Echoes of Vengeance: The Sweet Wife's Perfect Revenge-Chapter 215: The Reminders of A Life

Velmora was still buzzing from the Astors' downfall when another hurricane hit the city.

Theodore Marston was arrested.

A travel ban.

Aveline Laurent's name was tied to it.

The questions multiplied, but nobody dared speak carelessly. Not anymore. Not after watching the Laurents and Alaric Lancaster tear the Astors apart without lifting their voices.

…

The night was growing darker, the city lights scattered like broken stars. At the intersection, a Rolls-Royce stood parked beneath the streetlamp, its polished body catching the gold light.

The world around it was quiet, just the low hum of streetlights and the distant growl of engines.

Then a Bugatti rolled in from a different direction, its sleek frame gliding across the asphalt. Alaric stepped out immediately. His shoulders eased only when he saw Aveline step out, unscathed. She walked straight into his arms, burying herself in his chest.

He gently stroked the back of her head. Everything wasn't over yet. But they had tied the ends. But knowing Seraphina Astor was attacking Aveline because of him still boiled his blood.

Aveline's voice trembled against him, "I wasn't imagining Damien. He… he had access to step out of prison. It was all an act to freak me out."

She couldn't believe she had never thought of it. She felt foolish to trust the system that let him out so easily.

The fear in her tone twisted something deep in Alaric. He loosened his hold enough to see her face. "We have major cleanup to do," he said quietly.

The prison staff who helped Damien, the chief of police, and the team he formed against Aveline due to Seraphina, Alaric had no plans to let them off.

Aveline understood his words. Then her worry came out in words. "Will this ever end? He used Theodore Marston… who next?" Her voice cracked.

Was she supposed to spend her whole life looking over her shoulder?

Was she supposed to live cautiously until the day she died?

Just the thought of it was enough to seep exhaustion through her bones. She didn't want that kind of life.

"Sunshine," Alaric said softly, cupping her face, lifting her gaze to him. "We'll deal with it my way now."

She knew what that meant. In a world filled with immorality, her lawful path was too noble. The system was riddled with loopholes, with snakes waiting to crawl through.

His way wasn't upright. But sometimes survival needs corrupt ways.

Aveline nodded slowly. Her silent acknowledgement that she wouldn't interfere. She didn't want to spend the rest of her life defending herself or watching Alaric chase every danger aimed at her.

Alaric nudged the conversation away. "Let's get something to eat first."

At a restaurant, they ate peacefully. A small pocket of calm after a day full of fires.

…

On the way to the Ivory Towers, Aveline had just dozed off in the backseat when her phone buzzed with the name Charles.

Alaric didn't get to mute the ringtone. She woke up and picked up. "Hello, bro!"

Her heart stopped at her brother's breathless voice. "Lina… Grandmother fainted. We're rushing her to the hospital."

Aveline froze. Her fingers went cold. Her chest tightened as if someone had pressed a fist into her ribs.

She had spoken to her grandmother barely an hour ago. Celeste had sounded fine. Cheerful even. So why?

Is history repeating?

"Sunshine?" Alaric leaned closer. "What's wrong?"

"Hospital…" she whispered, choking on her breath. "Hospital. Head to Springfield. Now." She cried.

Alaric barely glanced at his chauffeur, who took a sharp turn, tires screeching. Aveline trembled the whole way when he kept trying to ease her.

…

At the Springfield Hospital

Aveline got out and ran the moment the car stopped. Alaric followed without asking anything else, he didn't need to. She reached the ward Charles had mentioned and shoved the door open.

Her breath caught, her feet froze.

Celeste lay on the bed, oxygen mask on, wires tracing her fragile body. The steady beep… beep… beep… hammered through Aveline's ears.

But instead of her grandmother, she saw herself. Her own weak body from her previous life. Her own fading breaths. Her knees buckled.

Alaric was quick to cover her ears, muting the beeping for her. He wanted to take her out but knew she would prefer to stay beside Celeste.

"Lina…" Margaret's voice caught Aveline. "Grandmother's stable. Just weak."

Henry stepped closer. "It was low blood pressure, sweetheart."

Aveline wiped her cheeks with shaky fingers. "Grandmother is… sleeping?" She hoped it was as simple as they were saying.

Margaret and Henry exchanged glances. Charles had to answer when he met her eyes, "She must be resting. Doctors are running tests."

Aveline walked closer and sat beside the bed, holding Celeste's hand with both of hers. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry…" Tears rolled down her cheeks without stopping.

It was her health back then; now it was her battles.

Her voice was barely audible, "Not again… please, not again." She didn't want the same fate to repeat.

Her words broke everyone's heart. Margaret rubbed Aveline's back. "Grandmother wasn't worried, Lina. She knows you're safe. She's just old, Lina. That's all."

Charles nodded. "Your name is cleared. She knows that, too."

Henry pressed his lips together, helplessly watching his daughter fall apart.

Alaric stood by her, silent, letting her breathe through the fear, ready to take her away if the panic attack started.

...

An hour passed.

Doctors ran test after test. Everything came back normal for Celeste's age. But Aveline didn't relax. Not even for a second.

Henry exhaled when the doctor left, saying they would observe Celeste for the night. "Alaric, you two should head home and rest. It had been a long day." He said, watching Aveline refuse to leave Celeste's side.

"No," Aveline muttered, clutching Celeste's hand. Her refusal wasn't loud. But it was stubborn and terrified.

Alaric exchanged a look with her family. Then he crouched, scooped her up gently, and carried her out of the hospital despite her soft protests. "Alaric, let me down…"

At one look at his face, she didn't fight him. Her arms wrapped around his neck, face buried in his shoulder, breath still shaking.

Alaric pressed a kiss to her temple. "We're going home, Sunshine," he murmured. "We'll come back first thing in the morning."

She hummed in acceptance with a shaky breath.

The icy night air hit her face as Alaric carried her outside, but it didn't calm the storm shaking her chest. She clung to him like she was afraid that her world might collapse if she let go.

When he settled her into the seat, Aveline stared out at the glowing hospital sign, her pulse still racing, her breath too shallow.

"Sunshine... this isn't just about grandmother fainting, is it?" Alaric asked quietly, covering her with a warm throw.

And for the first time that night, Aveline realized she couldn't keep her past buried anymore. Not from him.

She shut her eyes. A single tear slid down. "No," she whispered.

Alaric didn't push further. He simply held her hand as the car pulled away, the city lights streaking past the window like reminders of a life she was terrified of repeating.