Hayes, however, still thought I was upset about Zara’s little stunt. His brow furrowed, his voice edged with impatience.
“Elise, you don’t need to keep holding on to these little things. The past is the past.”
To him, it was over. A closed chapter.
To me? It never would be.
I lifted my gaze, locking eyes with him, my expression stone cold.
“My mom is gone,” I said, flat and final. “You won’t find her.”
Hayes’s face darkened. His voice turned sharp, cutting through the still air. “Elise! Don’t go too far! No matter what, she’s still your mother. How can you even say something like that? She’s sick—where else would she be if not in the hospital?”
My fingers curled into fists, nails digging into my palms, the anger bubbling up from deep inside.
My mother had treated him like a son. She had given him everything—her warmth, her kindness, even her savings when he hit rock bottom. She helped him rise when life knocked him down.
And in return?
She never knew peace. Not even in her last moments.
That’s when Zara spoke up, her voice dripping with false sincerity.