Forever After All

Sarah walks into the house, and Elena and I follow right behind her. She walks into the living room to find Jade and Elise sitting on the sofa—her sofa. Jade sits up in shock, her hand going over her mouth. She looks like she saw a ghost, the same guilt that Matthew portrayed reflected in her eyes too.

“Jade,” Sarah says, her voice tinged with mock surprise. “What are you doing in my house?”

Jade rises from the sofa and walks around it, her face white. She stands behind the sofa, as though she’s trying to use it as a barrier.

“You… you were dead.”

Sarah looks down at her hands. “No,” she says. “I don’t think so.”

She takes a step forward, and Jade takes a step away from her. Meanwhile, Elise is on the sofa, her eyes wide. Elena nods at our men, and they move toward Elise, restraining her.

“You stay away from my daughter,” Jade says, her voice trembling. She glances around the room, realizing that she’s outnumbered.

Sarah ignores her and sits down on the sofa, one leg crossed over the other. “Can’t say I love what you did to the place,” she says, frowning.

She nods at the seat opposite her. “Take a seat.”

One of our men grabs Jade and forces her into the seat Sarah just pointed out, and I smile. I lean into Elena, my lips brushing past her ear. “Your mom is quite badass.”

She grins, and I wrap my arms around her. Elena rests her back against my chest, and I put my chin on top of her head. The two of us standing here as though we’re watching our favorite show.

“I thought we agreed that you’d stay away from my family,” Sarah says, spreading her arms out on the sofa. “So why are you in my house?”

Jade trembles and reaches for her phone, which just makes Sarah laugh. “Don’t bother,” she says. “Alaric is being detained by the Kennedys, and Matthew has been arrested for attempted murder. But worry not, Jade, soon you’ll be joining your darling son.”

“You… you—this isn’t your house. Not anymore. It’s mine. You need to get out,” Jade says. “I’m calling the police. You’re trespassing.”

I press a kiss to Elena’s neck. “Good move on Jade’s part,” I murmur, and Elena huffs.

Elise watches us, looking more panicked by the second, and I narrow my eyes at her. I haven’t forgotten that Elise is the reason my wife ended up at Vaughn’s—the very same place she’ll end up at, eventually. I’ll make sure of it.

Elena shakes her head. “It would be, if she actually owned this place. She doesn’t.”

Jade glares at Sarah, her cheeks slowly regaining color. “Everything that used to be yours is mine now. Matter of fact, it always was. Alaric was always mine, and you’re well aware that Matthew is too. It doesn’t matter that you raised him for years—he’s my blood. Alaric only married you for the money. It’s me he always loved.”

Sarah freezes—it’s subtle, but it doesn’t escape me. Elena’s grip on my hand tightens, and she takes a step forward, but I pull her back. “Your mom has got this,” I tell her. “Let her have this moment. It’s been years in the making.”

She nods, but she’s tense. I tighten my grip on her, hugging her close to me.

“That might well be true,” Sarah says. “But it doesn’t explain why you’re in my house. Alaric and Matthew… you can have them. They’re yours. But everything I’ve ever worked for? Everything I’ve ever invested in? You can’t have that, Jade.”

Jade glances at the two police officers that walk in and smiles. Foolish woman.

Sarah nods at Aiden, and he walks up to her with a stack of papers in hand. He places them down in front of Jade before handing Sarah a hard drive identical to the one he gave Elena earlier.

“An eviction notice?” Jade says, her hands trembling.

Sarah rises from her seat and looks around. “I’ll have your personal belongings packed, though I doubt you’ll need them where you’re going,” she says, nodding at the police officers. They arrest Jade for attempted murder, and just like Matthew did, she tries to fight it.

“Get her out of here,” Elena says, her head tipped toward Elise.

That girl has always had such a big mouth around my wife, but not a single word has escaped her lips today. All I see on her face is the fear and pain she’s made Elena feel for years.

The door closes behind them, and Sarah falls to the floor. Elena gasps and runs up to her mother, taking Sarah into her arms.

