Chapter 19
Eleanor glanced at the luxury car partially concealed behind a thicket, then turned to the officers and said, “To find out who owns this, just bring over whoever’s in that car.”
In a matter of minutes, they brought Lillian over. She was struggling, protesting, “I’m the one who reported this! Why are you detaining me?”
The officers remained unyielding. “Everyone needs to come in for questioning. We hope you’ll cooperate.”
Hearing this, Lillian suddenly realized the gravity of the situation. A blood test would reveal everything!
She broke free from the officers and rushed to Selene’s side. “Mom, you have to help me! I can’t be taken away.”
Selene stared at Lillian, and from her daughter’s panic, she understood something crucial. She restrained herself from hitting Lillian, but her eyes were full of disappointment.
Seeing this, Lillian clung to Selene’s arm. “Mom, I’m your biological daughter. How will you manage alone if something happens to me? Even if you don’t care about me, think about our family’s reputation!”
Selene’s body trembled. After throwing a sharp glance at Lillian, she turned to Eleanor, her expression full of regret.
Then, as if making a difficult decision, she faced the officers. “I can testify. The contraband is Eleanor’s. I saw her hide it under the floorboard.”
Eleanor met Selene’s gaze with calm resignation. She had long abandoned hope in the Yates family, but seeing Selene side with Lillian again still stung deeply.
“Mrs. Yates,” Eleanor’s voice was steady. “I understand your desire to protect the family name. But hasn’t Lillian already tarnished it enough? She’s the real disgrace!”
“You indulge her out of maternal affection, but have you considered that this only makes things worse? You pity her, but what about me? Must I always bear the blame in silence?”
Selene flinched as if struck, her eyes widening in shock at Eleanor’s words. She alone understood the hidden implication about Eleanor’s true identity.
“Ellie, my Ellie…” Tears filled Selene’s eyes as she looked at her.
As she moved to approach Eleanor, Lillian suddenly dropped to her knees, clutching Selene’s legs and sobbing. “Mom, I’m the daughter you’ve loved for over twenty years!”
“I was sick from birth, in and out of surgeries and hospitals. You always said I was your life, that you’d love me forever. Are you abandoning me now, Mom?”
Selene stood rooted to the spot, torn between the two. She gazed down at the pitiful Lillian, then up at the lonely, desolate Eleanor, her heart in turmoil.
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Chapter 19
Finally, she sank to her knees in front of Eleanor, bowing repeatedly. “Ellie, I’m sorry.”
“Please take the blame for this. But after it’s over, I promise I’ll make it up to you. I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you.”
