Kendrick’s POV
The sting from my mother’s palm lingered against my cheek. For a mont I just stood there, staring at her with wide eyes, unable to process what had just happened.
Why was she so upset with all of a sudden?
I looked at Raymond and Saen, they stared at with mocking smiles.
"You betrayed your family because of a girl!" my mother’s voice cracked, laced with fury and heartbreak.
Her chest rose and fell rapidly, and her eyes shimred with sothing between rage and disappointnt.
"After everything your father has done for you, this is how you repay him?" she asked with a disappointed expression.
I just blinked and stared at her with a confused expression.
What nonsense was she talking about?
"Betray... him?" I asked her with a hoarse voice while pointing in Raymond’s direction.
"Mom, you can’t be serious," I said with a confused tone.
"Serious?" she cut off, almost spitting the word at , she couldn’t hide the fury in her eyes.
"You got your father arrested, Kendrick! You turned against your blood. And for what? So nobody girl who doesn’t even belong in our world?" she questioned angrily.
If she wasn’t my mother, I would have probably walked away by now.
Her words were really hurtful and I still couldn’t understand where all of the nonsense she was spilling ca from.
Raymond leaned back on the leather couch, watching with satisfaction written across his smug face.
"He has never cared about , dear. He always acts like I’m the villain, always making life difficult for his step-siblings. You see it now, don’t you? He’s blinded by that girl. He doesn’t care about you, about us, about this family." He said with a righteous tone and my mother’s anger seed to increase after hearing what he said.
I turned my head toward him, hatred filled my eyes as I just wanted to get rid of him.
I just want to rip that smirk right off his face.
"Shut up," I growled, my fists tightening.
"You’re the reason this family is rotting so don’t you dare try to play the victim"I yelled at him angrily.
"Enough!" My mother’s sharp cry silenced .
Her gaze snapped between us, but instead of anger at him, it was all directed at .
"I can’t do this. I won’t listen to you destroy your father anymore." she said while glaring at .
And just like that, she turned away, her heels clicking as she stord out of the room.
I stood frozen in that position, just watching her back as she stord away, and my jaw clenched in anger.
Why would she react in such a manner?
Choosing to believe the man who had cheated on her and have kids with another woman.
Raymond chuckled as he continued staring at with a mocking smile.
"See?" He leaned forward, his eyes glittering with triumph.
"She’ll always believe . Because she loves , Kendrick.
She is even willing to stay in this family despite everything. Even though Saen and my other children are also living here." His smile slowly turned to a smirk as Saen, Curtis and Raina laughed.
"The old lady is really crazy in love" Raina said with a mocking voice and they laughed again.
"You think you’re strong, but in this house, I will always win." Raymond said with a boastful expression.
My hands trembled with restrained rage. Every word he spoke made want to lash out, to end this once and for all.
But I held myself back, I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of seeing lose control.
I turned to leave, I needed to find my mother to understand what was really going on.
And another reason is that I couldn’t look at their faces for another second.
But before I could take a step, the front door creaked open.
The sound of luggage wheels scraping against the marble floor sliced was heard and turned to see who had co .
Celeste.
What’s she doing here?
She stood there, perfectly composed, with her suitcase in hand. Her belly was already starting to show, her hand resting protectively over the curve.
"You," I snarled, taking a step forward.
"What the hell do you think you’re doing here?" I asked her angrily.
Her lips curled into a faint smile, one that scread of arrogance and entitlent.
"Coming ho, of course. Where else would I go?" she said with a triumphant smile.
"This isn’t your ho," I barked, anger spilling out of like fire.
"Take your things and leave before I... "
"Enough" The deep, commanding voice cut through my fury like a blade.
Grandfather.
He walked in with slow, deliberate steps, his cane tapping against the floor. His presence alone shifted the air, heavy with authority that no one dared defy.
"Grandfather," I said with an anxious expression.
" She... "
"She carries the flesh and blood of this family," he interrupted with a sharp tone that demands no argunt.
His cold eyes locked onto mine.
"That child is yours and we can’t have a child of the Black family raised outside. So whether you like it or not, she will stay." he said with an air of finality.
This is exactly what I feared would happen, grandfather values blood ties a lot.
I clenched my fists so tightly my nails bit into my palms. My jaw ached from grinding my teeth.
"Grandpa please, I will know if the child is mine"I tried to convince him but his mind was clearly made up.
"Silence!" he snapped, his voice booming in the entire sitting room .
"I will not hear another word from you " he said before gesturing for the maids to be called over.
Two maids rushed into the room imdiately.
"Prepare a room for her," Grandfather ordered.
"She will stay here until the child is born. That child is of the Black blood, and no one will turn them away." he said to with a stern tone.
I couldn’t bring myself to disobey him as he was the one person I have been close to all these years.
Celeste’s smug expression only deepened as the servants took her luggage.
"You see?" she said softly, tilting her head with mock sweetness.
"I belong here, Kendrick. Whether you like it or not." she said with a triumphant tone while slowly rubbing her stomach.
I couldn’t stand it. Couldn’t stand her voice, her face, the reminder of everything she had taken from , everything I had lost.
Without another word, I stord out of the room, my feet pounding against the floor. I needed air.
I needed space before I exploded.
But the fire inside refused to die.
I couldn’t understand it.
My mother, standing against , slapping , choosing him over .
The woman I have been praying for and hoping to co back to my life. I even risked my relationship with Christy to rescue her.
Why now?
Why this madness?
I needed answers.
I marched down the hall toward her room, my breaths sharp and shallow.
I raised my hand to knock, but then I heard a voice coming from inside. .
I froze, my knuckles hovering in the air as I stopped myself from knocking.
"...how could she have survived?" My mother’s voice ca into my ears. Her voice was extrely cold and sinister, nothing like the gentle voice from my mories.
"You assured it was done and there were no mistakes, you said so and yet that girl still lives. How is that possible?" she questioned whoever she was talking to angrily.
My entire body went numb as my thoughts spiraled out of control.
Who was the girl she was talking about?
Could she be Christy?.
My heart slamd against my ribs as I pressed my ear closer to the door,my hands shaking.
"You’d better fix this," she hissed into the phone.
"Because if she continues to live, everything we’ve worked for will crumble. Do you understand ? Christy must not..." As soon as I heard Christy’s na, my stomach dropped. The walls of the house seed to close in around .
Why would my mother be doing this?
The woman who had not been around for years and I went through a lot to rescue, who had just slapped for betraying the family, was plotting against Christy’s life?
I stumbled back from the door, my breathing ragged, I could barely stand as so many thoughts were going through my head at the sa ti.
I didn’t know whether to burst in and demand answers or collapse from the weight of what I had just heard.
Could her disappearance and sudden appearance be all part of her plan?
Did she really lose her mory or was it all just a lie?
But one thing was certain.
My mother was not who she pretended to be.
And the truth was far darker than I ever imagined.
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