Kelly’s shoulders slumped. Her parents had worn her down before, but this time, exhaustion gnawed at her. She turned away.

"Kelly," her mother called.

"Claire," Kelly said, the name a shield. Claire Sullivan, not Kelly Jones. If her mother hadn't insisted on being with her father… She was done. Dragging Charlie into this? It was over. She was human, with a heart, a life spent in this hellhole. Why involve Charlie? Tears welled, silent and bitter. "Mom's love," she thought, "but what about mine?"

"Kelly, what's wrong?" Lydia’s voice was soft, hesitant.

Claire's heart cracked. She quickly composed herself. "Nothing."

Lydia saw the pain. She knelt, gathering Claire in a hug. "Go to Zentiscape," she whispered. "Find Charlie. You love each other. You'll be happy." Kelly's eyes burned. Was this the same mother who'd saved her the best food, worked nights for amusement park trips? Those memories felt a lifetime away. Lydia wiped her tears. "Why are you crying?"

Kelly clung to her mother, the years of resentment and longing pouring out.

Ronan entered, a rare flicker of warmth in his eyes. He sat on the edge of the bed. "Kelly, don't blame me. You're the only heir. You and Charlie… a perfect match."

He and Ryker planned to breed a new heir if Kelly refused. Her defiance was a game to them. But raising a child was risky, a slow, vulnerable process. Charlie's appearance had been a stroke of luck.

"Worried he might be harmed?" Ronan asked, his gaze intense. "He's Hayden Hoggard's brother-in-law. The Hoggards would protect him. We'd control Yowhayton, and no one could touch us."

"In your dreams," Kelly spat, her voice venomous.

Ronan’s smile died. "Kelly, please. Marry Charlie, secure the Hoggard alliance. Yowhayton will be ours."

Kelly slapped him. "I'll never agree! Don't involve Charlie!"

Lydia intervened, pulling Ronan away. "Ronan, she's a child! I'll talk to her." He stormed out. Lydia took Kelly's hand, her touch gentle. "Claire, talk to Charlie. You won't regret it." She traced a secret childhood symbol in Kelly's palm. Kelly stared, bewildered. Lydia kissed her cheek. "Do it for me."

Ryker and Ronan watched the security footage, their triumph evident.

Before Kelly left for Zentiscape, Lydia packed a suitcase with meticulous care. Kelly's heart ached. If Lydia had been even slightly less attentive… "Mom, I won't get back with Charlie," she whispered, her resolve hardening. She wouldn't let them use Charlie.