Scarlett (Second Edition) by Karima Saad Usman novel Chapter 173

Chapter 173

Scarlett’s POV

A silence settled between us again, but it felt different this time, as if something had shifted, a mutual understanding neither of us had expected.

“I’m sure we’ll manage, Scarlett,” Maxwell said, his tone steady yet weighted with resignation.

“None of us ever expected you would get your wolf, much less become a Valkin with magic. We never intended for you to face Garland for us. Going to the West was about asking Keith for aid and bringing you home. He’s sent us the help we need, and that’s enough. This mess is ours to fix, and we don’t want to drag you back into it.”

He paused, his voice softening. “Elsa will return tonight, and she’ll help sever the bond. I hope… I hope you find the happiness you deserve wherever you go.” There was a calm acceptance in his voice, a kind of peace he seemed to have made within himself.

I bit my lip, unable to ignore the ache in his words. “What about Clay? Is he… is he okay with it too?” I asked.

Maxwell sighed, nodding slowly. “He is. We all are, Scarlett. Let’s face it-we know you won’t be able to forgive what happened here. Asking you to simply let go… that would be too much. Not all losses can be salvaged, and I guess this is one of them.”

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He searched my eyes, as though trying to capture some fragment of what we once had. Slowly, he reached out, his hand settling on my upper arm. I felt the familiar tingle of our bond, a spark of what had once been everything, but I suppressed it, keeping my face neutral.

“I didn’t start thinking of all the things I could have said or done differently until that night on the highway,” he said, his voice almost a whisper, as if speaking these words for the first time. “The night we found the spot where your scent disappeared, replaced by burnt rubber and ashes. That was when i realized you were truly gone from our lives, and there was a chance we’d never see you again. I prayed harder than I ever had, Scarlett. There was nothing wouldn’t have given to have you back.”

Maxwell’s gaze turned distant, lost in the memories he was recounting. “The others felt the same. Clay made promises, offered anything and everything just to get the smallest lead. Lucian…” He paused, a hint of sorrow flashing in his eyes. “Lucian turned against his own people, drove them away without a

second thought, all to try to find you. He lost it all for you.”

I could feel the weight of his words settling around us, heavy with regret and the pieces of a love broken beyond repair. Yet, standing there hearing har lay everything bare, I felt a flicker of something different-a strange mix of sorrow, gratitude, and a tiny, reluctant forgiveness.

“Bottom line is… we were empty. You took everything with you, Scarlett,” Maxwell said, his voice hollow. He tried to smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes, the sadness in his expression was deeper than any words could express.

“I wanted to see you again, to hold you and tell you all the things I’d kept bottled up. I wanted a second chance, & chance to get it right. I feared su bard for it, but… I guess we don’t always get what we want.” He looked at me, a flicker of something soft in his gaze.

“Seeing you now, knowing you’re okay–that’s enough. Keith’s a good man, and he’ll make you happy. He’ll do right where we failed. That much fam I bear no grudge; in fact, I’m grateful that you even thought of helping us with Garland

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