Chapter 239 239
Chapter 239 239
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“Mom?”
She took a slow, heavy step forward, her sneakers grinding into the grit on the sidewalk. Her eyes scanned every dark doorway, every tinted car window, desperate for anything.
Where was she? Why call out of nowhere after six dead years, sound like she was being hunted, and then just vanish into thin air?
Blair wrapped her arms tight around herself, shivering as the damp air bit straight through her shirt.
Then suddenly—
A hand touched her back.
Blair nearly jumped out of her skin. She whipped around on her heel, her hands coming up on instinct—
The air locked up in her throat.
She spun around in panic.
But the fear on her face disappeared.
Her lips parted.
She couldn’t move.
Those eyes.
That familiar pair of eyes she hadn’t seen in years.
Eyes she thought she would never see again.
Blair stared at them, completely frozen.
“…Mom?”
“Blair…”
Her mother’s voice trembled as she stepped closer.
“My Blair. My child…”
She pulled Blair into her arms.
“Come here, my child.”
Blair remained completely still.
Her arms hung at her sides.
She couldn’t even process what was happening.
Her mother was hugging her.
Her mother—the woman she hadn’t seen in years.
The same woman she had spent years trying to forget.
Blair’s eyes slowly filled with tears.
“Mom…”
Her voice broke.
She finally lifted her arms and held onto her mother.
Her mother tightened the hug, crying against her shoulder.
“My Blair… my child.”
Blair squeezed her eyes shut.
She didn’t know whether to cry, scream, or ask a thousand questions.
All she could do was stand there in her mother’s arms, still in shock.
Her mother sobbed out loud, her arms wrapping tighter around Blair’s shoulders, her hands cupping the back of Blair’s head. “My Blair… my baby, I’m so sorry…”
Blair squeezed her eyes shut, heavy tears pouring down her face into the fabric of her mother’s collar.
Her mother held her tightly for a few more seconds before pulling back.
She cupped Blair’s face in both hands.
Her eyes were filled with tears.
“My Blair…”
She gently wiped the tears from Blair’s cheek.
Then she wiped them again, as if she couldn't bear to see her daughter crying.
Blair stared at her, still trying to understand how this was real.
Her mother took a shaky breath.
“My Blair…”
Her voice became softer.
“We don’t have so much time left.”
Blair immediately panicked.
“What do you mean?”
Her mother didn't answer right away.
Instead, she quickly looked over her shoulder.
Then the other way.
Her eyes darted around the deserted area, fear written all over her face.
Blair noticed.
“Mom?”
Her mother grabbed her hands.
“Keep your voice down.”
“Why?” Blair whispered, her heart beginning to race.
Her mother looked over her shoulder again.
She was terrified.
“They might find us.”
“Who?”
Her mother swallowed hard.
“Olivia’s people.”
Blair’s face went pale.
“What?”
Her mother tightened her grip on Blair’s hands.
“We have to leave. Now.”
Blair stared at her.
“Mom, what is going on?”
Her mother looked at her daughter, tears filling her eyes again.
“I’ll tell you everything…”
She glanced behind them once more.
“I’m sorry, my Blair.”
Her voice cracked.
“I’m so sorry.”
Blair stared at her through the tears blurring her vision.
Her mother lowered her head, unable to meet her eyes.
“I’m sorry for treating you badly. I’m sorry for every cruel word I said to you. I failed you, Blair.”
Her shoulders began to shake.
“I failed you as a mother.”
“Mom…”
“I tried to reach you.”
Her mother looked up again, tears streaming freely down her face.
“I tried to reach you and my grandson. So many times, Blair. I wanted to come to you. I wanted to tell you everything.”
She swallowed painfully.
“But I couldn’t.”
“Why?”
Her mother closed her eyes.
“Because of Olivia.”
Blair froze.
Her mother slowly sank to her knees in front of her.
“I was afraid of your sister.”
Blair’s breath caught.
“She controlled me. She threatened me. She made me believe that if I ever came near you, she would destroy everything you had left.”
Her voice broke.
“And I let her.”
She bowed her head.
“I let her take you away from me.”
Blair’s tears fell harder.
Her mother reached for her hands.
“Forgive me, Blair.”
Blair could barely breathe.
“Please…”
Her mother squeezed her fingers.
“I should have protected you.”
A sob escaped her.
“I should have told you the truth years ago.”
Blair shook her head, overwhelmed.
“What truth?”
Her mother looked directly into her eyes.
“Olivia doesn’t deserve Lucas Brooks.”
Blair went still.
Her mother wiped her tears with the back of her trembling hand.
“She never did.”
“Mom…”
“You saved his mother.”
Blair’s eyes widened.
“Six years ago, when Patricia Brooks was dying…”
Her mother’s voice trembled.
“It was you, Blair.”
Blair stared at her.
“Your blood saved her.”
Her lips parted.
“No…”
“Yes.”
Her mother nodded through her tears.
“Not Olivia.”
A painful silence filled the space between them.
“You saved Patricia Brooks.”
Blair’s knees nearly gave out.
Her mother caught her hands.
“You gave your blood to save her, and Olivia took the credit.”
Blair’s face crumpled.
“All these years…”
“I know.”
Her mother sobbed.
“I know.”
Blair covered her mouth, trying to hold back another cry.
Her mother continued, her voice barely above a whisper.
“And you gave up your career for her.”
Blair looked at her.
“You sacrificed your dreams. You walked away from everything because Olivia made you believe you had to.”
Her mother’s eyes filled with fresh tears.
“And after everything you gave her…”
She shook her head.
“She tried to kill you.”
Blair’s entire body went cold.
“She was willing to watch you die.”
Her mother bowed her head again.
“I’m sorry, Blair.”
Her voice shattered.
“I am so sorry.”
Blair couldn’t speak.
Her mother reached for her again.
“But there is one more thing you need to know.”
Blair slowly looked at her.
Her mother’s eyes were full of regret.
“You were never responsible for your father’s death.”
Blair stopped breathing.
“What?”
“It wasn’t your fault.”
Her mother shook her head desperately.
“You were just a child, Blair. You didn’t kill your father.”
Tears streamed down her face.
“It was all my fault.”
Blair stared at her mother in disbelief.
Her mother pressed Blair’s hands against her own chest.
“I should have told you. I should have protected you from that guilt. Instead, I let you carry it for all these years.”
Her voice broke completely.
“I watched my baby girl blame herself for something she never did.”
She pulled Blair into her arms.
“I’m sorry.”
Blair finally broke.
A sob tore from her chest as she collapsed against her mother’s shoulder.
Her mother held her tightly, crying into her hair.
“I’m sorry, my baby girl.”
She kissed the side of Blair’s head again and again.
“I love you.”
Her arms tightened around her.
“I love you so much, Blair.”
And for the first time in six years, Blair heard the words she had spent years wondering if she would ever hear again.
“My baby girl.”
Her mother sobbed.
“Please forgive me.”