Chapter 10 — The Mother Who Destroyed Her Own Daughter
Chapter 10 — The Mother Who Destroyed Her Own Daughter
The headlights outside the clinic multiplied until the entire parking lot was glowing.
Amelia stood perfectly still.
The little girl clung to her dress.
Lily stood behind Samuel.
Eleanor stared through the darkened window.
“Those aren't police.”
Thomas shook his head.
“No.”
“How many?”
“Too many.”
Samuel looked at him.
“Who are they?”
Thomas answered quietly:
“Edward's men.”
A metallic sound echoed through the building.
Then another.
Locks.
Doors.
Windows.
Every exit was being sealed.
The clinic had become a cage.
The speakers crackled.
Edward's voice returned.
“Eleanor.”
She stepped toward the nearest speaker.
“Show yourself.”
A soft laugh echoed through the hall.
“You always were impatient.”
“You stole my children.”
“No.”
Edward's voice remained calm.
“I corrected your family.”
Eleanor's face hardened.
“You destroyed it.”
“I saved it.”
“You killed Julian.”
Silence.
Then:
“Yes.”
Eleanor's breath caught.
“You admit it?”
“I have never denied what was necessary.”
Amelia stepped forward.
“You murdered my father.”
Edward laughed.
“Your father murdered himself.”
“What does that mean?”
“He chose pride over obedience.”
“He refused to give you his children.”
“Yes.”
“So you killed him.”
“I removed an obstacle.”
Amelia's hands clenched.
“You're a monster.”
Edward's voice became colder.
“Perhaps. But monsters don't build empires, Rose.”
He paused.
“Men like me do.”
The emergency lights returned.
A large screen at the end of the corridor turned on.
Edward appeared.
He sat behind a desk.
Behind him was a wall of photographs.
Dozens of children.
Some babies.
Some teenagers.
Some adults.
Amelia stared.
“What is that?”
“Your family.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
He pointed toward the photographs.
“Every child connected to the Blackwood and Hart bloodlines.”
Samuel stepped closer.
“Why are there so many?”
“Because your grandfather had a vision.”
Edward smiled.
“A family that could never lose control.”
Lily whispered:
“He made copies.”
Edward looked directly at her.
“Not copies.”
His expression softened.
“Possibilities.”
Thomas suddenly spoke.
“Edward.”
The screen changed.
Edward looked at him.
“You survived.”
“I did.”
“You should have died with Julian.”
Thomas stepped forward.
“I should have stopped you.”
“You tried.”
“I failed.”
“Yes.”
Thomas looked toward Amelia.
“But I kept them alive.”
Edward smiled.
“You kept them ignorant.”
Thomas flinched.
“I had no choice.”
“There is always a choice.”
Edward's eyes moved to Eleanor.
“Your wife made hers.”
Eleanor froze.
“What are you talking about?”
Edward smiled.
“She knows.”
Thomas looked at Eleanor.
“Eleanor…”
She stared at him.
“What does he mean?”
Edward laughed softly.
“Ask her.”
Amelia turned toward Eleanor.
“Mom?”
Eleanor didn't answer.
Samuel frowned.
“Mother?”
Eleanor's hands began shaking.
Thomas whispered:
“Don't.”
But it was too late.
Edward spoke again.
“Tell them.”
Eleanor closed her eyes.
“I…”
Her voice broke.
“I knew.”
Nobody moved.
Amelia stared.
“Knew what?”
Eleanor looked at her.
“I knew Rose was alive.”
Amelia's face went white.
“You knew?”
“I suspected.”
“When?”
“Years ago.”
“How many?”
Eleanor couldn't answer.
Samuel stepped forward.
“Mother.”
She looked at him.
“Tell us.”
Eleanor whispered:
“Fifteen years.”
Amelia recoiled.
“Fifteen years?”
“Yes.”
“You knew I might be alive for fifteen years?”
“I didn't know where you were.”
“But you knew.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't you find me?”
Eleanor began crying.
“Because I was afraid.”
“Of Edward?”
“Yes.”
Amelia shook her head.
“No.”
She stepped backward.
“You were afraid.”
“Yes.”
“And you let me stay lost.”
“I thought searching would get you killed.”
“You made that decision for me.”
“I was trying to protect you.”
“You didn't protect me.”
Amelia's voice rose.
“You abandoned me.”
Eleanor covered her mouth.
“No.”
“You let another woman raise me.”
