Chapter 65
Emily’s POV
Nicole stood before me, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. I could sense the desperation in her voice as she spoke, but I wasn’t in the mood for it. Not now. Not after everything. She had been silent for so long, ignoring me, pushing me aside, and now, here she was, begging to talk.
“Emily, please,” Nicole’s voice cracked, her hands trembling slightly as she clasped them together. “I just want to explain. I know I wasn’t the mother you deserved, but I’ve changed. I’m sorry for everything.”
I stared at her, indifferent. “I don’t need an apology, Nicole. Not after all these years.”
Cathe, who stood by, gave me a gentle nudge, her eyes pleading silently for me to at least hear Nicole out. “Come on, Emily. Let her finish,” she urged, pulling me away from the table where I had been trying to escape the conversation.
Sighing, I relented. I knew that this wasn’t going to end until I let Nicole say her piece. “Fine,” I said, crossing my arms, trying to keep my composure. “Make it quick.”
Nicole’s lip quivered, but she pressed on. “I’ve been thinking about everything, and I realize now how wrong I was. I neglected you, I treated you unfairly, and I’m truly sorry for that. You were the best daughter
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anyone could ask for, and I failed you.”
I stared at her, my heart cold to her words. “Is this because Vera and Tom are threatening your business?” I asked, shifting my gaze from Nicole to Cathe. “Is that why you’re suddenly so sorry?”
Nicole’s face fell, and Cathe opened her mouth to speak, but I wasn’t done. “Don’t pretend this is out of guilt or regret. You’ve treated me like I was invisible for years. Now, because my birth parents are powerful, you both suddenly want to fix things?”
Cathe straightened, clearly offended, but Nicole was quick to jump in. “Emily, that’s not it-”
“Then what is it?” I interrupted, my voice rising with frustration. “You both ignored me, pushed me aside, made me feel like I was nothing. And now, when you’re afraid of what Vera and Tom might do, you want to play the role of the concerned mother?”
Nicole’s eyes filled with tears. “I know it seems that way, but I swear, Emily, I just want to be a mother to you. I’ve realized how much I’ve lost, and I don’t want to lose you completely.”
Cathe nodded, her voice colder. “We’re not doing this because of Vera. Yes, she’s powerful, but we’re here because we care about you.”
I scoffed, shaking my head. “You had your chance, Nicole. You used to yell at me over the smallest things, and the only thing I ever got from you was some material comforts. But after the one–night stand with Keith? I
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lost even that. You and the rest of your family ignored me like I never existed.” My voice was bitter, the memories of her coldness swirling in my mind. “Honestly, I would’ve preferred being thrown back into the orphanage.”
Nicole winced at my words, but she didn’t back down. “I know I made mistakes, but you’re still my daughter, Emily.”
“I’m not your daughter, Nicole. Let’s not pretend that’s what this is about,” I shot back.
There was a silence that stretched between us, thick with tension. I could see Cathe looking between us, as though she wanted to intervene, but even she knew that this was something Nicole and I had to face alone.
Finally, Nicole pulled something out of her bag–a small, crumpled note. “This,” she whispered, “is from your father. Before he died, he asked me to give this to you.” She held it out with trembling hands, the note stained with what looked like dried blood.
I froze, recognizing the piece of paper immediately. I had seen it before- back when my father had handed it to Nicole before he went into surgery, the very surgery he didn’t survive.
I stared at the note, my heart pounding in my chest. “What is this?”
Nicole’s voice was barely above a whisper. “It’s something he wanted you. to have. He said it would explain everything.”
Chapter 65
I hesitated before taking the note from her hand, my fingers brushing over the bloody fingerprints. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to read it. I wasn’t sure if I could handle whatever revelation this piece of paper held.
“Why now?” I asked, my voice hollow. “Why did he wait until after he died to give this to me?”
Nicole shook her head, her voice trembling as tears streamed down her face. “Some things aren’t meant to be understood right away, Emily. But in the end, they’re always worth it–no matter how hard they seem.”
weight of Nicole’s words pressed down on me, but I still didn’t trust her. How could I, after everything?
I stared down at the note in my hand, my mind racing. The •
“I’m not sure I want to know the truth,” I whispered, feeling the weight of the past pressing on my chest. “What difference does it make now?”
Nicole stepped forward, her voice pleading. “Emily, please. Just read it. It might not make sense right away, but it’s what your father wanted you to have ”
I felt a lump form in my throat as I gripped the note tighter, the paper crinkling under the pressure. I didn’t know if I was ready for whatever this note would reveal, but I knew one thing for sure–I couldn’t keep pretending that none of this mattered.
