The 99th Game Was Mine All Along novel Chapter 118

"Mommy," my son whispered, "are they talking about Uncle Ethan?"

I readjusted his eye mask. "You misheard. Go back to sleep, sweetheart. I'm right here."

Oliver slept until we landed.

In familiar surroundings, he became noticeably happier, taking eager steps toward the exit.

I quickly held him back. "Oliver, we need to catch another flight."

"We're going to Edinburgh to see Grandma."

Standing at the entrance to my hometown, I felt a momentary hesitation.

For my sake, my parents had once flown to America to meet Ethan.

They never approved of him.

It was me who insisted on our handfasting ceremony, even starting a business with him.

Ethan always assumed I agreed to handfasting because I loved him so deeply that I was willing to date with him without marriage.

Little did he know, I embraced handfasting as part of my own heritage.

I grew up in a proud Irish family from Edinburgh, where women have maintained their independence for generations.

In my family, the women kept their surnames, owned their own land, and passed down their strength through the maternal line—my grandmother often said we had Celtic warrior queens in our blood.

Taking a deep breath, I led Oliver toward home.

Along the way, childhood friends and elders greeted me as if I'd never left.

When my mother saw me, she welcomed me with tears streaming down her face.

That evening, the whole family gathered warmly for a reunion dinner.

Oliver hadn't experienced such family warmth in a long time. He held my hand and said:

"Mom, I love it here."

At the Ferrers estate, Ethan's mother had been almost cruel in her demands of us.

When they ate, we were expected to serve them.

When we ate, we endured constant criticism.

Thinking of this, I kissed my son's soft little cheek. "Then we'll stay here forever and never go back."

My son nodded, finally showing some childlike innocence.

Just then, my neighbor rushed in from outside: "Freya, you'd better come see."

"That man you were engaged to is causing a scene at the entrance!"

Hearing that Ethan had arrived.

Instantly, the smiles disappeared from both my and Oliver's faces.

With the Ferrers family's resources, I wasn't surprised they'd found us so quickly.

I adjusted my dress as I headed toward the entrance. Before I even arrived, I could hear my sisters teasing him:

"So you're the man Freya chose? You look useless."