“I thought she could keep you safe.”
“You watched me grow up without my name.”
“I watched from a distance.”
Amelia froze.
“What?”
Eleanor nodded.
“I saw you.”
“Where?”
“School.”
“College?”
“Yes.”
“You were there?”
“Sometimes.”
Amelia's eyes filled with tears.
“You saw me.”
“Yes.”
“And you didn't come to me.”
“I couldn't.”
“You could have.”
Eleanor sobbed.
“I was terrified.”
Amelia turned away.
For twenty-seven years, she had wanted her mother.
Now she had her.
And somehow, that hurt more.
Edward watched silently.
Then he said:
“This is why families fail.”
Eleanor looked at the screen.
“You made me afraid.”
“No.”
Edward smiled.
“You allowed yourself to be afraid.”
Amelia looked at him.
“You wanted this.”
“Of course.”
“You wanted us to hate each other.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because divided families are obedient families.”
Samuel stepped forward.
“You've been manipulating all of us.”
“Since before you were born.”
Thomas looked at him.
“That's the truth.”
Samuel stared.
“You knew?”
Thomas nodded.
“I knew enough.”
“And you still worked for him.”
“I was trying to survive.”
Samuel laughed bitterly.
“Everyone has an excuse.”
Thomas looked down.
“Yes.”
Suddenly, the little girl in Amelia's arms spoke.
“My name is Clara.”
Everyone looked at her.
Amelia frowned.
“Who told you?”
“No one.”
The girl pointed at the screen.
“He called me Clara.”
Edward smiled.
“Yes.”
Amelia held her tighter.
“You're not Clara.”
The girl looked confused.
“I'm not?”
“No.”
“What am I?”
Amelia knelt.
“You're a child.”
She touched the girl's cheek.
“And children aren't numbers.”
The girl began crying.
Amelia whispered:
“You don't need to prove who you are to anyone.”
Edward's expression darkened.
“Very noble.”
Amelia stood.
“I'm not talking to you.”
“You should.”
“Why?”
“Because I'm the only person who knows what happened to your mother.”
Amelia froze.
“My mother is here.”
Edward smiled.
“Not Eleanor.”
Silence.
“Your biological mother.”
Amelia's heart stopped.
“You know where she is?”
“Yes.”
Eleanor whispered:
“Julian?”
Edward shook his head.
“No.”
He looked directly at Amelia.
“Your mother is alive.”
Amelia couldn't breathe.
“Who?”
Edward leaned toward the camera.
“Sarah Hart.”
Silence.
Lily stared.
“Sarah?”
Rebecca's face turned white.
“She died.”
Edward smiled.
“That is what you were told.”
Amelia looked at Rebecca.
“You said she died.”
Rebecca's eyes filled with tears.
“I believed it.”
Edward laughed.
“She was hidden.”
“Where?”
“Here.”
Amelia looked around.
“This clinic?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“Twenty-seven years ago.”
Thomas suddenly stepped forward.
“Edward, stop.”
Edward ignored him.
“Sarah wasn't just Rose's protector.”
Amelia stared.
“What else was she?”
“She was your mother.”
Eleanor closed her eyes.
Amelia turned toward her.
“You knew?”
“No.”
“I swear.”
Edward laughed.
“Eleanor didn't know.”
Amelia looked at Thomas.
“You?”
Thomas shook his head.
“I didn't know either.”
“Then who knew?”
Edward smiled.
“I did.”
A door opened at the end of the corridor.
Everyone turned.
A woman walked slowly into the light.
Her hair was gray.
Her face was thin.
She leaned heavily on a cane.
But her eyes were unmistakable.
Rebecca gasped.
“Sarah.”
Amelia froze.
The woman looked at her.
Tears streamed down her face.
“My Rose.”
Amelia couldn't move.
Sarah smiled through her tears.
“You grew up.”
Amelia whispered:
“Mom?”
Sarah nodded.
“Yes.”
Amelia began crying.
She stepped forward.
Then stopped.
“You left me.”
Sarah shook her head.
“I never left you.”
“You disappeared.”
“They took me.”
“Who?”
Sarah looked toward the screen.
“Edward.”
Edward smiled.
“Finally.”
Sarah's voice trembled.
“You promised you'd leave the children alone.”
“I kept my promise.”
“You took everything.”
“I took what belonged to the family.”
Sarah looked at Amelia.
“I saved her.”
Edward nodded.
“And then I made sure you could never return.”
