Now You Want Me? Too Late

"Enough of crying." Elias wiped her tears away. "She is not worth your tears. I know forgetting the past isn’t easy. I know you can’t erase everything she did just because I tell you to."

His thumb brushed beneath her eye.

"But you don’t have to face that pain alone anymore." He pulled her closer. "I’m here. I’ll fill your present and your future with happiness."

He looked directly into her eyes. "I promise you, Elena. I will never leave you. I’ll stay beside you for the rest of my life. Whatever happens, you won’t have to face it alone."

Elena stared at him. For the first time since she had returned home, the weight pressing against her chest eased slightly.

A small chuckle escaped her.

"Yes, you are right. I won’t cry." She took a deep breath. "She is nothing to me. The day she left me, she ceased to be my mother."

Elias smiled. "That’s like my wife." He gently took her hand. "Now come and sit down."

He led her toward the bed. "Stay here. I’ll bring you something to eat."

Elena nodded.

He walked out.

The moment the door closed behind him, Elena’s expression changed. The pain was still there. But the sadness that had consumed her was slowly fading. What remained was determination.

"Amber Sterling. From today on, I’ll never cry for you again."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Amber returned home in a daze. Her mind felt numb, her heart unbearably heavy. She barely noticed her surroundings as she walked into the house.

Cedric was sitting on the sofa, smoking a cigar. The moment he saw her, he straightened.

He expected her to come and sit with him, but she walked forward, not even glancing at him.

"Stop."

Amber’s steps faltered. She came to a complete halt but didn’t turn around.

"How did your meeting with Elena go?" he asked. "Did you convince her?"

"No," Amber replied. Her voice was dull. "She wouldn’t help us."

"What? She refused." He slammed his hand against the coffee table. "Certainly, you didn’t talk to her properly."

Amber spun around. This time, she didn’t hide her tears from her.

"She won’t help, and I am not going to ask her to help us," she exclaimed. "And you need to stop thinking about using her. It’s not going to work."

Her words only fueled his rage.

"Are you defying me?" He rose from the sofa and stepped toward her. "Where did you get that nerve?"

"Yes, I am defying you," she snapped back like a madwoman.

Cedric flinched and stepped back, stunned. He had never seen her like this before.

The woman who had always swallowed her anger, endured his decisions, and remained silent was now standing in front of him with tears in her eyes and fury burning in them.

"All these years, you suppressed me," Amber shouted. "You made me do whatever you wanted. You spoiled Vivian. You covered up every mistake she made. Whenever I tried to correct her, you silenced me."

Her breathing became ragged. "And now look at what she has become."

She sobbed through clenched teeth, every tear carrying both unbearable pain and rage.

"She became a criminal. It’s all because of you."

Cedric snorted. "Only weak people blame others. If you can’t do it, I’ll take the charge. I’ll save my daughter, even if it means destroying Elias and his whole family."

Amber’s blood ran cold. Then anger surged through her.

"Don’t you dare hurt them," she thundered. "If you go after the Rowans, you have to face me first."

Cedric frowned. He looked at her as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

"You are defending them? Don’t forget that Elias sent our daughter to jail. He is already determined to ruin me. Do you have any idea how much trouble I’m facing because of him?"

He stepped closer. "The family business is suffering enormous losses, all because of him."

"Don’t pin everything on Elias," Amber snapped back. "It’s because of you—because of your greed."

Her voice grew stronger with every word.

"You conspired against the Rowans. You tried to destroy them. You dragged Vivian into your schemes."

She wiped her tears angrily. "And now you are facing the consequences of your own actions."

"Shut up." Cedric’s palm struck her cheek hard.

Amber stumbled and crashed onto the floor. Finger marks were printed on her cheek. Her jaw ached. A sharp ringing filled her ears.

"You talked back to me for outsiders," Cedric hissed. "What spell did that woman cast on you? You met her once, and suddenly you’ve switched sides."

He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Did you take a bribe from her?"

Amber stared at him. She slowly pushed herself to her feet.

"No one bribed me. But she opened my eyes. I realized how cruel and heartless I had been. I abandoned my daughter back then to be with you."

Cedric’s expression shifted slightly.

"And that daughter hates me now."

Her whole body shook in overwhelming emotion and rage. "I hurt her all those years ago. And now I won’t let anyone hurt her."

His frown deepened. "What nonsense are you spouting? Why are you bringing up the past? Don’t tell me you suddenly missed Thomas’s daughter after all these years."

"Thomas’ daughter is mine too," Amber cried hysterically, her eyes wild. "And I abandoned her when she was just a child."

She pressed a hand against her chest as if she couldn’t bear the heaviness in her heart.

"I never checked on her. I never tried to find out how she was doing. I didn’t even know what kind of life she was living."

The guilt she had carried for years came crashing down again.

Every time she thought about Elena’s childhood, another wave of agony tore through her.

How lonely must she have been? How many times had she waited for her mother? How many times had she wondered why she wasn’t loved?

Amber struggled to breathe.

"And now that I know Elena is my daughter, I’ll never let you hurt her," she added fiercely. A warning flashed in her eyes. "If you try to harm her, I’ll expose you."

"What? Elena is your daughter?"

His face changed instantly. Shock flashed across his eyes. He stood there motionless, struggling to process her words.

’Elena is Amber and Thomas’ daughter.’ The words echoed inside his head again and again.