Chapter 217 – Mom Part 3

Kyle asked me not to tell grandpa that mom was still alive and already here with us. Grandpa was still recovering from his illness, and it will definitely shock him when he finds out that his daughter, who he thought died a long time ago, was actually alive.

Jayden left me in my father’s bedroom to spend time with mom. Kyle and father didn’t go and stayed behind.

“That’s your husband?” Mom asked.

I smiled at her and nodded.

“We also have a son. His name’s Caden.” I answered.

“Oh, that’s nice. And Kyle?” She asked, looking at Kyle.

“Emily’s pregnant. I’ll introduce you to her.” He answered.

Father was staring at mom, looking at her bruises. He had a dark expression on his face, and I knew he was fuming with anger.

“Catherine, what happened to you? I’m sorry to cut off your conversation. I know you wanted to talk to your mother and share everything with her. But we need to know first what happened. Why did you suddenly appear unconscious and naked?” Father asked with a frown on his face.

Mom sighed, looking at father.

“After giving birth to Margaret, he took her away from me. I didn’t even have a chance to hold her. I asked him where she would take her and his plan. He forced me to drink something; that was the last time I saw my daughter. When I woke up, I was in a house I didn’t know.” Mom started.

She looked at me and touched my face.

“I was chained, caged, and blindfolded. I was beaten, tortured, and raped. I wanted to die. But I wanted to know what happened to you. I waited until I overheard some of Benjamin’s men talking about his daughter. I knew it was you. I found out he kept you in a mansion with his servants. I was relieved that he didn’t hurt you, but I was always afraid that he would do something to you someday.” She paused.

“Benjamin talked to me once, telling me that you have found a guy that you want to marry. He was mad because he discovered that the man was Lucia’s son. So he did everything to separate you from him. I don’t know the reason, but he had a grudge on the Castello’s for a long time. He said he would tell you who your real father is and make you believe that Matthew killed Lucia.”

I frowned. It was the day he received a message from his foster, asking her to meet with him. He gave her all the information about his father and showed her his photo with Jayden’s mother.

“I knew you ran away months after finding out about your father and Lucia. Benjamin didn’t expect that you would actually do that. He said that your fiance was asking him for a meeting. He didn’t want to tell him why you ran away, so he went abroad, making everyone believe that he went on a business trip.”

I was listening to mom’s story. Jayden told her that Benjamin was nowhere to be found when she ran away. He tried to reach out to Benjamin, but his secretary told Jayden that he was abroad for business.

“For all those years that I was held captive, I was hoping that someday one of you would find out how evil Benjamin was. He’s a liar and good at deceiving people. He waited for a long time to get his revenge on the royal family. He made the Rossi’s his underlings, letting them crawl under his feet.”

She turned to father again. I saw him smile at her. His expression changed a bit, but his face was still dark from listening to her story.

“A few days ago, Benjamin told me about the attack that had happened in the palace. He wanted me to be his escape and use me in exchange for his freedom. He took pictures of me and sent them to you. I know he would do everything to get away again, and I don’t want to be a part of it. So, I begged one of his servants to help me. I threatened him that he would get killed and his family if he remained on Benjamin’s side. He was a young man; his wife was pregnant with his second child. I told him I would help him if he would help me escape.”

“How did you escape?” I asked.

“I asked him to buy a drug that would make me look like I’m dead. I knew one doctor who had that drug and told him to go there. I wasn’t sure if the plan would be a success. I instructed him to suggest Benjamin bring my lifeless body here once he found out what happened. It was to give you a warning, but in truth, it was my plan. I’m happy everything went as planned. Now, you just have to pretend that the palace was in a frenzy. Tell the people who were present earlier to keep their mouths shut.” Mother ordered.

She looked at Kyle, who seemed like he was stunned by mom’s instructions. He eventually nodded.

“Benjamin won’t get away with this. After what he did to you and Margaret, I swear I will kill him slowly.”  Father exclaimed.

Mom turned her gaze to me, confused.

“What did he do to you? What happened?” She asked.

I bit my lips and felt my chest tighten.

“I was pregnant when they attacked the palace. I was stabbed by one of his men and had a miscarriage. My child was directly hit on the heart and died.” I answered bitterly.

Mom was shocked, covering her mouth. Then tears fell from her eyes. She pulled me in her arms, embracing me tightly. It was a warm feeling—a mother’s love. I didn’t imagine that a day would come that I would be able to hug her. I thought I could only wish and dream about this moment.

I wrapped my arms around her as I cried in her arms.

“My baby. I’m sorry I wasn’t there. But mom’s here now. I would never leave you again. You and your brother, I will be here for you until my last breath..” She whispered.