Chapter 94 Chapter Ninety-four

Chapter 94 Chapter Ninety-four
Elena's POV

"Who is she?" The question slipped from my lips before I could stop myself, while I stared at the woman standing across the room, the woman father was yelling at. He was angry at her; I had never seen father that way. He never raised his voice, and he is a man of few words. Carson leaned closer to me.

"I think she is your..." But before Carson could finished, the woman suddenly turned, our eyes met, and everything inside me went still, my breath caught in my throat, she looked just like me, even if it's not exactly like me, but they were enough similarities for anyone to connect us together, and that was enough to make my heart pound, the shape of my eyes, her nose, even the curve of her lips, where just like mine, my thought became mess up. For a few seconds, I just stared at her before I could even gather my thoughts, the woman smiled brightly at me.

"Oh my lovely daughter," my eyes widened at her proclamation. "I didn't realize that you would turn out just like me." My entire body went numb, did she just refer to me as her daughter? I instinctively took a step backwards.

"No," the words left my lips, and anger consumed me. This woman who had left me when I was not even up to a year old. Dad had cared for me, loved me, and now she showed up here, acting like everything is perfect, like she just went on a vacation and returned a few days later.

"Clarissa," my father's voice thundered across the room. He moved immediately, placing himself between us. "She is Elena to you,' his voice dropped dangerously low. "Not daughter; she is my daughter, not yours." I smiled, glad that father wasn't going to let this sly woman back into our life, because if she was bold enough to sleep with a man, then she should be bold enough to deal with whatever mistake comes from it. Mistake was the word she used on me. The woman's smile disappeared.

"Valkor, she is also mine, she is my daughter as well." My father's jaw tightened.

"No, Clarissa, she is mine alone." Clarissa stared at him in disbelief, I couldn't even call her mother,

"So you are going to stop me from seeing my daughter?" The room became painfully quiet. I looked between them, trying to understand this woman and her guts. What is she feeling like? That she could just disappear from our lives and come back once it was convenient for her, and then we spread our hands open for her as if nothing happened. "Are you, Valkor?" Her voice came up again and father laughed dryly.

"Twenty-one years," my father growled, "twenty-one long years, Clarissa, you left," his eyes were filled with fury, "and now you suddenly appear from nowhere, expecting to hold a grown woman in your arms? Where were you when she took her first step, her first words?" My eyes snapped to the woman, her eyes filled with tears, but somehow I felt she was faking it, she wasn't truly sorry, the way she had dressed up, her clothing, was too elegant for someone coming back to plead, I know she was just here to show off, perhaps she still thinks she has the right over my dad.

"Valkor, I was young."

"You were her mother."

"I couldn't..."

"If you couldn't hold your child when she needed you," my father interrupted her, "then you don't get to demand that you hold the adult she had become without you." Clarissa flinched.

"Valkor please,"

"No," Father's voice was firmer; he pointed at the door. "Get out," he screamed, but this stubborn woman wasn't letting go.

"Please, Valkor," but Father's patience had run out; he grabbed her hand, ready to throw her out when a deep voice interrupted him.

"Valkor," it was grandfather, my dad's father. I didn't see him there before; he must have been watching the whole scene from upstairs. "This is my house." My father's expression hardened, then he slowly let go of Clarissa's hands, for a moment I thought he was going to argue but father didn't, instead, he smiled coldly,

"Fine," he turned toward me, "then I will leave with my daughter." The words left grandpa shock, "come Amara, let's go." He gestured to Amara and then his eyes moved to Carson, who was standing beside me. "Where is Shannon?" Somehow joy found its way to my heart; Dad will never leave Shannon behind. He had always seen Shannon as family.

"I think she is upstairs, I left her in her room when I went to pick Elena," Carson responded.

"Go get her." Father's voice was firm. "Tell her we are leaving."

"Don't be ridiculous Valkor!" Grandfather's voice boomed through the mansion. "My granddaughter isn't going anywhere." Father turned to Grandpa.

"Then ask her to leave."

