Chapter 75 SEVENTY-FIVE
Brienne sat in the mini library Raven had built for her, engrossed in a book, when she heard the door creak open.
"Darling, did I disturb you?" Raven asked as he approached, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. Brienne shook her head.
"Not at all," she replied. "What is it? Any good news from Sam?" she asked, absentmindedly rubbing her belly. Raven sighed.
"No, it's still the same. He can't say when Dad will wake up, but he advises us to keep talking to him—which we’re already doing." He ran a hand through his hair before handing her a folder. "I’m here for something else, though," he added.
Brienne furrowed her brows and took the folder.
"I found your sisters," Raven said. "This is all the information I could gather," he added, handing her an envelope. Her eyes widened in surprise, a small smile forming on her lips.
"You found them this fast?" she asked, astonished. She had only mentioned it a month ago and hadn't expected results so soon.
"It's not fast enough," Raven said seriously. "A month is too long. My intel needs to work harder than that," he added. Brienne chuckled softly.
"It's alright, Raven. This is more than I expected," she said.
She opened the folder and carefully pulled out the documents inside. Her heart pounded as she sifted through them. Then, she reached the photographs. Her breath caught in her throat.
Judy—bruised, battered, and barely recognizable. The next picture showed Leah sitting in a wheelchair.
Brienne gasped, her hands trembling as tears welled in her eyes.
"Brienne, what is it?" Raven asked, concern filling his voice as he watched her reaction. He knew her relationship with her sisters wasn't good because Brienne told him that. They had resented her because they knew she was adopted, but Brienne had never harbored the same feelings.
Despite everything, she had loved them. She had always wanted to grow closer, but over time, she had given up, realizing her efforts were in vain.
Yet now, seeing them like this, all those buried emotions rushed back.
"What happened to them?" Brienne asked, tears streaming down her face.
"The report is in there, darling. I haven't read them yet because I wanted to let you know first," Raven said gently, rubbing soothing circles on her back.
Brienne hurriedly flipped through the pages, her hands trembling as she read.
Judy had been nearly beaten to death by her drunken boyfriend. According to the police report, she had refused to give Marlon any more money for his drinking habits. Enraged by this, he had attacked her, stealing her money before fleeing.
Leah, on the other hand, had been in a devastating car accident. The injuries were so severe that she had lost the ability to walk.
Brienne clutched the papers to her chest, her heart aching.
"Raven, we have to help them," she pleaded. "Please, I beg you." She looked up at him, desperation in her eyes.
Raven let out a deep sigh before kneeling in front of her, placing his hands gently on her lap.
"You don’t have to beg, darling," he said softly. "If you want to help them, we will. I just wanted to be sure—after everything you’ve been through—I didn’t want them to hurt you again," he added.
"I'm fine," she said. "I've already forgiven them."
Brienne didn’t hold any grudges. She simply wanted to make sure her sisters were safe. Helping them was her way of honoring her late adoptive parents—repaying the love and care they had given her.
"Alright, we’ll go tomorrow," Raven said. "But if they say anything disrespectful, I won’t stay silent." His voice was firm—he would protect Brienne no matter what.
"Thank you, Raven," Brienne whispered, touched by his unwavering support.
The next morning, Brienne dressed in a comfortable outfit. Raven helped her into the car before getting into the driver’s seat. Their first stop was Judy’s apartment.
After a half-hour drive, they arrived. As Raven searched for a parking spot, Brienne nervously looked around, anxiously clasping her hands together.
"Darling?" Raven called gently, noticing her unease. But Brienne remained lost in thought.
"Darling," he called again, this time a little louder. Snapping out of her thoughts, Brienne turned to him.
"You called for me?" she asked.
"Yes," he said, his eyes filled with concern. "Are you okay?" he asked. Brienne could only nod her head and smile at him.
"Let's go," Brienne said.
Raven stepped out of the car and quickly opened the door for her, helping her out. They walked toward Judy's apartment, and Raven rang the doorbell. Moments later, the door swung open, revealing a woman slightly taller than Brienne.
"Judy..." Brienne breathed.
Judy looked at her, eyes widening in shock. Without hesitation, she ran toward Brienne and wrapped her in a tight embrace.
"Brienne," Judy sobbed.
Brienne gulped, hugging her back and gently caressing her back.
"I'm sorry," Judy whispered, her voice breaking. "I'm so sorry for how I treated you. I was horrible. I hope you can forgive me," she added.
Brienne felt her own tears spill over. She had longed for this moment.
"It's okay," she whispered. "It's okay, I forgave you a long time ago," she added. In her heart, Brienne yearns to be close to her siblings.
They held each other for a few minutes until Judy finally calmed down. She pulled away and wiped her tears before glancing at Raven.
"I'm sorry, please come in," she said, stepping aside and letting out an awkward laugh.
They entered, and Judy quickly offered them drinks before sitting across from Brienne.
"What happened?" Brienne asked gently. Judy took a deep breath before speaking.
"After we sold the house, I gave Leah her share and took mine. As for yours, I deposited it in my bank account." She looked at Brienne, guilt in her eyes. "I hated you, but I couldn't ignore Mom's wish for me to look after you," she added because Judy was the eldest daughter.
Brienne stayed silent, letting her continue.
"My boyfriend found out about the money. At first, I gave him some, but he wasn’t satisfied. When I refused to give him more to support his drinking addiction, he beat me and stole from me," she said. She let out a bitter laugh. "I guess it's karma for what I did to you," she added.b
Judy looked at Brienne again, her expression remorseful.
"Judy..." Brienne started, but Judy shook her head.
"I was actually about to leave to visit Leah," she said. "I was planning to bring her home with me. Would you like to come?" she asked. Brienne nodded without hesitation.
"Of course."
Brienne, Raven, and Judy left the apartment together, heading toward the care facility where Leah was staying.