fruit mixing with the pine trees around us.
When we finished, I didn’t want to go back down just yet.
The sunset was too beautiful to waste.
So I sat down on a flat rock near the edge of the trail, pulled my knees up to my chest, and just… watched as the sky bled orange and red, and the mountains dark silhouettes against the fading light.
For a moment, I let myself breathe.
Then I heard footsteps and a familiar, bright voice that belonged to a child and I turned around.
And there was Harry Becker.
He stopped mid-step when he saw me, his eyes widening just a fraction. Clearly, he hadn’t expected to run into me either.
The tiny and excited voice came again through his phone. “Auntie p>
I blinked, realizing he was on a video call. The camera was pointed at the apple trees, and I could just make out the outline of a little girl on the screen.
Oh… it was Daisy.
Harry had been showing her the apples, telling her he’d bring some back tomorrow. And now here I was, sitting in the middle of his shot like some kind of awkward extra.
I felt my face go blank immediately, my walls slamming back into place.
We’d met a few times now. He’d helped me more than once, at the car accident, at the hot springs when I’d pulled Daisy out of the water. But that didn’t mean I wanted to be close to him. Didn’t mean I wanted to let him in.
I didn’t let anyone in anymore.
But then I heard Daisy’s voice again, calling out happily, and something in my chest softened.
Just a little though.
Harry must’ve noticed the shift in my expression, because he stayed where he was, a few meters away, respecting the distance.
“Daisy wants to talk to you,” he said carefully. “Would you be willing p>
I hesitated. But then I remembered her sweet, little, chubby, cute face that seemed to melt my own heart. Her innocent eyes tugged at my soul’s string and made me want to pull the little girl into my own body and merge her with me for some unknown reason but I couldn’t. I couldn’t because… oh well p>
And I appreciated how kind that little sunshine had been to me, that had been more than I could put into words.
So I nodded.
Harry walked over slowly, holding out his phone. But he didn’t come too close. He stopped a respectful distance away, like he knew I needed space.
I took the phone and angled it so Daisy could see my face.
“Hi, sweetheart,” I said, and my voice came out softer than I expected.
Daisy’s face lit up on the screen. “Auntie! You’re there! Uncle Harry didn’t tell me you were coming p>
I smiled despite myself. “I didn’t know he’d be here either p>
She giggled. “Are you picking apples too p>
“I just finished, actually. Got a whole bunch p>
“Can you show me p>
I turned the camera toward the crates behind me, and Daisy made an exaggerated gasp. “Wow! That’s so many p>
We talked for a while, about the sunset, about her grandmother, about how she wished she could’ve come to the resort but had to stay home this time. Her voice was bright, and for those ten minutes, I felt… lighter.
Like I wasn’t carrying quite so much weight.
When we finally said goodbye, I handed the phone back to Harry.
Our fingers brushed briefly, and I pulled my hand back quickly, shoving it into my coat pocket.
Harry looked at me for a moment, his expression unreadable.
Then he said quietly, “Thank you. For talking to her. She really likes you p>
I shrugged, looking away. “She’s a good kid. You don’t even need to thank me p>
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By the time they made it back to the resort, the sky had turned completely dark. But the mountain path was lit with soft, golden streetlights that made the descent easy enough.
Elodie hesitated for just a moment at the top of the trail, then turned and started walking down.
Harry followed.
He didn’t say anything. Didn’t try to fill the silence with small talk or pleasantries. He just walked a few paces behind her, keeping his footsteps quiet on the stone path.
The silence between them wasn’t uncomfortable. It wasn’t warm either. It just… was… there.
Neither of them spoke the entire way down.
As they approached the entrance to the resort, the warm glow of the lobby spilling out onto the pathway, they were about to step inside when a figure appeared in front of them.
Sienna.
She stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes widening as she took in the sight of Elodie and Harry, walking side by side down the mountain, alone together in the near-darkness.
Her lips pressed into a tight, thin line.
Elodie didn’t even glance at her. She just walked past her, her expression blank, her shoulders straight, and disappeared into the lobby without a word.
Sienna stood there, staring after her, her jaw tight.
Then she turned to Harry, her brow furrowing. “Harry, you two p>
Harry’s expression didn’t change. His tone was calm, unbothered. “We ran into each other on the mountain p>
Sienna knew he’d been on a video call with Daisy earlier, showing her the apple trees. So it made sense they’d cross paths if Elodie had been up there too.
Still, something about it gnawed at her.
She relaxed slightly, but before she could press further, Harry cut in. “Where is everyone p>
“By the pavilion,” Sienna said, her voice smoothing out. “The bonfire feast is ready. They were about to call you p>
“Got it p>
The two of them walked toward the pavilion together, the gravel crunching softly under their feet.
The bonfire was already roaring by the time they arrived, the flames licking at the night sky, the sparks dancing upward.
The long table beside it was loaded with fresh ingredients, filled with thick cuts of meat, skewers of vegetables, bowls of marinated chicken, burrata salad glistening with olive oil. Everything was prepped and ready to go.
Levi and a few others had already started eating, dipping pieces of spicy bobo chicken into the broth and stuffing their faces with zero shame.
When Harry and Sienna arrived, Levi looked up, grinning. “Finally! We were about to send a search party p>
Sienna slid into the seat beside Dante, her hand brushing his arm briefly as she settled in.
Dante glanced at her, nodded once, then turned his attention back to the fire.
Levi took another bite, chewed thoughtfully, then looked around the table. His gaze landed on the empty seat across from him.
He frowned.
“Wait,” he said, turning to Liora. “Lio, can you go upstairs and get your mom? Tell her we’ve got good food down here. She should come eat with us p>
He doubted Elodie would actually come down, just like she hadn’t at lunch but they had to at least try. For appearances. For Nonna.
Sienna understood immediately. She looked at Liora, her smile encouraging this time. “Go ahead, sweetheart p>
Liora’s face fell.
She didn’t want her mom to come down. She really didn’t.
If her mom joined them, it would get awkward. Tense. Everyone would be walking on eggshells, and the whole vibe would shift. It was easier when she stayed upstairs. When she wasn’t there.
But everyone was looking at her now, waiting.
She sighed and started to put down her drink, resigning herself to the task.
Then Dante spoke.
“I’ll go p>
The words landed like a stone dropped into still water and everyone froze.
Levi’s fork stopped mid-air. Sienna’s smile faltered, her eyes snapping to Dante in confusion. Harry looked up sharply, his gaze narrowing.
Even Liora stared at her father, her mouth slightly open.
Dante stood, brushing off his jeans, his expression as unreadable as ever. “I’ll bring her down p>