Chapter 41 WHAT'S LEFT BEHIND
Jaxon’s POV
She immediately frowned, her lips jutting out in a childish pout.
“Not fair. Why can’t it be now, when I’m just starting my twenties and looking beautiful?” she complained dramatically. “And besides, I’m sure Troy doesn’t want any other man taking me away from him, because I will kill any woman that gets close to him,” she added confidently.
Troy stood across the room, looking completely helpless and lost, like Isadora might actually be the death of him one day.
“I will make sure he stays single until then. Now, let’s not deviate from the important subject—what are you doing here, and why aren’t you in school today?” I asked. I needed to know. Whenever she got this chatty, this loud, this desperate for attention, something was always wrong.
“Nothing,” she replied quickly. “I heard from Dad that you were sick, so I needed to check up on my two most favorite people in the world.” She tilted her head to the side, resting her chin on her arms. A wide smile spread across her face—but it didn’t reach her eyes.
“Isa,” I called sharply, my voice rising with warning.
She immediately straightened, shoulders dropping as her expression fell. She looked smaller. Sadder.
“I thought we agreed on Dora. Why did you change it to that high-pitched ‘Isa’?” she muttered. “Dora always means you’re on my side.”
I didn’t respond. I just stared at her, silently waiting for the truth.
“Fine,” she snapped. “I came because I wanted to run away with you. Ever since the witch came back, everything has been chaos and—”
“Isa,” I cut in firmly. “We talked about this. No calling her a witch. She is your mother, okay?”
“But we both know you never accepted her as one—and neither do I.” Her voice trembled, but the anger behind it was real. “How can a woman who abandoned us both suddenly be our mother?”
She took a shaky breath, her words spilling faster now.
“After years of not checking up on me, she wants me to crawl back into her arms like the infant she left behind. And now all she cares about is taking the hotel chain away from you.” Her fists clenched. “I hate her, Jaxon. I want her gone.”
Her eyes burned as she continued.
“Just like she disappeared before, she should disappear again and never show her face!”
The anger in her voice, the hatred in her eyes, and the venom in her words shattered something inside me.
My chest tightened painfully.
I never wanted to drag her into this. I never wanted her fighting the same demons I had been battling for years—demons I could never truly escape.
“Isa, listen to me. I know you’re angry at her, but I don’t want you speaking this way about her,” I said, hoping—against my better judgment—that she would actually hear me out. Who was I kidding? I knew how stubborn she could be when her mind was made up.
“I am never, ever going to accept that woman as my mother. To me, Dad is the only parent I have, and I know you feel the same,” she snapped, her voice sharp with conviction. “She keeps ruining things for me. She makes you and Dad unhappy, and she actually enjoys it.”
She paused, her chest rising and falling as emotion took over.
“I just want you to know that I’m going to run away from home soon, since you’re not letting me come with you,” she added coldly before storming toward the door.
“Isa, wait!” I called after her, panic rising in my chest, but the door had already slammed shut.
I turned sharply. “Troy, go after her—now. Stop her.”
“What? Why me?” Troy protested, clearly ready to argue, but one hard look from me was all it took. He was already at the door.
A few minutes later, he returned—alone.
“She refused to listen,” he said quietly, sinking into the sofa. “She drove off.”
My chest tightened painfully.
“I can’t believe this,” I whispered. “I think one of my worst fears has come true. I might have ruined Isa’s life.”
Troy’s POV
He went from barely holding himself together to completely breaking apart right before my eyes.
“That’s not true,” I said firmly. “Isa is angry—that’s all. And I won’t let you sit here believing you ruined her life.”
I moved closer, making sure he was listening.
“She has every right to be angry at her mother. That woman stole her childhood. And Isa is scared—terrified, actually—of losing you.”
I sighed softly before continuing.
“She just doesn’t want to lose another person she loves to a woman who was never there for her.”
I patted his shoulder gently before heading toward his room to start packing. The next few hours were spent gathering everything he would need for the flight—clothes, documents, and especially his medication.
Dr. Jenny had been very clear. I was to stay close to him and monitor his progress carefully, especially now that he had been placed on a new prescription after the last one stopped working.
Once I was done, I returned to the sitting room, hoping—desperately—to find Jaxon resting.
Instead, he was seated exactly where I left him, shoulders tense, eyes glued to his laptop, already drowning himself in work again.
I shook my head as I made my way to the garage to pack the luggage inside the car. Once I was done, I went back inside to inform Jaxon of our departure, only to find that he was already waiting for me.
As I locked the front door, we both stood there, staring at the building in silence, neither of us knowing when—or if—we would be coming back here again.
“Did you inform the housekeeper of our departure?” Jaxon asked, and I nodded in response.
“Very well done. Let’s head out. Our flight is in thirty,” he added, heading toward the car with Alba trailing behind him in pure excitement.
I think he was the only one happy about the journey. I just hope Jaxon finds the answers he is desperately searching for.
Kevin’s POV
As my car drove into the compound, I spotted Renna sitting on the bench with her legs pulled tightly to herself.
I quickly made my way toward her, and a small smile crossed her face when she saw me, but the excitement I usually saw in her eyes wasn’t really there this time.
“Hi, Uncle Kelvin,” she greeted softly as she made room for me on the bench.
“Hi, princess. What are you doing out here all by yourself? Where is everyone?” I asked, concern slipping into my voice.
“Grandma and Grandpa left early this morning, and Aunt Arabella said she has somewhere to be,” she replied casually, but I could tell something was bothering her.
“Let me guess—you’re upset they all left you alone, right?” I asked gently.
“No. Aunt Arabella said Mum is going to be back any time soon,” she replied, avoiding my eyes.
Something I couldn’t help but admire was how strong she was. She was just a child who longed for her parents’ attention, yet she understood the need for their absence, quietly tucking her emotions away where no one could see them.
“How would you like to help me work on those pots and cups we talked about?” I asked, watching her closely.
Her face lit up instantly.
“Really?”
“Yes,” I replied.
She took off running toward my cabin in excitement, and I quickly followed after her.
Looks like I just got myself an apprentice in pottery.