Chapter 308: The Poisonous Mother and The Villain Father

"Moira, I thought you were capable of handling this." Beatrice’s voice was sharp with disappointment. "Yet somehow, you’ve managed to make yourself completely useless."

Moira’s face tightened.

"Mom, Ares doesn’t like me. He practically threatened to throw me out earlier." Her voice trembled with frustration. "And he’s defending that woman—Larissa Reyes."

"Then stop chasing Ares."

Moira stared at her.

"Focus on Asher instead. He is Shay’s father after all. If you can win him over, the three of you can become a real family."

"But, Mom..." Moira hesitated. "Asher doesn’t like me either. You know what we’re like. We’re oil and water. He can barely stand being in the same room with me."

Beatrice stared at her daughter as though she had just heard something utterly ridiculous.

How could she have given birth to someone so incapable of seeing what was right in front of her?

"Ares and Asher are no longer ordinary men," Beatrice said slowly. "They have been publicly recognized as descendants of the Kromwel dynasty—the royal family that ruled Azuverda for more than a century."

Moira’s eyes immediately brightened.

"I know, Mom." A hint of excitement entered her voice. "And Shay is Asher and my daughter which means she has royal blood running through her veins."

Beatrice’s expression hardened.

"And you think that secures your position?"

Moira’s smile faded.

"You’re forgetting something important," Beatrice continued. "Blood may give Shay status, but it does not guarantee that you will have a place beside her."

"What do you mean?"

"You can’t even make your own daughter choose you."

The words struck harder than Moira expected.

Beatrice leaned back, her gaze cold and merciless.

"Shay is already closer to Larissa than she is to you. Have you noticed that? The child looks for her, trusts her, and runs to her without hesitation."

Moira’s fingers curled into her palms. Her mother’s words hit her where it hurt the most.

"If you continue like this, one day you will lose your daughter."

"Then what am I supposed to do?" Moira asked, her voice smaller now.

"Do not confront Larissa head-on."

Beatrice’s tone became deliberate, almost instructive.

"That woman is not someone you can simply intimidate. If you attack her openly, you’ll only make yourself look like the villain."

Moira frowned.

"Then what should I do?"

"Change your approach. Be kinder. Be patient. Most importantly, treat Shay well. Let the child want to be around you."

Moira looked unconvinced.

"That’s it?"

"No."

Beatrice’s eyes narrowed.

"Approach Asher. Tell him you regret the past. Tell him you want to start over. Tell him you want the three of you to become a family for Shay’s sake."

"But, Mom..." Moira lowered her gaze. "There’s someone else I like."

"Moira Torres!"

Beatrice’s voice cracked through the room like a whip.

Moira immediately fell silent.

She knew that tone.

She had angered her mother.

Beatrice rose slowly from her seat.

"Do you really intend to throw away power and prestige for something as foolish as love? Asher lacked nothing, especially in looks."

Moira swallowed.

"Love," Beatrice scoffed. "What does love matter when you have the opportunity to secure a place among Azuverda’s most powerful families?"

Moira said nothing.

"Feelings change. Prestige does not."

Beatrice stepped closer and placed a hand beneath her daughter’s chin, forcing her to look up.

"Make Asher fall in love with you."

Her voice dropped to a quiet, chilling certainty.

"I’ll take care of Larissa."

Moira’s eyes flickered with uncertainty.

Before she could ask what her mother meant, Beatrice reached for her phone.

She scrolled through her contacts for a moment before stopping at a number she rarely used.

Her thumb hovered over the screen.

Then she pressed call.

The moment the line connected, Beatrice’s entire demeanor changed. Her voice became low and controlled.

"I need you to investigate someone."

She paused, listening.

"Her name is Larissa Reyes."

Moira watched her mother carefully.

"I want everything."

Beatrice turned toward the window. Beyond the glass, the moon cast its silver beams in the darkness.

"Her family. Her past. Her relationships. Where she came from. Where she’s been."

Her fingers tightened around the phone.

"I want to know who she talks to, where she goes, and what she’s been doing since she entered the Kromwels’ lives."

A brief silence followed.

Beatrice’s eyes hardened.

"And if there’s anything she’s hiding..."

The corner of her lips slowly curved upward.

"Find it."

She ended the call.

For a moment, the room was silent.

Moira looked at her mother, a mixture of apprehension and relief settling in her chest.

She had no idea what Beatrice intended to find.

But judging from that cold smile, whatever secrets Larissa Reyes was hiding...

Beatrice intended to drag them into the light.

...

Meanwhile, Artemio Fuegerro had spent the past several days in a state of restless unease.

Night after night, he lay awake in his study, going over the events of the past two years in his mind. He retraced every decision, every move, every person he had used to carry out his plans.

Yet no matter how many times he went over it, he kept arriving at the same question.

What had gone wrong?

Everything had been carefully planned.

Was it the accident?

Artemio’s fingers tightened around the armrest of his chair.

It had to be the coma. She woke up as a different person.

Perhaps her memories had become confused with something else.

That would explain everything.

At least, that was what Artemio needed to believe.

Maybe it was time to call Yannick Fenn back.

If anyone could determine what had happened to Lara after the accident, it was Yannick. He needed another examination. Another confirmation.

Before he could reach for his phone, the study door opened.

A man dressed entirely in black stepped inside. Dark glasses concealed his eyes, while a black cap shadowed most of his face.

"General."

Artemio looked up sharply.

"What is it?"

The man stopped a few feet from the desk.

"Leonard Norse has returned to the capital."

Artemio’s expression changed.

"Leonard?"

"He came back to pick up his wife."

For a brief moment, Artemio said nothing.

His heart gave an uneasy beat.

The last time he saw Madeline was at Leonard’s birthday celebration. Even after all these years, he had to admit that some things never changed.

He still looked forward to seeing her.

Madeline remained the only woman he had ever truly loved but could not have.

"Did you find out why he is taking her to Calma?"

"Yes."

The man hesitated.

"They’re holding a celebration for Larissa Reyes."

Artemio’s heart skipped a beat.

"A celebration?"