My heart breaks when Sarah bursts into tears. She hasn’t cried once since she woke up. Not when she struggled to speak, not when her limbs wouldn’t do what she wanted them to, not even when she was told she’d be in a wheelchair for months.

None of that broke her. But this did. Love did.





Chapter 51





E lena



I sit with my mother as we go through company records, Alec by our side. He wraps his arm around my waist and sighs. “Look, Buttercup,” he says. “This all doesn’t add up. Overhauling this company is going to be difficult.”

I drop my head against his shoulder, and he presses a kiss on top of my hair.

“I’m not surprised,” Mom says. “Alaric was never that good of a businessman. Even when you were little, it was me running both our companies. I did it then, and I’ll do it now. Between you and I, there’s nothing we can’t accomplish, sweetie.”

I nod, but the task seems daunting. “We need to set up meetings with every single department head,” I say, scrolling through the data.

My phone rings, and I frown when I don’t recognize the phone number. I haven’t given this number out to anyone.

Alec glances at my phone, looking surprised. “Take the call. That phone number, it’s my grandfather’s.”

I look at him with raised brows as I accept the call, confused as to why he’d be calling me.

“Hello?”

“Elena, darling. I heard you’re the proud new owner of Rousseau Corporation. From what I’ve heard, you went in with guns blazing. I couldn’t be more proud.”

I blush, I can’t help it. “Grandpa… it was nothing. It just needed to be done.”

“How about that lunch you promised me? I have some time right about now. I can be there in ten minutes or so. I’d love to hear the full story. Besides, I’d love to see your mother again. I haven’t seen her in years.”

“Of course, Grandpa.”

I glance at my mom and smile as I end the call. “Alec’s grandfather is coming over for lunch. He said he’d like to see you, since it’s been so many years. He sounded quite interested in hearing our full story.”

Mom smiles and shakes her head. “Sofia’s dad warned me against marrying your father. She and I were very good friends when we were younger, and her father always looked out for me.”

I put my hand on my mother’s shoulder, my heart breaking for her. Mom has lost so much, yet she still smiles.

I walk toward Sofia’s kitchen, startling the staff. Even though Alec and I have our own kitchen, Sofia’s is far larger, and it’s the one we always use for family meals. Grandpa walks in shortly after I do, a large basket full of vegetables in his hand.

“Hello, sweetheart,” he says, grinning.

He holds up a melon for me excitedly, and I stare at it with wide eyes. “Oh, my gosh! I wonder what it’ll taste like. Do you think it’ll be sweet?”

Grandpa shrugs. “We won’t know until we try it. How did you put it? They’re moody .”

I laugh, and Sofia pops her head into the kitchen, a smile on her face. “Thought I heard you, Dad.”

She stares at the vegetables on the counter through narrowed eyes and crosses her arms. “Dad… I thought you said I was the only one that ever gets to have your vegetables?”

Grandpa looks at her sheepishly, and I laugh. I love the way Sofia acts around her dad, and the way he treats her. This imposing man is nothing more than a loving father whenever Sofia is around.

“But Elena is going to cook them for you ,” he says, throwing all his charm at her.

Sofia shakes her head. “You didn’t even know if I’d be here, and you didn’t call me either.” She turns to look at me. “Did he call you, Elena?”

Grandpa looks at me with wide eyes and shakes his head ever so slightly, and I just about manage to bite back a smile. “Uh, no,” I say, my tone unconvincing.

“I knew it!” Sofia says, glaring at her father.

“Don’t blame Grandpa,” Alec says, entering the kitchen with my mother right behind him. “He can’t help it. The old man never stood a chance. Elena just has a knack for stealing people’s hearts.”

Sofia nods, as though in agreement, and wraps her arm around my shoulder. “Yes, that’s true. My daughter-in-law is so loveable.”

Mom clears her throat. “Sofia, you do realize she’s my daughter, right?”

Sofia narrows her eyes and tightens her grip on me. “Not anymore, she’s not.”

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