chapter 156
Elena's POV:
The air hung heavy with moisture, tiny droplets of rain misting against my face as Sebastian helped me from the car.
It had been exactly one year since I'd last stood at this spot—one year since I'd been able to visit my mother's grave on the anniversary of her death.
"We can wait until the rain stops," Sebastian murmured, his arm protectively around my waist as he glanced at the gray sky.
I shook my head, my hand instinctively finding the slight swell of my belly beneath my coat. "No, it's... it feels wrong to wait. Like I'm not being sincere enough."
The words had barely left my lips when movement caught my eye—a flash of familiar grace near the cemetery gates. My breath caught in my throat, and before I could think, I was pushing open the car door, taking several hurried steps forward.
"Baby, what is it?" Sebastian was beside me instantly, Marcus already holding an umbrella over us both.
"I... I thought I saw..." The words died as I stared at the empty space where I could have sworn my mother had been standing. Two black cars were pulling away in the distance, their tinted windows revealing nothing.
Sebastian's hand tightened on my shoulder. "Your mother passed years ago, sweetheart. You're probably just tired."
I buried my face against his chest, trembling. "You're right. I'm being silly. It just... it looked so much like her."
He stroked my hair gently, his voice soothing despite the tension I could feel in his body. "I'm here. Nothing can hurt you."
But even as he held me, I noticed how his eyes tracked those departing vehicles, how his jaw tightened almost imperceptibly.
"Let's go pay our respects," I said finally, pulling back.
The baby shifted restlessly inside me, as if sensing my distress. I pressed a calming hand to my stomach as we made our way to my mother's headstone.
And then I saw them.
Fresh lilies. A full bouquet, the petals still beaded with morning dew, not rain. Someone had been here today—recently.
"How...?" My voice came out strangled. "These are fresh. Who would—?"
"It could have been an old friend," Sebastian suggested carefully."Your mother's death wasn't a secret. Neither is her burial place."
I had to accept the explanation—what choice did I have? But as we stood there in the gentle rain, I couldn't shake the feeling that something fundamental had shifted, that secrets I'd never imagined were circling just beyond my reach.
---
The ride back to the penthouse was quiet.
I curled against Sebastian's chest, unable to shake the strange, unsettled feeling that had taken root. He tried to distract me with silly jokes and exaggerated stories about Marcus's driving, but my mind kept drifting back to that glimpse of movement, those fresh flowers.
"I really did see someone," I said finally, my voice small.
He kissed the top of my head. "I believe you. But whoever it was, they're gone now. And you're safe with me."
Safe. The word should have been comforting, but something about the way he said it made me wonder what he wasn't telling me.
Back at the penthouse, I went through the motions of our evening routine, but my mind was elsewhere. In the shower, I let the hot water wash over me, trying to make sense of the day. When I finally emerged, wrapped in one of Sebastian's oversized robes, he was waiting on the bed with his phone.
"I want to show you something," he said, his expression unreadable.
Two photos appeared on the screen. "The one on the left is your mother," he said quietly. "The one on the right was Mr. Smith's first wife."
I stared at the images, my heart racing. They could have been twins—the same delicate features, the same gentle eyes. "But... that means..."
"You might have just seen someone who looked similar today," Sebastian said carefully. "Not your mother, but someone who resembles her."
Relief washed over me so suddenly, I laughed, the sound slightly hysterical. "Of course. Of course, that's what it was. Because my mother... she would never just leave me and Dad alone. If she were alive, she would have found us."
Sebastian pulled me against him, his hand gently stroking my hair as I buried my face in his chest.
"Sleep, baby," he murmured. "Tomorrow will be better."
But tomorrow brought no peace. For the next several days, I found myself sitting in the living room, staring at nothing, lost in my thoughts. I was waiting for something—or perhaps dreading it. The feeling sat heavily in my chest, making even simple tasks feel monumental.
Luna's call was a welcome distraction.
"Elena, you need to get out of that penthouse," she said firmly. "Let's go to the park—fresh air, sunshine. You sound like you're going to grow mold if you stay inside any longer."
She was right. I'd been cooped up for days. "Okay. Yes. The park sounds perfect."
An hour later, the four of us were at Riverside Park.
Luna and I had claimed a sunny bench while Sebastian and Michael stood nearby, ostensibly giving us space but clearly on guard duty.
"This is exactly what you needed," Luna said, tilting her face up to catch the warm rays. "Vitamin D, fresh air, and girl talk. The cure for everything."
I was actually starting to relax, feeling the sun chase away some of the shadows that had been clinging to me, when I saw her.
By the lake, no more than fifty feet away, stood a woman feeding the ducks. The afternoon light caught her profile perfectly, illuminating features I knew better than my own. The gentle slope of her nose, the way she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, even the small tilt of her head when she smiled at something.
This wasn't a glimpse or a trick of the light. This was clear, undeniable.
My mother's face.
I went completely rigid, my breath catching in my throat.
Sebastian was at my side instantly, his hand on my arm, his voice urgent. "Elena? What's wrong? Talk to me, baby."
I couldn't speak. Couldn't move. Could only stare at the impossible figure by the water.