Chapter 155 – The Mother Who Understood
“Ma’am Albright,” I said out of shock.
She was standing a few steps behind me.
Watching me. My heart stopped.
My breath caught in my throat. She had seen me.
She had seen Felix. And worse…
She had heard him.
Felix had just said he would kill Edward.
And Ma’am Albright…
She's Edward’s mother. And she knew that I knew.
No mother would want to hear someone say they would kill her child.
Especially, not with so much certainty.
My legs felt weak.
“Ma’am…” I whispered, my voice trembling.
Her face was calm. Too calm.
That scared me more.
I walked toward her slowly.
“I…” My voice broke. “I can explain…”
She gently raised her hand.
“Don’t,” she said softly.
The word wasn’t harsh. It wasn’t angry.
It was gentle. But firm. I stopped talking immediately.
Tears filled my eyes again.
“I’m so sorry,” I said anyway, my voice shaking. “He didn’t mean…”
“Elara,” she interrupted quietly.
Her eyes were kind. Tired. But kind.
“I understand.”
I blinked.
“You… understand?” I asked, confused.
She nodded slowly.
“I understand Felix,” she said.
My chest tightened.
She stepped closer to me.
“I will not blame him,” she continued. “I cannot.”
Tears slid down my cheeks.
“But he said…”
“I heard what he said,” she replied calmly.
The pain in her eyes was there.
She just wasn’t letting it break her.
“Edward’s father did many wrong things,” she said slowly. “He hurt many people. Destroyed many lives.”
The name echoed in my mind.
Alpha Thorne Marcus. Edward’s father.
The man who had ruined everything.
“It is natural,” she went on, “for those who were hurt by him to want revenge.”
My lips trembled.
“So if they come for Edward…” she whispered, “I cannot say they are wrong to feel anger.”
My heart broke at her words.
She was a mother.
And she was accepting that people might come for her son.
Because of his father’s sins. I couldn’t stand it.
I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around her.
I hugged her tightly. And I burst into tears.
“I’m sorry,” I sobbed against her shoulder. “I’m so sorry.”
She didn’t pull away. She held me.
Her arms wrapped around me gently.
“It’s not your fault,” she whispered.
“But he said he would kill him,” I cried. “He said he would kill Edward.”
She slowly stroked my hair.
“My child,” she said softly, “anger speaks loudly.”
I pulled back slightly and looked at her.
Her eyes were moist now.
But she was still composed.
“Did you… did you hear everything?” I asked hesitantly.
She shook her head slowly.
“No,” she said. “I did not hear everything from the beginning.”
Relief mixed with shame filled me.
“But I heard,” she continued gently, “when he spoke about killing Edward.”
My stomach twisted.
“I didn’t know you were there,” I whispered.
“I know,” she replied.
There was no accusation in her voice.
Only understanding.
She looked toward the fence briefly, then back at me.
“Elara,” she said quietly, “how is Felix alive?”
Her question hit me hard.
“You were fourteen,” she continued softly. “We all believed your parents and Felix died that night.”
“I believed it too,” I said, wiping my tears. “I thought I lost all of them.”
My voice trembled.
“But he came to me in my dream,” I continued. “He told me he was alive. He told me he would be here today, by this time.”
She listened carefully.
“He has been enslaved,” I said quietly. “All these years.”
Her eyes widened slightly.
“Enslaved?” she repeated.
I nodded.
“By the same kind of people Edward is after,” I explained. “The slave traders. The ones he is trying to dismantle. The ones he is trying to capture and punish.”
She was silent.
“He’s been suffering,” I whispered. “While I was here… safe.”
My guilt wrapped around me again.
“He probably thinks Edward is part of it,” I said. “That he’s involved.”
Ma’am Albright sighed softly.
“The world is not simple,” she murmured.
“No,” I agreed quietly.
She gently wiped my tears with her thumb.
“Do not cry,” she said softly. “Not like this.”
“I don’t know what to do,” I admitted.
“We will think,” she replied calmly. “We will not panic.”
Her strength amazed me.
Any other mother would have been furious.
Would have demanded answers.
Would have threatened to tell Edward immediately.
But she didn’t.
Instead, she held me and consoled me.
“It must have been hard,” she said gently, “seeing your brother after all these years.”
I nodded quickly.
“I thought I was alone,” I whispered. “I thought I had no one left.”
“You are not alone,” she reminded me softly.
I hugged her again.
For a moment, we just stood there.
We were two women connected by love. By pain. By the same man.
“Come,” she said finally. “Let us go inside.”
She wrapped her arm around my shoulders.
We began walking toward the mansion slowly.
The sky was darker now.
Evening had fully settled.
“I will not tell Edward yet,” she said quietly as we walked.
I looked up at her.
“Are you sure?”
She nodded.
“He already carries enough,” she replied. “We must be careful.”
I felt both relieved and worried at the same time.
“Felix is angry,” I said softly.
“He has reasons to be,” she answered.
“But killing Edward won’t fix anything,” I whispered.
“No,” she agreed.
We reached the back door.
She paused for a moment before opening it.
“Elara,” she said gently.
“Yes?”
“You must be careful,” she warned softly. “Love and hate makes us blind.”
Her words lingered in the air.
I nodded slowly.
“I know.”
She gave me a small, reassuring smile and pushed the door open. We stepped inside.
The mansion felt warm compared to the cool air outside. The lights were on. Everything looked normal. Too normal.
Upstairs, behind a large window, I stood watching everything. I had seen Elara leave earlier. Curious, I followed quietly at a distance.
I stayed far enough not to be seen. Not close enough to hear. But close enough to see everything.
I saw Elara rush to the fence to see the man standing on the other side. I saw the way she ran to him. The way she held the bars. The way they reached for each other.
I saw everything. The tears–the intensity. It wasn’t just normal.
From my distance, I couldn’t hear a single word. But I didn’t need to. My mind was already creating the story. Something must be going on. That was what I thought.
Why would Elara sneak out to meet a man over the fence? Why would she hide it? Why would she cry like that? Why would Ma’am Albright be there too?
My eyes narrowed slightly. I knew it, Elara wasn’t righteous afterall. She’s not innocent.
I folded my arms slowly as I watched them enter the house. There must be something serious between Elara and that man.
And I was going to find out. I smiled slightly to myself as I left my room and headed downstairs. I will make sure I destroy you Elara.