Amelia walked toward Sarah.
Slowly.
One step at a time.
When she reached her, Sarah lifted a trembling hand.
She touched Amelia's face.
“I wanted to hold you.”
Amelia cried.
“Why didn't you?”
“They told me you were dead.”
Sarah's eyes filled.
“They showed me a burned body.”
Amelia closed her eyes.
“I wasn't dead.”
“No.”
“You believed it.”
“For years.”
“And then?”
Sarah smiled sadly.
“I discovered the truth.”
“When?”
“Three years ago.”
“Why didn't you come?”
“Because Edward was watching.”
Amelia looked toward him.
“He kept you prisoner?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I knew everything.”
Sarah lowered her voice.
“And because I knew who your father really was.”
Amelia froze.
“Julian?”
Sarah nodded.
“Julian Hart was not only your father.”
“What?”
“He was Edward's son.”
Eleanor gasped.
“What?”
Sarah looked at her.
“Edward was Julian's father.”
The room went silent.
Amelia stared.
“Then…”
Sarah nodded.
“You and Samuel are both Blackwood blood.”
Eleanor whispered:
“My God.”
Edward smiled.
“Now you understand.”
Amelia's mind raced.
“Then why did you steal me?”
Sarah looked heartbroken.
“I didn't steal you.”
“You took me from the hospital.”
“I saved you from a man who intended to kill you.”
“Thomas?”
“No.”
Sarah looked at Edward.
“Him.”
Edward didn't deny it.
Sarah continued:
“He wanted you dead because Julian had refused to surrender his inheritance.”
Amelia stared at her.
“And Samuel?”
“I found him too.”
“Why?”
“He was being taken to Thomas.”
Samuel stepped forward.
“You saved me.”
Sarah nodded.
“I tried.”
“What happened?”
“Thomas found me.”
“And?”
“He took you.”
Samuel's eyes filled.
“You tried to save me.”
“Yes.”
He lowered his head.
For the first time, he understood that the woman he had spent his entire life not knowing had once fought to protect him.
Eleanor walked toward Sarah.
“You raised my daughter.”
Sarah looked at her.
“I loved her.”
Eleanor nodded.
“I know.”
“You hated me.”
“For a long time.”
Sarah lowered her eyes.
“I'm sorry.”
Eleanor reached out.
Sarah hesitated.
Then Eleanor embraced her.
Both women cried.
Twenty-seven years of pain dissolved into one embrace.
Amelia watched them.
Then looked toward Edward.
“You failed.”
Edward frowned.
“What?”
“You tried to divide us.”
She looked at Eleanor.
At Sarah.
At Samuel.
At Lily.
Then at the little girl who had been called Clara.
“But you brought us together.”
Edward's expression hardened.
“This isn't over.”
Amelia smiled.
“Yes.”
She lifted the jade pendant.
“It is.”
The pendant began glowing.
A hidden light appeared inside it.
Marcus stared.
“That's impossible.”
Sarah smiled.
“No.”
She looked at Amelia.
“Your father designed it.”
“What did he put inside?”
Sarah whispered:
“The evidence.”
Amelia opened the pendant.
A tiny memory chip was hidden beneath the jade.
Marcus took it.
“What is this?”
Sarah answered:
“Everything Edward ever did.”
Edward's face finally changed.
Fear.
Real fear.
“What have you done?”
Sarah looked at him.
“What I should have done twenty-seven years ago.”
She smiled.
“I gave my daughter her life back.”
Outside, sirens grew louder.
This time they were real.
Hundreds of police vehicles surrounded the clinic.
Edward's screen went black.
But his voice remained.
“This changes nothing.”
Amelia looked toward the speakers.
“It changes everything.”
The doors burst open.
Police flooded the building.
Edward's network collapsed within minutes.
But as officers moved through the corridors, Sarah suddenly grabbed Amelia's hand.
“Rose.”
“Yes?”
“There is one thing you still don't know.”
Amelia frowned.
“What?”
Sarah looked toward Eleanor.
Then Samuel.
Then Lily.
Her expression became frightened.
“Edward wasn't the only person who helped steal you.”
Amelia's blood ran cold.
“Who else?”
Sarah whispered:
“The woman who tore your wedding dress…”
She stopped.
“She wasn't trying to destroy you.”
Amelia stared.
“Then what was she trying to do?”
May you like
Sarah looked toward the ruined wedding gown.
“She was trying to expose you.”
