Chapter 104

REESE

It was hard to believe how far we had fallen. Chase, the man I once called brother, wasn’t even my blood. And my mother... My mother, who I would have died for, who I loved unconditionally, had betrayed me in ways I still couldn’t fully comprehend. She had wanted me dead. How do you come back from something like that? How do you ever trust again?

Valeria shifted beside me, her hand resting on my chest, offering silent comfort. She knew. She had sensed my restlessness.

“I’m sorry, Reese. I'm so sorry," she whispered, her voice soft in the dim light. “I can’t imagine what it’s like.”

I covered her hand with mine, squeezing gently. “It’s not something I ever thought I’d have to imagine.”

I let out a shaky breath, my hand brushing through her hair. “My mother was a good woman who cared deeply for all of us. But now... it doesn’t feel like it. She’s different now. I never thought she could betray me like this. And Chase…” My voice faltered. Chase, who I had once thought of as my brot