Chapter 524

Hours bled into one another as Glenda stewed in stony silence, ignoring Mabel's pleas. Elyse, in stark contrast, radiated an unexpected calmness. Curled on the sofa, she gently placed a hand on her stomach, silently connecting with the tiny life growing within. Jayden, perched beside her, peered at her belly with wonder. "Boy or girl?" he inquired softly.

Elyse smiled. "Don't know yet. Does it matter?"

He pondered. "Not really. It's yours, and that's all that matters. I'll love it no matter what."

Elyse's eyes widened. "Such sweet words," she breathed, her voice trembling. "Where did that come from?"

Jayden arched an eyebrow. "Why the surprise?"

Elyse pressed her lips together, flustered by Jayden's uncharacteristic tenderness.

The tranquility shattered by Glenda's sudden outburst. "Enough!" she roared, yanking at her hair. "Can't you see you're getting nowhere? Why don't you pester your dad instead? Leave me alone!"

Mabel, pushed to her limit, retorted, "I'm here for you! How long are you going to let them confine you? This isn't a life sentence! Besides, Dad's the one who wronged everyone. Why haven't you exposed him after all this time?" Her voice wavered, her eyes reddening. "Don't tell me it's because of love!"

Glenda's jaw clenched. She knew Lanny's indifference all too well. He barely acknowledged her, likely wishing her to remain a convenient scapegoat. Love? There was precious little left between them.

"I can lose him," Mabel pleaded, tears welling, "but I can't lose you! Just put all the blame on him, Mom. Don't throw your life away for that man!"

"You don't understand!" Glenda cried, pushing Mabel away. "I did it for you."

She retreated to her room, slamming the door. Mabel, shocked, scrambled after her, but the door remained locked, no matter how hard she pounded.

"Mom! What do you mean, for me? Just stop this madness!" Mabel's voice echoed.

Silence answered.

Alone, Glenda slumped against the wall, her legs giving way. The weight of her secret—Lanny, the man she'd sacrificed for, was a murderer and thief whose wealth was built on the blood of innocents—crushed her. Their luxurious life was a grotesque monument to his monstrous crimes. Silence was her shield, protecting Mabel's comfortable existence, her vision of her daughter marrying into wealth and living a carefree life. The truth threatened to shatter that illusion.

Mabel, blissfully unaware of her mother's sacrifices, misinterpreted Glenda's silence as Lanny's brainwashing. She found it hard to believe her mother would take a life for him.

Driscoll entered. "Ms. Lloyd," he said sternly, placing a restraining hand on Mabel's heaving form, "wrecking the door won't bring your mother out."

Mabel shook him off and stormed to the living room, her gaze fixing on Elyse.

Seeing Mabel's hostility, Elyse asked warily, "What do you want?"

"Help me find Lanny," Mabel demanded, her gaze cold, unaware of Elyse's pregnancy. "He deserves to pay. My mother won't be a part of this."

Elyse raised an eyebrow. "Glenda is your mother, but Lanny isn't your father?"

Mabel sneered. "One of them has to go to jail, and it won't be my mother."

A beat of silence. Mabel studied Elyse. "But then again," she drawled, "an orphan like you wouldn't understand the lengths a daughter would go to."

Elyse's gaze remained steady. "My parents weren't murderers," she said gently. "Perhaps that's the difference between us."

Mabel flinched. "They're my parents!" she spat. "If they didn't take you in, you might've ended up in an orphanage!"

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