Gwen had changed. The woman who had once been a beauty queen, who had once been the center of attention in every room she walked into, was now reduced to nothing behind these walls. Her golden hair was dull, her cheekbones more pronounced.
But it wasn’t just her appearance that had changed. It was her eyes.
Once filled with arrogance and fire, they now held sothing else. Sothing fragile. Sothing desperate.
"Richard?" she whispered, her voice barely above a breath. She stepped forward quickly, her hands gripping the edge of the table between us. "Is everything okay? Is Chayara alright?"
She didn’t even sit down before asking.
Her first concern was Chayara.
I exhaled sharply, my jaw tightening. "I just had a rather interesting conversation with Sam."
I watched as the blood drained from her face, as guilt and regret twisted her features.
She knew.
I leaned forward slightly, my voice quiet but sharp. "What have you done, Gwen?"
Her lips trembled as she sucked in a breath. "I’m sorry."
She looked away, her fingers fidgeting with the fabric of her prison uniform.
"When I told Sam I was pregnant," she continued, her voice shaky, "he suggested you as the father because that way, his child would still have a claim to the Nuro empire if his own plan failed." She finally looked up at , her blue eyes glassy with unshed tears. "I thought it would be a great idea at the ti."
A bitter laugh escaped before I could stop it. "A great idea?" I repeated.
She flinched at my tone, but I didn’t care.
"And then he went to prison," she went on, her voice cracking. "He kept calling , demanding I bring Chayara to visit him. But I couldn’t do it, Richard. I couldn’t let him have that hold over her. So... he told Nita. And I tried to stop her from telling you."
Realization hit like a sledgehamr.
"That’s why you tried to kill her too," I murmured, the pieces finally clicking together.
She broke. Tears slipped down her cheeks as she let out a quiet sob. "I was desperate. Sam... he’s dangerous, Richard. You know that better than anyone."
I clenched my fists so tightly my nails dug into my palms. "What have you done, Gwen? To ? To yourself?" I exhaled sharply, leaning back in my chair. "I love that baby."
A choked sound escaped her. "I know."
We sat in silence for a long mont, the weight of our choices pressing down on us like a crushing force.
Then, she whispered, "Richard, you have to protect her."
My head snapped up, my eyes narrowing. "How? Sam is going to claim custody. He’ll take her away from . He has the right to."
Gwen shook her head frantically. "No. No, you can’t let that happen." Her hands trembled as she reached for mine, but I pulled back. "I know that I’ve hurt you, Richard. I know I don’t deserve your help. But don’t let him have Chayara."
"He says his mother will raise her," I said flatly.
"Richard, you have to help ," she pleaded, her voice urgent. "Please. You don’t understand. Sam’s mother... she’s crazy."
I frowned. "What do you an?"
Gwen swallowed hard. "Sam’s mother made him who he is. She shaped him into the man you see now. She controlled him, manipulated him, and turned him into a monster. All that ti when he was with your dad’s sister, she was secretly seeing him. grooming him to ruin your family." Her breathing grew unsteady. "She’ll do the sa to my daughter."
For all the things Sam had done to , all the pain he had inflicted, I knew one thing for certain: his hatred, his ruthlessness, his ability to destroy... None of it had co from nowhere.
It had been taught.
And if Gwen was right, if Sam’s mother was truly the one who had shaped him into the man he beca... then what would she do to Chayara?
Gwen’s voice cracked as she whispered, "You have to stop him, Richard. No matter what it takes."
*****
By the ti I arrived at my parents’ house, I was completely emotionally and ntally drained. It felt like I had left pieces of myself scattered across both prisons I had visited.
I spotted Nita in the garden, seated on the wooden bench with a cup of tea, her fingers curled around the delicate porcelain. The garden had always been her favorite place in my parents’ ho. The flowers, now in full bloom, surrounded her like a painting co to life. She looked peaceful, untouched by the storm that was raging inside .
How could she look so calm after keeping sothing like this from ?
How could she sit there, knowing the secret that had just shattered ?
I stood at a distance, just watching her. She looked serene and beautiful. She had always been strong.
Why, Nita? Why didn’t you tell sooner, before I gave my heart to that child?
I finally moved, my footsteps slow but deliberate as I approached. She must have sensed because she glanced up, a soft smile spreading across her lips.
"Hey, hi, Richard. I didn’t see you there." She placed her teacup on the small table beside her and stood, brushing invisible wrinkles from her dress as she faced .
I shoved my hands into my pockets, looking past her, staring at the flowers instead of her eyes. I didn’t know how to start. I didn’t know how to say the words choking .
"Richard, are you okay?" she asked softly.
I felt her hand touch my arm, gentle, cautious. And then, as if she could see straight into my soul, her expression shifted, her breath catching.
"You t with Sam."
It wasn’t a question. She knew.
"Why?" My voice ca out rough, jagged with emotion. "Why didn’t you tell ?"
Nita exhaled, her shoulders sagging as she stepped back. "I’m sorry, Richard, but I could not be the one to break your heart like that. I refuse to do it. You can hate for it, but I don’t regret it."
I scoffed, shaking my head. "You don’t regret keeping the biggest truth of my life from ?"
Her jaw tightened. "No, I don’t. I knew this would destroy you. I knew it would break you in ways I couldn’t fix."
I let out a hollow laugh, running a hand through my hair. "Well, congratulations. I’m broken."
Her face softened. She reached for again, holding my hands.
"She... I... she is my daughter, Nita." My voice cracked as I said it. Even now, I couldn’t let go of the claim my heart had on Chayara.
"Blood isn’t the only bond, Richard." Her voice was steady. "She may not be biologically yours, but she remains your daughter."
"No..."
"Richard," she stepped closer, her eyes pleading, "you cannot abandon her!"
I smiled faintly, painfully, at the purity of this woman. Even after everything Sam and Gwen had done to her, she still didn’t have a cruel bone in her body.
"You don’t understand..."
"No, I do." She cut off, her voice firm. "Her na is Chayara Nuro. End of story."
"No, Nita. Sam’s mother is going to co for her."
Her mouth opened in shock, then closed. Then opened again. "Oh my God!" She sank onto the bench, burying her face in her hands. "Oh my God!"
Yeah. My thoughts exactly.
"I don’t know which hurts more," I murmured, sitting beside her, "the lies or the fact that she will be taken."
Nita lifted her head. "What do you want to do?"
"I don’t know. Sam wants her taken. Gwen doesn’t."
She hesitated, then reached for my hand again. "Can I offer so advice?"
I looked at her, really looked at her this ti. The woman who had stood by through everything. The woman who had been my strength when I had none left.
"I’ll take anything I can get."
"Fight for her." She squeezed my hand. "If it doesn’t go your way, at least when she’s older, she will know you did your best."
I swallowed hard.
I turned my palm, threading my fingers through hers. Her presence cald and steadied . "Even with everything they put you through, I wouldn’t bla you if you hated Chayara."
Nita blinked at , surprised. "The child has done nothing to . She’s just an innocent little baby."
I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.
"It’s like blaming Queen for her father being an arrogant, spoiled jerk." She continued, teasing.
Nita’s lips twitched, and then she chuckled, the sound light and warm.
I smirked. "You’ve given a lot of nas since we t again. Especially in the first few weeks. You were on fire."
She laughed fully this ti, leaning into , resting her head against my chest. I wrapped an arm around her, exhaling as the weight in my chest eased, just a little.
We stayed like that, in silence, just holding on to each other, until suddenly, Nita lifted her head, her eyes wide with shock.
She stared at , searching my face, her breath quickening.
Then she whispered, "You rember."
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