Chapter 152

Seraphine's POV

Brielle clung tightly to Heath's arm. "I didn't know anything! I was tricked! I always thought you and my sister were the ones who hurt Mom and me, so I helped them!"

Her wailing was sharp enough to make my ears ring.

In all our years together, I'd never seen Brielle cry this hard.

“It’s all my fault,” Brielle sobbed, louder now. “But Dad, you can’t kick me out over this!” Her voice grew more aggrieved with every word.

I looked at Heath in silence.

Brielle hadn't betrayed Heath. She’d just believed that he and I betrayed Amara first. That was why she’d done what she did.

And Brielle was Heath’s daughter. No matter what happened, that bond was still there.

Seeing Heath stay silent, I couldn't help but speak up. "Dad, let Brielle stay."

Both Brielle and Heath looked at me, stunned.

Heath turned to me, frowning. "She's always targeted you. She's never treated you like a sister. She stole your fiancé before, and now she tried to take the company from us. Why would you speak up for her?"

I smiled. “Because, like she said, she made mistakes. She's not with Mitchell anymore."

“And she’s not with Amara and her people anymore either. She was deceived, and not for long. She deserves a chance. After all, she’s your daughter.”

Brielle's eyes widened. She stopped crying and just stared at me, blank with shock.

I could see it in her face. She’d never expected me, her enemy, to speak up for her.

Heath hesitated a moment before nodding. "All right. If you're asking for her, then fine."

Brielle looked thrilled and relieved.

She looked at me, eyes bright with gratitude. "Thank you, Seraphine."

I smiled faintly. “Now’s not the time. We’ll talk later. Just the two of us.”

Then I turned to Heath. “Dad, what are you planning to do about Amara?”

Amara sat slumped on the floor, staring at Brielle in despair. “Even you betrayed me—now you’re leaving me too!”

"That's because you betrayed Dad! All these years, you turned me against my sister. You even made me steal her fiancé! You pushed me to try and take the company. And it was all for you, not for me!”

"For that man, you were willing to use your own daughter. Why should I stay loyal to you!"

Brielle glared at Amara, all her pent-up resentment finally boiling over.

The mother-daughter bond snapped in that moment.

Brielle had always obeyed Amara. She'd listened to her and stolen my fiancé, gotten involved with Mitchell, and ended up with nothing but a ruined reputation.

Now Amara had pushed her to steal the company, and she'd nearly been thrown out by Heath.

If I were in her shoes, I’d resent a mother like that too.

It wasn't surprising that Amara had lost her daughter's support and help.

Amara let out a cold laugh. "Brielle, you think Seraphine genuinely accepts you? She’s just putting on an act in front of Heath. Mark my words. You’ll end up miserable.”

"No," I cut her off. “Brielle isn’t a threat to me. She won’t try to take the company. I’ll make sure her future is taken care of. Without you as her mother, she’ll only do better.”

I turned to face Heath. “I promise you, Father. As long as Brielle doesn’t harm me or the company, I’ll treat her like my own sister.”

Heath nodded with satisfaction. "Good."

After he spoke, he looked at Amara for a long moment, as if remembering every year of their marriage.

Amara shrank back in fear. "You... you're already making me leave with nothing. What more do you want?"

"Who knows what schemes you and Orion might cook up once you leave here," Heath said thoughtfully. “I won’t feel at ease until I’ve dealt with Orion.”

I understood what he meant. If Amara went back to Orion, she knew too much about the company and this family. There was no telling what she could tell him.

"Dad, I suggest we send her to a psychiatric hospital for now."

"A psychiatric hospital?" Brielle froze, uncertain. “Do we really need to send her to a place like that? Isn’t that basically prison?”

Brielle still cared about Amara.

After all, she was her biological mother.

I explained earnestly, “I’m not saying she has to stay there for life. I just want her there until we’ve dealt with Orion. That way she can’t feed him information.”

"If you really care about your mother, then listen to us. Staying with Orion will only get her killed. I'm sure you don't want to see that happen, do you?"

Brielle hesitated, then nodded. "Okay. I understand. I’ll go along with your arrangements.”

Amara froze. Then she suddenly snapped, lunging forward like a woman possessed. "No! I won't accept this! Seraphine, if you dare do this to me, I won't let you get away with it! I won't go to a psychiatric hospital!"

"It's only temporary." I looked at her coldly. "Whether you like it or not, you're going. Only then can we feel at ease."

Of course Heath had no objections. He motioned to the bodyguards, and they dragged Amara away.

Once they were gone, I looked at Brielle. "Come with me. I need to talk to you."

Brielle froze, then lowered her head and obediently followed me into the room.

But before I could say anything, she suddenly dropped to her knees in front of me.

I frowned, looking at her in confusion. "What are you doing?"

Brielle shook all over, tears streaming as she shook her head. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have stolen your fiancé. I shouldn't have helped Amara target you. I never imagined you'd help me, forgive me, thank you."

She bowed deeply.

I helped her up. “I did it because I knew that, no matter how far you went, you’d never truly hurt your father or the company for Amara.”

Even in my past life, Brielle had been deceived by Amara.

She had no idea how Heath died or that Amara and Orion were involved.

She had always obeyed Amara, but that didn't mean she didn't love her father.

That was why I was willing to plead on her behalf.

Still, I couldn’t bring myself to leave Brielle in the house.

I looked at her. "But our relationship has never been good. Even if I forgive you, we can’t live under the same roof peacefully. It's time you got married."

"Who are you going to marry me off to?" Brielle became guarded, her voice trembling. "Not... not Mitchell, right?"