Chapter 31: Breaking Chains
The cold night air bit at Sora's skin as she stepped onto the balcony, her heart still pounding from the chaos inside. The sounds of murmuring guests and clinking glasses faded into the background, but the weight of their stares lingered. Liam followed, his grip on her hand firm, steady.
She leaned against the railing, staring at the city lights below. "That was a disaster," she whispered, voice hollow.
Liam sighed, slipping off his suit jacket and draping it over her bare shoulders. "That was your mother's doing." His tone was edged with controlled fury. "She wanted this to happen."
Sora exhaled sharply, wrapping the jacket tighter around herself. "I know." Her voice cracked. "And the worst part? She's right. This life—I didn't build it. I was forced into it."
Liam turned to her fully, his gaze intense. "No," he said, his voice unwavering. "You made it your own."
She let out a bitter laugh. "Did I? Or did I just do what I was expected to?"
He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he reached for her chin, gently tilting her face toward him. "Tell me something, Sora," he murmured. "Did you expect to love me?"
Her breath hitched.
"No," she admitted.
"And yet here we are." His thumb brushed against her cheek, as if tracing the weight of her unspoken fears. "This marriage started as a contract, but what we have now? That's ours. Not hers. Not theirs. Just ours."
Sora blinked rapidly, forcing back the tears threatening to spill. "She'll never stop, Liam. No matter how much I push back, she'll always find a way to remind me that I belong to her."
Liam's eyes darkened. "Then we cut her out."
Sora stiffened. "She's my mother."
"She's also the person who's been poisoning your life since you were a child." His voice was firm, but not unkind. "You don't owe her your happiness, Sora."
A silence stretched between them. The cold wind carried the echoes of the party behind them, but they felt worlds away.
"I don't know how to let go," she whispered finally.
Liam exhaled softly. Then, without hesitation, he took both of her hands in his. "Then I'll show you how."
Sora looked up at him, searching his face, her heart aching with the weight of everything unsaid. And for the first time, she allowed herself to imagine a life that wasn't dictated by duty or expectation—a life that was truly her own.
She nodded.
It was time to break free.
The night air outside the venue was crisp, but inside, tension hung heavy in the aftermath of the chaos Harry and Vivian had caused. Sora stood in one of the empty hallways, her hands clenched at her sides as she faced her mother. Laura Wilson looked as composed as ever, but there was something in her eyes—an unease she rarely showed.
"I hope you're satisfied," Sora said, her voice low but sharp. "This is the world you wanted for me, isn't it? A world where love is just a tool, and happiness is irrelevant?"
Laura's lips pressed into a thin line. "Don't be dramatic, Sora. You wouldn't even be standing here if I hadn't arranged this marriage. Look at what you and Liam have accomplished."
Sora let out a hollow laugh. "You think this is your success? That everything Liam and I built was because of you?" She took a step closer, her gaze burning. "We survived in spite of you, Mother. Not because of you."
Laura's eyes narrowed. "I gave you stability. A future. Love fades, Sora. Only power and security remain."
"Then why do you look so empty?" Sora shot back. "You have everything, don't you? Power. Status. A husband who never left. So tell me, Mother—why do you still look so miserable?"
For the first time, Laura faltered.
Sora pressed on. "I used to think you were invincible. That you never doubted yourself, never regretted anything. But that's a lie, isn't it?" Her voice softened, but the weight of her words remained. "You spent your whole life trying to control love because you were afraid of losing it."
Laura stiffened, her breath hitching.
"You forced me away from Liam back then because you were scared," Sora continued. "Scared that if I chose love over power, I'd end up weak. Just like you were when you fell for Dad."
Laura's composure cracked. "Enough," she whispered, her voice unsteady.
But Sora didn't stop. "You loved him once, didn't you? Truly loved him. But you let that love turn into something bitter. And now, you're trying to do the same to me."
A silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken truths.
Then a voice broke through.
"You can't control love, Laura."
Both women turned to see Carl Wilson standing a few feet away, his expression weary but firm. He had been listening, his hands tucked into his pockets as he studied his wife.
"Love isn't something you mold to fit your vision," Carl said quietly. "You either let it be, or you destroy it."
Laura's lips parted slightly, her gaze flickering with something unreadable. She looked at her husband—really looked at him—for the first time in years. And for the first time, she seemed lost.
Sora watched as her mother stood there, dazed, her walls slowly crumbling.
And in that moment, Sora knew—Laura Wilson, the woman who had shaped her entire life, was finally facing the truth.
"You never let her choose," he said, his voice firm, unwavering. "You never let her dream. And the worst part? You convinced yourself it was for her own good."
Laura's breath hitched. "I did what I had to do," she whispered, as if saying it aloud would make it true.
Carl shook his head, disappointment heavy in his gaze. "No, Laura. You did what you wanted. You convinced yourself that power mattered more than happiness. That wealth was worth more than love. But I remember a time when you weren't like this."
Sora's eyes widened slightly. This was new.
"You loved me once," Carl continued, his voice raw. "Back when we were young, before money and influence became your obsession. We weren't perfect, but we were happy. Then, somewhere along the way, you stopped looking at me like I was your husband—and started looking at me like a business partner."
Laura's lips parted, but no words came.
Carl let out a bitter chuckle. "I stood by, watching as you turned our daughter into another piece on your chessboard. And I let it happen because I was too much of a coward to stop you." His jaw clenched. "But not anymore."
Laura's composure cracked, her breath shuddering as she turned toward him. "I did what I had to, Carl. Love doesn't pay the bills. Love doesn't build empires. If I hadn't—"
"You would have still had us," Carl interrupted, his voice quiet but filled with so much weight that Laura flinched. "You would have still had a family."
Sora felt a lump form in her throat. She had never seen her father like this—so direct, so open. He had always been the silent observer, but now he was finally standing his ground.
"You act like love is weakness, but look at where it's left you," Carl said. "Sora isn't your puppet anymore. And if you don't change, Laura, you're going to lose her."
The words cut deeper than anything else.
For the first time, Laura Wilson didn't look powerful. She looked small.
Sora swallowed hard. She had spent years resenting her father for never fighting back. But now, seeing him stand up for her, for them, she realized he had always cared. He just hadn't known how to fight Laura's iron will.
"Mom," Sora said, her voice softer now, "I know you think you were protecting me. But all you did was trap me. And if you really love me, if you ever loved Dad the way he still loves you, then stop this. Let me go. Let us go."
Laura's breath hitched, her gaze darting between Carl and Sora.
For the first time in decades, she wasn't the one in control. And it terrified her.
Silence stretched between them.
Then, finally, Laura exhaled, her shoulders sagging in defeat. She turned to Carl, and for the first time in years, there was something in her eyes other than cold calculation.
Regret.
And it was that look, more than anything, that told Sora—her mother had finally heard them.
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