Chapter 1707:
Zaria met her gaze steadily. She knew that if she didn’t offer a convincing answer, Kylee would keep her guard up, and any chance of forming an alliance would vanish before it even began.
Zaria exhaled softly. “My mother passed away when I was young,” she began, her voice low and steady. “So my father… he’s everything to me. I cherish him with all my heart, and more than anything, I want him to be happy.”
She paused for a moment, her gaze drifting to some distant point beyond Kylee. “But all these years, I’ve never truly seen him smile—not the kind that reaches his eyes. It’s as if something’s always been haunting him, a shadow clinging to his thoughts. I tried to understand it, to ask, but my grandmother wouldn’t tell me anything.”
Her tone faltered as she continued, “There’s this woman—she has been in love with my father for over two decades. She has been waiting for the chance to become his wife. My grandmother has taken a liking to her and has been trying to push the match.”
Zaria lowered her eyes, her fingers curling slightly as she bit her lower lip. “But neither my father nor I like her. We’ve never wanted that. Still, since my grandmother approves of her, she’s been pressuring him nonstop to accept her.” She looked up again, her voice quiet but resolute. “My father’s tired—worn thin by the expectations around him. That’s why I want him to regain his memory, not just to fill in the blanks, but so he can finally make peace with his past. So that maybe… he can find what truly brings him joy.” A soft breath escaped her lips before she added, “And since it’s also what he wants, I’ll do everything in my power to help him get there. I owe him that much.”
Kylee was caught off guard by the raw sincerity.
Kylee was caught off guard by the raw sincerity in Zaria’s voice. For a moment, she sat frozen, letting the depth of those words settle over her.
Kylee blinked. So, Zaria’s mother had already passed away? That was a relief to hear.
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She had been anxious about returning to the Wright family, fearing that Zaria’s mother might still pose a threat and that she would need to devise a strategy to handle her. But as it turned out, Zaria’s mother was no longer alive.
As for the woman pursuing Elwood, Kylee wasn’t particularly concerned. Zaria insisted her intentions were for her father’s benefit, but Kylee remained skeptical.
Although she wasn’t sure of Zaria’s true motives, Elwood recovering his memories would undoubtedly work in her favor. Naturally, she planned to encourage more interactions between Elwood and Carola.
Before Kylee could respond, Zaria spoke up again. “I know it might feel unjust to your dad. But you once mentioned that your mother didn’t truly love him. Besides, it was your father who was unfaithful first—he broke her trust. Don’t you want your mother to find happiness, too?”
Since Zaria framed it that way, Kylee went along with it. Still, she couldn’t shake the thought that once Elwood fully regained his memories and she embraced her true lineage, would Zaria come to regret her actions? The idea made Kylee chuckle softly to herself.
