Chapter 40 - A Mother’s Hatred

Ivy's POV

The voice belonged to a figure stepping out from the shadows of the hallway. A woman—tall, graceful, and eerily familiar. Her hair cascaded in dark waves, and her sharp black eyes locked onto my frame with a mixture of anger and hatred.

Is she really my mother? I remember asking myself this question over and over again. How could she bear to treat me the way she did? And even after all these years, the hatred still burned fresh.

Aria.

I hadn’t heard that name in years until my past came clashing with my present. It was a name I had long buried, a name tied to a past I wished to forget—a past filled with lies, hatred, and betrayal.

A past I had longed to return to in my moment of weakness.

Leo’s grip on my waist tightened as he pulled me closer, his body tensing with unease. “Who are you?” he demanded, his voice low and dangerous.