Chapter 185 Getting Married
"Leave." Quinley's voice was flat and drained.
She'd never imagined facing this choice—torn between her biological mother and the woman who raised her.
But in this moment, she chose Elise.
She and Susan were victims. Twenty-five years ago, Marlee's selfishness had stolen their birth parents from them.
And Elise? How innocent was she in all this? A mother separated from her own children, kept in the dark for decades.
Marlee looked like a prisoner granted clemency.
"Quinny, aren't you coming home with me?"
Even now, she still thought of Quinley.
A thread of warmth flickered in Quinley's chest, but she steeled herself and shook her head. "No. I want to stay with my mom."
Marlee didn't insist. She practically fled.
In her panic, her head slammed against the door frame with a sickening thud. She stumbled back, but didn't even acknowledge the pain blooming across her forehead. She yanked the door open and disappeared.
"Ms. Elikin, you're really letting her go?" Lucas sounded indignant on Quinley's behalf.
"My mom doesn't want to see her again." Quinley said in a quiet voice.
Zachary walked over and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. He couldn't truly share what she felt, but he knew she was hurting. "I'll help you take care of her from now on."
Quinley nodded, though both of them knew some wounds couldn't be healed, no matter how much you wanted to make things right.
---
Elise slept for hours.
Zachary stayed with Quinley the entire time, keeping watch.
"I've kept your old identity information preserved," he said eventually. "Since you've gone public now, why not fully restore it?"
Quinley shook her head. "I don't want to be my old self anymore. I want to be someone completely new."
"Okay." He didn't push.
That evening, Elise finally woke. She lay there, tears streaming silently down her face.
"Mom." Quinley's voice cracked.
Elise gripped her hand tightly, consumed with guilt. "I'm sorry. This is all my fault. I failed to protect you both. You suffered so much..."
The reunion was bittersweet—warmth and grief tangled together.
Quinley shook her head, too choked up to speak. "They were good to me. It's just... I always wanted to find you and Dad."
"Your father..." Elise sighed and trailed off.
Twenty-five years ago, losing the twins had destroyed her relationship. Heartbroken, she'd returned to Lakeside City, changed her name, remarried, and had Lily and her brother. Then Lily's father died, and she was alone.
Quinley didn't press about what Elise wasn't ready to share.
"We'll never be separated again," Quinley whispered.
Elise nodded. "Once we find your sister, our family will be complete."
"We've already found her," Zachary said quietly.
Elise's head snapped up, emotions flashing across her face. "Where is she?"
Zachary glanced at Quinley. The situation was too complicated to explain right now.
"She's not in Rosewood City at the moment," Quinley said gently. "When she comes back, I'll bring her to meet you."
Elise nodded, though questions clearly lingered in her eyes. "Cindy, the Elikins raised you. Why don't you have their surname?"
A bitter smile crossed Quinley's face. "Maybe somewhere deep down I knew I'd find you. So I changed it ahead of time."
She didn't want to talk about the past. What was done was done.
"Cindy, no matter what your surname is, you're my daughter." Elise's voice was tender. "As long as you're happy, I'm at peace. I don't want to hold them accountable anymore. They caused us terrible harm, but they also raised you. For that... I'm grateful."
Quinley nodded emphatically. From now on, she would be with her mother.
"You're sure you don't want to change back to your old identity?" Zachary asked one more time.
"I'm sure. This identity is fine."
She didn't want to change. But someone else did.
---
A week later, late at night, Zachary returned to Maple Estate.
As his car pulled up to the gate, he spotted a familiar figure. The moment he saw her, his heart lurched violently.
The Maybach had barely stopped when she turned around.
"Zach." That sugary voice, it was unmistakable. Alicia.
She'd disappeared for over half a year. And now she'd crashed back into his life looking completely different.
Her appearance was virtually identical to what Quinley's face had looked like.
Zachary's jaw tightened. He said nothing, just stared at her with burning eyes. Same features, similar expressions. If she didn't speak, he'd swear it was Quinley.
"Zach, it's me. Alicia." She rapped on the car window.
After a long pause, he rolled it down halfway. "Leave."
He started rolling it back up immediately.
Alicia grabbed at the glass. "Zach, I got plastic surgery to look like this specifically for you! Won't you look at me a little longer? If something doesn't look right, I can get more work done. She's dead, isn't she? Now I'm her. Let me replace her. Let me love you instead!"
A cold laugh escaped him. Had she completely lost her mind?
"You think I loved her because of her face?"
Alicia blinked, mimicking Quinley's habit of furrowing her delicate brows when confused. "Don't they say men are visual creatures? If you don't love her face, then what do you love? Tell me, I can learn."
When someone becomes this obsessed, they're beyond saving.
"What I love about her is between her and me." His voice dripped with disgust. "No matter what you make yourself look like, I will never love you. Alicia, just stop."
He revved the engine. The Maybach roared away, leaving her standing there.
Alicia rushed forward, trying to block the car, but it was useless. "Zach, you can't treat me like this! I did all of this for you!"
Her screams faded behind him.
---
Inside Maple Estate, Zachary was a wreck. He yanked off his tie, irritated beyond measure.
All he could see was Alicia's face—that revolting imitation of Quinley's features. Two identical faces, yet one made him sick to his stomach.
He paced the living room, brow deeply furrowed.
Very late that night, he called Quinley.
"Where are you? I need to see you."
"At the hospital." Her voice was low, careful not to wake anyone. "It's really late. Let's meet tomorrow."
He glanced at the time. It was past 10pm, going now would disturb her.
But after running into Alicia, he felt like he'd swallowed something rotten. The discomfort wouldn't leave.
"Quinley, let's get married."
The words tumbled out before he could stop them.
Silence stretched across the line.
"Are you listening?"
More silence. He waited, heart pounding.
"Didn't we agree not to bring this up yet?" Her tone was gentle but firm—a soft rejection.
Tonight, Zachary felt profoundly insecure in a way he couldn't explain. "I'm afraid of losing you again. Marriage is the only way to keep you with me forever."
He wanted a definitive yes. Instead, she stayed quiet.
"Let me think about it some more."
"Okay."
But even as he agreed, his mind was already made up. He wasn't giving her much time to deliberate.
He was going to cut through this tangled mess swiftly and decisively.