Chapter 154

#Chapter 154: The Mother Moana My eyes were wide with disbelief. There was no way that Olivia was Ella’s biological mother. Ella’s biological mother was dead!

I didn’t know what to say or do. All I could manage was to stare back at Olivia, unblinkingly, as I tried to figure out if she was telling the truth or that she was simply playing a joke on me. But at the same time, the resemblance was uncanny. She really did look just like an adult version of Ella, aside from the color of her eyes. Everything else was almost exactly the same. Her face shape, her nose, her hair… If no one had ever told me that Ella’s biological mother was dead, I would have believed her instantly.

Olivia must have immediately noticed the confusion on my face, because she let out a sigh and ran a hand through her dirty blonde hair.

“I know it’s hard to believe,” she said. “I’m not sure what Edrick told you about me, but I am Ella’s biological mother.”

“H-He told me you were… dead,” I replied, my voice shaking. “Even Ella said that you died when she was a baby.”

Olivia shook her head and let out another, longer sigh. “I figured as much. Would you be interested in hearing my side of the story?”

I didn’t know how to respond. Part of me still wondered if this was some kind of practical joke. Was Edrick secretly outside, giggling to himself as he pranked me? Or maybe Michael was trying to get under my skin and make me leave Edrick? And yet, when I glanced over her shoulder and out the window, I didn’t see anyone else. There was only one other car pulled up out front, and I could see from here that it was empty. Even my bodyguard, who was leaning on the hood of the car and letting the sun hit his face while he folded his arms across his chest, seemed completely relaxed. I knew that he wouldn’t be acting like that if someone else was there. Especially if Michael was there, he would have done something about it immediately.

Olivia followed my gaze for a moment, then turned back to face me and smiled again to flash a row of straight, perfect white teeth.

“No one sent me, you know,” she said with a chuckle. “I decided to come because of everything I’ve seen on the news.”

I swallowed, then nodded. If she really was Ella’s biological mother and this wasn’t some sort of mean-

spirited prank, then I did want to hear her side of the story. Of course I wanted to know why everyone else only ever said that she was dead, and never brought her up again after that. And, aside from that, I also wanted to know why she and Edrick argued on the phone constantly.

It hit me then; Edrick had said that Olivia called him around this time every year.

Ella’s birthday was only a couple of months ago. Olivia called him around this time of year because… It was around her daughter’s birthday.

“Um… I’d like to hear your side of the story,” I finally replied, swallowing the lump in my throat. “I’ll get you some tea.”

Olivia shook her head, causing her dirty blonde hair to fall in her face a bit; when it did, it reminded me of how Ella had looked the very first time I met her, like a little feral child with her hair in her eyes. Olivia quickly tucked her hair back behind her ear, but the resemblance there was unmistakable.

“There’s no need,” she said, waving her hand dismissively. “I can only stay for a short while.”

I nodded, then gestured for her to sit at the chair across from the desk. I hadn’t realized it, but when she originally walked in I jumped up from my seat immediately, and so I sat back down now too.

“So… He told you I was dead,” she said, her voice sounding thoughtful. “Did he say anything else?”

I shook my head. “No. No one talks about you. Although, I have to admit that I think I might have overheard phone calls between the two of you before. I don’t know what else was said, but I heard him say your name.”

Olivia nodded thoughtfully. “Yes… I’ll admit I do call a lot around this time of year. Obviously, I want to know how my daughter is doing. I try to send her gifts for her birthday, but I don’t think that Edrick ever gives them to her.”

As Olivia spoke, I could see that tears were beginning to form in her eyes. I picked up the box of tissues on the desk and held it out to her, and she took one and dabbed at her eyes with it.

“Sorry…” she whimpered, blinking rapidly to dissipate her tears. “I just miss my baby so much.”

I felt a hard pang in my chest at Olivia’s words. The baby inside of me hadn’t been born yet, and I still couldn’t even imagine being separated from my child. Ella was eight years old now, and I imagined that it must have been incredibly difficult for Olivia to not see her daughter at all for eight years.

“Ella’s doing really well, if it makes you feel any better,” I said gently. “She’s a smart and sweet little girl.

She plays the piano, and she’s very well behaved.”

Olivia smiled through her tears. “Good. I’m glad to hear it,” she said, then paused for a minute, chewing on her lower lip. “I was so worried when he kicked me out. Because of his status, there wasn’t even a custody battle. He spun all sorts of lies to make me appear as though I was a bad mother and a drug addict, when that couldn’t be further from the truth… Does he still drink heavily?”

My eyes widened. I had never imagined that Edrick would have been the type to do something like that to the mother of his child. He had never mentioned anything about that to me, but I couldn’t help but wonder if that was because he planned on doing the same thing to me when my baby was born.

“Um… He did drink a lot when I met him,” I replied somewhat sheepishly. “He doesn’t really drink much anymore.”

“Good,” Olivia replied. “Maybe you’re a good influence on him. I hope he doesn’t continue the pattern with you. But be careful… He’s a really good liar. It was how he swindled me.”

I felt the lump in my throat grow even more. Instinctively, I placed my hand over my belly. Olivia’s eyes flickered down to my belly, and she took a deep breath before speaking again.

“So you are pregnant after all.”

I nodded. “Three months,” I replied.

Olivia nodded solemnly. She lowered her gaze to the floor, as though she was thinking deeply, before she looked back up at me.

“There’s something you need to understand about Edrick,” she said. “The way that he views women isn’t as innocent as you’d think. He only has one goal in mind: producing the next Alpha heir for his company. Women are nothing but reproductive tools for him, and once that baby is out of you, he’ll lose all interest in you.”

My jaw dropped. I didn’t know what to say or do. If Olivia was telling the truth, then that could mean my baby would be taken from me someday, and I didn’t want that to happen.

But before I could say anything, Olivia suddenly stood.

“I have to go,” she said, rifling through her purse. She retrieved a small white business card and handed it to me. It had her name and her phone number on it. It looked as though she worked for a travel agency or something of the sorts. “Here’s my number. If anything happens, please don’t hesitate to call me.”

I nodded, hesitantly taking the card and slipping it into my pocket. I stood to watch Olivia go, but just as her hand touched the doorknob, she stopped and spoke without looking back at me.

“Please don’t tell Edrick that I talked to you,” she said quietly. “And… Take good care of Ella for me.”

I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could, Olivia swung the door open and scurried out. For a long time, I just stood there in total shock before I finally sank back down into my chair.

And even as Sophia and the children came downstairs and swarmed me with love, I could only think about what I was going to do about all of this.