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Chapter 15
Elijah turned around, and froze.
Standing just a few feet away was Leah Watchmaker, her mother. Tears streaming down her face, her expression stricken with grief and fury.
She had come upstairs intending to bring a plate of fruit.
She hadn’t expected to hear Hannah’s cruel words, but every sentence felt like a physical blow.
Several times, Leah’s hands had curled into fists, trembling with the desperate urge to storm out and slap that smug smile off Hannah’s face, to make her shut that filthy mouth once and for all.
But she’d bitten down hard, so hard her lower lip bled, forcing herself to stay quiet in the hallway.
Until now, Leah had never imagined her daughter had suffered so much humiliation behind her
back.
She had stayed loyal to the Morgan family all these years, partly out of gratitude for old Mrs. Morgan’s kindness back then, and partly because she wanted her daughter to have a better future, to secure a stable path forward.
But loyalty had its limits.
That didn’t mean she could forgive what they’d done. It didn’t mean she could allow Ethan, the boss’s precious son, to treat her daughter like some disposable plaything.
And the worst of it, the medical bills. Her illness back then had drained everything, forcing Elijah, barely eighteen, into the Morgan heir’s bed… just to keep her mother alive.
Leah had truly believed that if she worked hard enough, tolerated enough, swallowed enough of her pride, she could give her daughter a safe, comfortable life.
She had believed that becoming Mrs. Morgan’s so–called “goddaughter” would mean protection and opportunity, that Elijah’s future would shine brighter.
But reality was cruel.
Her talented, beautiful Elijah had been trapped from the moment she graduated high school,
reduced to Ethan’s little secret.
Then came college, where Ethan’s girlfriend, Hannah herself, tormented her relentlessly.
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And now, the Morgans wanted to barter her off, arranging some blind date with a man they barely
knew.
And then Hannah’s words about Ivan, the “incident,” the accusation of assault, the police report…
Leah’s body trembled. Her hands were cold.
Her thoughts spun wildly: Why? Why us?
What had she and her daughter ever done to deserve this humiliation?
She Leah, and her daughter Elijah… How had they wronged the Morgans so deeply, to be treated like this?
Memories surfaced unbidden, being summoned to the Morgans‘ living room months ago, facing their cold questioning, feeling her dignity stripped bare.
Anger surged now, sharper than before. But mingled with the fury was a hollow ache of guilt, eating away at her chest.
She pulled Elijah into her arms, holding her tight as tears soaked her shoulder. Her voice trembled, breaking apart mid–breath:
“You foolish child…”
Thousands of thoughts tangled on her tongue, yet all she managed to choke out was a single, hoarse question.
“Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you say anything to Mommy?!”
To Leah, the Morgans were no longer a prestigious family, they were a pit of snakes.
In that moment, she hated herself for ever believing otherwise.
She wanted nothing more than to set fire to this entire estate, to burn down every room, every polished facade, to watch the people inside, the Morgans and their so–called future daughter–in–law Hannah, reduced to ashes.
Elijah’s throat tightened as she looked at her mother’s tear–streaked face, her pain carved into every line.
The guilt gnawed at her.
Yes, some of it was her fault, her naivety, her blind infatuation with Ethan, her willingness to
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believe in a love that was never hers.
But none of that excused what they’d done. The wounds they’d inflicted were real.
Elijah lowered her gaze, her voice soft, fragile, designed to pierce through Leah’s misguided loyalty to the Morgans.
“It’s okay, Mom. I… I’ve gotten used to it.”
“Mrs. Morgan calls me her goddaughter, but really, it’s just a title. The only thing they want from me is to use me… to trade me off in some business marriage.”
Leah’s breath caught. Her heart twisted painfully, regret flooding her chest. She cupped Elijah’s face in both hands, her voice breaking with resolve.
“No. No more, Elijah. We’re not going to that blind date. Let them find someone else to sell. Not my daughter.”
“This is my fault… everything.”
Her tears fell fast, but her words burned with sharp conviction:
“That painting you gave Mrs. Morgan–we’re taking it back! Who does she think she is? She doesn’t deserve it. That painting belongs to us!”
“And if she refuses, we’ll go public. We’ll tell the media everything?”
Elijah paused, lowering her lashes to hide the glint in her eyes. Her mind moved faster than her mother’s grief.
“Mom… don’t rush.”
If Leah agreed to testify alongside her, things would be simple–after all, Leah was the very person in the painting. And Elijah still had several of her original sketches tucked away.
No, she wasn’t going to walk blindly into the Morgans‘ little trap. They thought they could play her like a pawn, that she’d throw away her life for their gain.
Mrs. Morgan believed Elijah would marry into the Howards family, cozy up to them, and somehow bring benefits back to the Morgans.
She also clearly agreed with Hannah that Leon was a “failure,” a useless heir who’d squandered his inheritance.
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That was why they’d chosen him. Why they thought Elijah was a “perfect match” for someone like
him.
How ironic.
Because Leon wasn’t some washed–up heir clinging to scraps. He was the founder of Eternal Light Corporation, the rising giant about to dominate the entire fine arts market.
In her past life, Leon’s ruthlessness had become legendary. Those who tried to use him, manipulate him, exploit him… Not one of them walked away unscathed.
But this time, Elijah wasn’t going there for a marriage meeting. She had bigger plans.
She knew Eternal Light was still in its infancy, hungry for exposure.
And she knew exactly what she had to offer: her painting, “Mother’s Back“, a piece steeped in controversy, one that would bring endless conversation and media buzz.
That painting wasn’t just art. It was her weapon. Her key.
And tomorrow, when she met Leon, she was bringing it with her. It was her boldest gamble, and her greatest show of sincerity.
Chapter 15
