Chapter 159: A mother’s guilt

"Ah! I’m so sorry!"

Jean shook her head as she glanced down at her dress. "It’s fine. It wasn’t your fault."

The mishap had occurred when a man passing by accidentally collided with the girl Jean had been speaking to. Unfortunately, the impact had caused the champagne in her glass to spill, leaving a noticeable stain on Jean’s dress.

"Oh, I’m terribly sorry. Is there anything I can do to help you clean it?"

The girl looked genuinely distressed. She had been exceedingly polite throughout their conversation, and even now, she seemed almost on the verge of tears over what was little more than an unfortunate accident.

Jean offered her a reassuring smile.

"No, it’s alright. Don’t worry about it. I’m sure it’ll come off with a little water."

She began making her way towards the restrooms, with the girl following closely behind. However, before they could get very far, someone called out to her.

"Mira!"

Jean glanced at the girl before speaking.

"Go ahead and join them. I can manage on my own."

Mira hesitated, looking between Jean and the direction from which her name had been called.

"Are you sure? I could help you first."

Jean shook her head.

"It’s perfectly fine. Really."

After giving her another reassuring smile, she continued towards the section where the restrooms were located.

Before entering, she glanced back towards the venue and spotted Kai among a small group of people. He seemed thoroughly engaged in their conversation, his expression relaxed as he spoke with them.

Seeing him so at ease brought a faint smile to her lips.

’Well, he’s become quite the speaker recently.’

She knew that once Kai got past his initial nervousness, he could hold his own in almost any conversation. It was simply a matter of getting comfortable with the people around him.

Satisfied that he was doing just fine, Jean finally entered the restroom.

Looking down at the little girl in her arms, she asked playfully, "You’ve been awfully quiet this evening. Are you too busy admiring all the glamour?"

Elara stared at her mother for a moment before suddenly reaching down and grabbing the ribbon tied around her waist.

Jean paused and gently caught her daughter’s little hands.

"Hey! Just because we’re away from the crowd doesn’t mean you can start misbehaving. Be a good girl, alright?"

Elara’s lips formed a little pout, but thankfully, she didn’t put up a fuss.

Jean smiled and proceeded further inside.

She stopped before one of the long rows of mirrors and examined the stain on her dress. It wasn’t particularly large, but she would rather clean it now than risk having it settle into the fabric.

Unfortunately, doing so while holding Elara proved rather difficult. She tried using one hand, but the awkward angle made it nearly impossible to clean the affected area properly.

Still, putting her daughter down wasn’t an option.

Just then, a familiar voice reached her ears.

"Let me hold her."

Jean froze.

It had been years since she had last heard that voice, but there were some things a person simply couldn’t forget. No matter how much time passed, no matter how far they went, certain memories remained etched too deeply in one’s heart.

And a mother’s voice was one of them.

Jean slowly turned around.

Standing behind her was an older woman, her eyes already moist. Grief and longing were evident in her expression, and the sight of her seemed to bring an entirely different weight into the otherwise quiet restroom.

Jean let out a slow breath before speaking.

"You shouldn’t be here. Father would be upset."

"Jean..."

Janet took a hesitant step towards her. Her voice trembled as she spoke, as though she had spent countless nights imagining this very moment without ever finding the courage to make it happen.

"I... I wanted to reach out to you. I wanted to help you."

"But you couldn’t."

Jean’s response was immediate. There was no anger in her voice, only a quiet firmness that made the words all the more painful.

"I know you never blamed me, Mother. But you never found the courage to help me either. So, just like Father, you should consider me someone who no longer exists in your life."

Janet shook her head, unable to accept what her daughter was saying.

"How am I supposed to do that?"

She took another step forward, her eyes never leaving Jean’s face.

"I won’t ask you to forgive me, Jean. I know I don’t deserve that. I just... I wanted to see how you were doing. And..."

Her gaze finally shifted towards the little girl in Jean’s arms.

"My precious little doll."

Elara was watching the unfamiliar woman with open curiosity, her little head tilted slightly as she studied her face.

Perhaps it was because Janet bore such a striking resemblance to her mother that the little girl didn’t seem particularly wary of her. There was something familiar about the woman’s features, even if Elara couldn’t possibly understand why.

Jean instinctively took a step back, putting some distance between them.

"Mom... I think you should leave."

Janet’s outstretched hand slowly lowered. She glanced at her daughter, her lips trembling as she struggled to find the right words.

"C-Can you... at least once... just for a little while... let me hug you? Please, Jean?"

Jean pressed her lips together.

She knew that the longer they remained together, the greater the chances of someone stumbling upon them. The last thing she wanted was an unpleasant confrontation, especially with her father somewhere in the same venue.

Yet, looking at her mother’s pleading expression, she found herself unable to turn her away completely.

After a brief hesitation, Jean slowly nodded.

Janet didn’t waste another moment. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her daughter, pulling her into a long-awaited embrace.

Elara found herself caught between the two women, but surprisingly, she didn’t seem bothered. Rather than fussing or protesting, the little girl remained quiet, seemingly content to stay where she was.

Tears streamed down Janet’s cheeks as she finally held the daughter she had spent so many years longing to see.

"Jean... Oh, God. I’ve missed you so much."

Her voice broke as she tightened her embrace, as though afraid that letting go would mean losing her all over again.

Jean’s heart was pounding just as fiercely. She kept one arm lowered, carefully making sure Elara wasn’t caught uncomfortably between them. Despite the emotions stirring within her, she couldn’t bring herself to return the embrace. She simply stood there, allowing her mother to hold her while struggling to keep her own feelings in check.

She was just about to gently pull away when suddenly...

THUNK!

Both women flinched.

A heavy impact reverberated from somewhere above them, followed by a faint shower of dust slipping down from the ceiling.

Jean immediately looked up.

’This doesn’t sound good.’

They were inside a confined space, and whatever had struck the roof couldn’t have been small.

Her first instinct was to get out. Glancing down at Elara, she tightened her hold on her daughter and prepared to rush towards the exit.

But before she could take another step...

BOOOOOOM!

A deafening explosion tore through the ceiling.

The entire roof came crashing down upon them.