Elena stares up at her family home, a sad expression on her face.
“Don’t worry, baby,” I say, wrapping my arm around her. “We’ll get you your home back.”
Elena shakes her head and rises to her tiptoes, pressing a lingering kiss to my cheek. “No,” she says. “My home is with you. Today, we’re regaining my mother’s home.”
My heart stirs and I smile down at her. She considers her home to be with me?
“Honey.”
Elena turns to look at her mother, her brows raised.
“Let me,” Sarah says, her eyes on the property in front of us. “Let me do this.”
Elena nods, her hand brushing down my arm until she’s got her hand nestled in mine. I entwine our fingers, the two of us following behind Sarah, a dozen men surrounding us.
Elena touches her earpiece and then nods at her mother. “Systems are down.”
Sarah inhales deeply and pushes the gates open. She walks slowly, heavily leaning on her cane, but she’s walking. After all these years, she’s walking.
I glance at my wife, my amazing wife. Never once did she give up on her mother. She fought for a scholarship and worked three jobs in an effort to afford the exceptional care Sarah received. She did that—a woman that grew up filthy rich. All for her mother.
Sarah walks into the house, and Elena and I follow right behind her. She walks into the living room to find Jade and Elise sitting on the sofa—her sofa. Jade sits up in shock, her hand going over her mouth. She looks like she saw a ghost, the same guilt that Matthew portrayed reflected in her eyes too.
“Jade,” Sarah says, her voice tinged with mock surprise. “What are you doing in my house?”
Jade rises from the sofa and walks around it, her face white. She stands behind the sofa, as though she’s trying to use it as a barrier.
“You… you were dead.”
Sarah looks down at her hands. “No,” she says. “I don’t think so.”
She takes a step forward, and Jade takes a step away from her. Meanwhile, Elise is on the sofa, her eyes wide. Elena nods at our men, and they move toward Elise, restraining her.
“You stay away from my daughter,” Jade says, her voice trembling. She glances around the room, realizing that she’s outnumbered.
Sarah ignores her and sits down on the sofa, one leg crossed over the other. “Can’t say I love what you did to the place,” she says, frowning.
She nods at the seat opposite her. “Take a seat.”
One of our men grabs Jade and forces her into the seat Sarah just pointed out, and I smile. I lean into Elena, my lips brushing past her ear. “Your mom is quite badass.”
She grins, and I wrap my arms around her. Elena rests her back against my chest, and I put my chin on top of her head. The two of us standing here as though we’re watching our favorite show.
“I thought we agreed that you’d stay away from my family,” Sarah says, spreading her arms out on the sofa. “So why are you in my house?”
Jade trembles and reaches for her phone, which just makes Sarah laugh. “Don’t bother,” she says. “Alaric is being detained by the Kennedys, and Matthew has been arrested for attempted murder. But worry not, Jade, soon you’ll be joining your darling son.”
“You… you—this isn’t your house. Not anymore. It’s mine. You need to get out,” Jade says. “I’m calling the police. You’re trespassing.”
I press a kiss to Elena’s neck. “Good move on Jade’s part,” I murmur, and Elena huffs.
Elise watches us, looking more panicked by the second, and I narrow my eyes at her. I haven’t forgotten that Elise is the reason my wife ended up at Vaughn’s—the very same place she’ll end up at, eventually. I’ll make sure of it.
Elena shakes her head. “It would be, if she actually owned this place. She doesn’t.”
Jade glares at Sarah, her cheeks slowly regaining color. “Everything that used to be yours is mine now. Matter of fact, it always was. Alaric was always mine, and you’re well aware that Matthew is too. It doesn’t matter that you raised him for years—he’s my blood. Alaric only married you for the money. It’s me he always loved.”
Sarah freezes—it’s subtle, but it doesn’t escape me. Elena’s grip on my hand tightens, and she takes a step forward, but I pull her back. “Your mom has got this,” I tell her. “Let her have this moment. It’s been years in the making.”
She nods, but she’s tense. I tighten my grip on her, hugging her close to me.
“That might well be true,” Sarah says. “But it doesn’t explain why you’re in my house. Alaric and Matthew… you can have them. They’re yours. But everything I’ve ever worked for? Everything I’ve ever invested in? You can’t have that, Jade.”
Jade glances at the two police officers that walk in and smiles. Foolish woman.
Sarah nods at Aiden, and he walks up to her with a stack of papers in hand. He places them down in front of Jade before handing Sarah a hard drive identical to the one he gave Elena earlier.
“An eviction notice?” Jade says, her hands trembling.
Sarah rises from her seat and looks around. “I’ll have your personal belongings packed, though I doubt you’ll need them where you’re going,” she says, nodding at the police officers. They arrest Jade for attempted murder, and just like Matthew did, she tries to fight it.
“Get her out of here,” Elena says, her head tipped toward Elise.
That girl has always had such a big mouth around my wife, but not a single word has escaped her lips today. All I see on her face is the fear and pain she’s made Elena feel for years.
The door closes behind them, and Sarah falls to the floor. Elena gasps and runs up to her mother, taking Sarah into her arms.
My heart breaks when Sarah bursts into tears. She hasn’t cried once since she woke up. Not when she struggled to speak, not when her limbs wouldn’t do what she wanted them to, not even when she was told she’d be in a wheelchair for months.
None of that broke her. But this did. Love did.