"Stop being childish." Grandfather muttered as he walked down the stairway. I wondered where Grandmother was; those two never walk alone. "I called this family together because I have something important to tell all of you, and it's New Year." his gaze swept across the room. "We can't afford to offend certain people right now." I frowned, wondering what my grandpa was on about, I tilted my head to Carson.

"What is your father on about?" I whispered, but the old man heard. His gaze suddenly fell on me, and he smiled. "Come here, dear." he opened his arms. "Come to Grandpa; you know you shouldn't be hot-headed like that son of mine." I laughed at his words, looking at my father, he stared at me for a long moment then slowly stepped aside, giving me a choice, I swallowed hard as my feet move before my mind could catch up, I walked past father, Clarissa immediately reached for my hand, but I pulled away, I saw her expression darkened, what was she expecting that I would forgive her just like that? Never.

"I don't know where you crawled out from." Her face crumbled. "I am sorry," my voice came out deeper and thicker. I had no intention to be harsh, but somehow it did come out harsh, maybe because I was mad at her, angry for leaving me at a tender age to a man who knows nothing about babies. In her defense, she is a baby as well, but who cares? "Sorry, you had to crawl back there," I continue quietly, "because I already have a mother." My gaze wandered to Amara, who was now standing beside father, she had that satisfying smile on her lips, I rolled my eyes inwardly, if she thought I was finally picking her as my mother then she had something coming, I would rather have Shannon as my mother than have this two-faced woman as a mother, she is no different from Clarissa. I turned away from Clarissa before she could say a word. She and Amara could go to hell for all I care. There is no way in hell that I would let a woman who had abandoned me twenty-one years ago become my mother simply because she had decided to return. I walked straight to my grandfather's waiting arms. "I missed you grandpa nice smell." He giggled as I inhaled his scent, something I always did when I was much younger.

"Oh, my angel!" Grandpa wrapped his hand around me.

"So it's just your grandpa that you missed?" I giggled, pulling away from Grandpa while I took two big strides to my grandma, meeting her halfway across the stairs.

"You know I always missed you." She pulled me closer, cupping my face as she peppered my face with kisses.

"Grandma!" I giggled, "I missed your kisses."

"Just the kisses?" She asked while I wrapped my hand around her waist hugging her tight.

"I missed everything about you." She giggled more.

"Look at you," she held me at arm's length, "my beautiful little girl." I smiled.

"I missed you both." Grandma Katy glanced toward father and shook her head.

"This naughty Valkor only sent Shannon here." She wagged a finger at him. "He knew I missed you, but he still didn't bring you here; he doesn't love me anymore." I almost wanted to laugh at Grandma's tantrum.

"Mom..." Father sighed.

"What?"

"You had Shannon," Father said, while Grandma folded her arms. "Isn't that enough?"

"No," she protested and I laughed.

"Didn't you enjoy Shannon's company?" I asked. And her smile widened, I know Grandma was fond of Shannon, I remember when we were much younger, when she would request I come for the holidays and father would refuse; she would teasingly say, " Keep your daughter but send Shannon to me  

"I did." Her smiled reach her ear, "I love that little girl," then her eyes suddenly shifted toward Carson. "And I wanted Carson to marry her." Father immediately coughed. I covered my mouth, trying not to laugh. Carson's face went completely blank; he slowly turned to his mother.

"Mom!" Grandma smiled innocently.

"What?"

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Because you are standing there looking handsome." Carson groaned. I know he was trying to change the topic, and Grandma is playing along with it, but the Grandma I know will always come back to this topic.

"Please don't start," Grandma waved him over.

"Come here, son. I know you are handsome and young, and you don't know how to make a decision." Carson sighed, then he reluctantly walked towards Grandma.

"Mom, two people get married when they are in love."

"So don't you like her?" Grandma's voice came up again. Carson froze; all eyes remained on him. I smiled inwardly. I knew he loved her but was just scared of my dad. He pushed his hand into his hair.

"Mom!" Carson looked completely horrified; he didn't expect Grandma would put him on the spot. "Mom please," she smiled.

"What? Shannon is beautiful, right?" He nodded. "Then what is the problem don't you love her?"