Rebirth of the Broken Luna A Second Chance at Luna's Heart novel Chapter 515

Chapter 515

“That’s why Mom died too, Riley continued, his voice taking on that clinical detachment he used when processing trauma. “Mate bond severing when- he stopped, looking at Lumina. “You died of grief. Watching Ollie die while Dad was celebrating elsewhere broke your heart. Literally.”

“Yes, Lumina confirmed quietly.

Riley stood abruptly, his small body rigid with tension. “So it’s my fault. In that timeline, I’m the reason everything went wrong. If I hadn’t existed, if Sophia hadn’t had me as leverage, Dad wouldn’t have been controlled. Ollie wouldn’t have died. Mom wouldn’t have died.”

‘No, I said sharply, crossing to kneel in front of him. ‘Riley, none of that was your fault. You were a victim of Sophia’s manipulation just as much as I was. You didn’t choose to be kidnapped as a baby. You didn’t choose to be used as leverage.*

But I was aware, Riley said, and his voice cracked on the words. “I knew something was wrong. I knew she was doing things to get closer to you, I knew she was using me as bait, but she told me that Mum had stolen you from us, that we were your real family. I knew, Dad. Even in that timeline, some part of me knew Sophia was manipulating you.”

“You had the necklace,” Ollie said suddenly. “Remember, Riley? The one Sophia made you wear? The special one that made you unable to tell anyone what you saw, that you didn’t let me touch even when it was glowing in school and then we had that accident.”

Riley’s hand moved automatically to his throat, touching the place where Sophia’s magical suppression necklace had rested for years. “The compulsion necklace. She told me it was to help me, to keep me from getting overwhelmed by visions. But it was actually preventing me from warning anyone about

what I saw.”

“Exactly,” I said. “You couldn’t tell anyone because you were magically prevented from doing so. That wasn’t your fault, Riley. That was Sophia using you as both leverage and insurance-keeping you close to control me, keeping you silent to prevent exposure.”

“But I should have found a way, Riley insisted. “. I should have- he stopped, his young face contorted with guilt. I’m supposed to be smart. Tactical. Why couldn’t I figure out how to break free and warn you?”

“Because you were five years old, Lumina said firmly, moving to join us. “Five years old and under magical compulsion and being manipulated by an adult who’d had years to perfect her control techniques. Riley, you were a child. A victim. Not a villain who failed to save everyone.”

“And you did break free eventually,’ I reminded him. “When you took off my necklace during that bedtime story, when you hugged me before the trip to the woods. The one Sophia had given me that was the anchor for her control magic. You risked severe punishment to remove it because you knew it was the

right thing to do..”

Riley’s eyes widened slightly. I’d forgotten about that. Sophia was so angry. She- he stopped, looking at me. She pushed me off a cliff as punishment. Made it look like an accident. Because I’d broken her primary control mechanism. And she wanted you more than I needed her to be my mum

“Yes, I confirmed. And if you hadn’t taken that risk, if you hadn’t removed my necklace despite knowing Sophia would punish you Ud still he under her control right now. That decision you made, that moment when you acted despite the danger that’s when everything started changing.

are.”

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