The thirty-second week, Christabel faced her mother for the last time.
Not as a daughter.
As an enemy.
And only one of them walked away.
---
The hotel room was silent.
The city sprawled below the window.
Her mother sat in the same chair, looking out at the skyline, her back to Christabel.
"You're late," her mother said.
"I'm here."
"Are you ready to surrender?"
"I'm ready to talk."
"Talking is not surrendering."
"Talking is the first step."
Her mother turned.
Her eyes were cold.
"You've changed."
"So have you."
"I've become more of who I always was."
"So have I."
---
Her mother stood.
Walked to the window.
"I used to hold you when you were small. Do you remember?"
"No."
"You would cry. For hours. Nothing could comfort you. Except me."
"I don't remember."
"You were my daughter. My flesh. My blood."
"And now?"
"Now you're my enemy."
Christabel stood.
Walked to the window.
Stood beside her mother.
"I don't want to be your enemy."
"Then give me what I want."
"I can't."
"Why not?"
"Because it's not mine to give."
---
Her mother laughed.
The sound was cold.
"Everything you have is mine. The company. The empire. The city. I built the foundation. I gave you the start."
"You gave me nothing."
"I gave you life."
"You gave me trauma."
"I gave you strength."
"You gave me fear."
"We're the same, you and I. We always have been."
---
Christabel turned to face her mother.
"We're nothing alike."
"We're exactly alike. That's why you've always been afraid of me. Because you see yourself when you look at me."
"I see a stranger."
"I see my daughter."
"You stopped being my mother the day you faked your death."
"I never stopped being your mother."
"You abandoned me."
"I freed you."
---
The room was silent.
The city hummed below them.
"Why did you do it?" Christabel asked. "Why did you leave?"
"Because I had to."
"You didn't have to. You chose to."
"I chose to survive."
"You chose to abandon your family."
"I chose to build something of my own."
"You chose revenge."
Her mother was quiet for a moment.
"Yes."
---
"Against who?"
"Against your father. Against the world. Against you."
"Against me?"
"You chose him. Over me. You chose the company. Over me. You chose yourself. Over me."
"I was a child."
"You were old enough to know better."
"I was eighteen."
"Old enough to choose."
"I chose the parent who stayed."
"Your father didn't stay. He died."
"He didn't choose to die."
"He chose to be weak."
"He chose to love."
---
Her mother's face hardened.
"Love is weakness."
"No." Christabel shook her head. "Love is strength. Love is what made me survive. Love is what made me build. Love is what made me fight."
"You're fighting me."
"Because you're threatening my family."
"I am your family."
"You're a stranger who shares my blood."
---
Her mother stepped closer.
"I can give you everything."
"I already have everything."
"I can give you power."
"I already have power."
"I can give you the world."
"I already have a world. A husband. A daughter. A life."
"Your daughter will grow up to betray you. Just like you betrayed me."
Christabel's blood went cold.
"Don't talk about my daughter."
"She's my granddaughter."
"She's means nothing to you,and as vindctive as you are i know you coming here is about money"
"She's everything to me."
---
Christabel stepped back.
Put distance between them.
"This is over."
"It's not over."
"Yes, it is."
"I will destroy you."
"You can try."
"I will take everything from you."
"You can try,and you end up 6 feet in the ground goodluck with that ok"
"I will make you suffer."
Christabel looked at her mother.
The woman who had raised her. The woman who had abandoned her. The woman who was threatening to destroy everything she loved.
"No," Christabel said. "You won't,cause i kill you if you dared to cross the line i shoot and strangle you myself"
Her mother laughed.
"You think you can stop me?"
"I know I can,am not bluffing. I can send a kill order on you right npw with 15 million or 100 million and i bet you even the local government will bend to my bidding ok"
The door opened.
Damien walked in.
---
Her mother's eyes widened.
"You."
"Me."
"You were supposed to be alone."
"I lied."
"Just like your mother."
"No." Damien walked to Christabel. Stood beside her. "Just like a woman who refuses to lose."
---
Her mother looked between them.
"You think the two of you can stop me?"
"We know we can."
"How?"
"Because we have something you don't."
"What?"
"Each other."
"And i damien can kill you here if not this been my main house and want my main house spotless and blood shed free,so dont test my patience bitch"
---
Her mother laughed.
The sound was hollow.
"Love. You think love will save you?"
"We know it will."
"Love is weakness."
"Love is strength for the right people together and the world"
"Love is what destroys people."
"Love is what saves them,well ur love destroys you and you dont speak for everyone thank you.
---
Her mother walked to the door.
"This isn't over."
"Yes, it is."
"I'll be back."
"No." Christabel's voice was quiet. "You won't."
"Why not?"
"Because I'm not going to let you,and i kill u next time we alone in a place with no cameras"
Her mother stopped.
Turned.
"What are you going to do? Kill me?"
"If I have to."
"You're my daughter."
"You stopped being my mother the day you threatened my child."
---
Her mother stared at her.
For a moment—just a moment—Christabel saw something flicker in her eyes.
Regret. Sorrow. Fear.
Then it was gone.
"You're making a mistake."
"I'm making a hard choice i tske you out if you look at my family wrongly ok."
"You'll regret this."
"I'll regret letting you live."
---
Her mother walked out the door.
Damien put his arm around Christabel.
"Are you okay?"
"I will be."
"She's gone."
"For now."
"She'll be back."
"Then we'll be ready."
---
They drove home in silence.
The city was bright.
The streets were busy.
Lena was awake. The nanny was holding her.
Christabel took her daughter.
Pressed her face to Lena's soft hair.
"I saw my mother today," she whispered.
Lena cooed.
"She's not the woman I remembered. She's harder. Colder. More dangerous."
Lena grabbed her finger.
Held on tight.
"But I'm not afraid of her. Because I have you. Because I have your father. Because I have a family worth fighting for."
---
Damien appeared in the doorway.
"She's awake," he said.
"She's hungry."
"I'll make a bottle."
"She wants to nurse."
He walked to her.
Sat on the floor beside the rocking chair.
"What are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking about what she said. About love being weakness."
"It's not."
"I know."
"Love is the only strength that matters."
She looked at him.
"I know."
---
Lena finished nursing.
Fell asleep against Christabel's chest.
"She's out," Christabel said.
"She's perfect."
"She's ours."
Damien stood.
Took Lena from her arms.
Laid her in the crib.
Then he walked back to Christabel.
Took her hand.
"Come with me."
"Where?"
"The garden."
---
They sat on the bench beneath the tree.
The city was dark. The stars were bright.
"It's over," Christabel said.
"Is it?"
"She's gone. For now."
"She'll be back."
"Then we'll be ready."
He put his arm around her.
"Together."
"Together."