Chapter 16
The day she left, Fiona bought tickets everywhere. []
But her destination was California – the sunshine state.]
Her bank account held hundreds of millions. []
The bitter irony: Seth, emotionally bankrupt, had been financially extravagant. Endless jewels. []
Regular, massive deposits. []
She’d saved it all, planning an education fund for the children she adored.]
Now? Payment owed. F
or the deception. For the C–section scar. For two years of pelvic pain. []
For five years of heart and soul poured into children who weren’t hers.
Nanny fees. With interest.]
Her future? Uncharted. First step: Find Fiona again.[]
In California, her first act was gifting her legal identity to a woman. If Seth came looking, he’d find a stranger.
She became a ghost. Cycling along the beach, savoring mushroom broth so rich it felt transcendent, lying on the sand beneath postcard–perfect skies.
But the peace she sought remained elusive. The past was like rusted nails ripped from her heart – the holes remained, raw and bleeding.
Seth’s six–year lie. Connor and Chloe’s easy betrayal.
The ache was a hollow, persistent throb.]
Maybe time…]
On her way back to the guesthouse, she spotted a small figure crumpled by the roadside. []
A boy, maybe five or six. Unconscious. Filthy. Clothes ragged. Signs of abuse. She lifted him – shockingly light. [
She rushed him to the hospital, paying for everything.[]
He woke with no memory. Just clung to Fiona, calling her “Mama.” []
She tried to correct him. He burst into terrified tears.
“Mama! Don’t leave! Missed you!“]
Tun Mon One Chulce My Happy Endine
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Chapter 16
A mother’s instinct, buried but not dead, surged. []
She’d had children once. []
Not hers. Who’d erased her. This lost boy, in his deepest vulnerability, needed her. She’d stay. For now.[]
He became her shadow, her “son.” But unlike before, his love wasn’t demanding. []
He cherished every crumb of her care. []
“Mama tired?” he’d ask, massaging her shoulders. []
When a nurse gave him candy, he saved it, presenting it to Fiona with solemn pride.[]
Fiona’s eyes would sting.
He wasn’t just her ward; he was healing her, stitch by fragile stitch.[]
Two weeks passed. Then, the hospital room door burst open.[]
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