The police were quick to arrive and hauled Gregory away.
Chloe, still in shock, turned to me and asked in a daze, “Mom, is this the ‘show’ you wanted me to see?”
I set my teacup down with a calm smile, my gaze steady. “Chloe, let me teach you something important today. Never go easy on your enemies.”
She looked confused. “But why go this far? Kicking him out of the family would’ve been enough. Why take it to this extreme?”
I leaned back, my voice colder now. “Because your father’s accident wasn’t some random tragedy. It was Gregory’s scheme. He tricked Jason into that construction site, and that truck that ‘accidentally’ went out of control? Brianna had her hands all over it.”
The memories rushed back—the sight of Jason, bloody and broken. For twenty-five years, I had dreamed of ending Gregory and Brianna, but I never acted on it. I wanted them to destroy themselves, and they had—bit by bit.
I’d made sure Gregory took that job as a chef, put him right next to the knives and sharp tools. I’d orchestrated Brianna’s meeting with her lover, a male escort, making sure they ended up in the restaurant Gregory worked at. There was no way for him to avoid seeing them. It was all part of the plan.
Brianna didn’t make it. She died in the hospital. Gregory, on the other hand, was left shattered.
Later, Chloe told me that without Brianna’s money, George couldn’t survive. He ended up just like his father, taking up work as an escort. And the most ironic part? Chloe ran into him when one of her friends hired him. What a twist of fate.
Life returned to its rhythm, or so it seemed—until the phone call.
The doctor’s voice was almost too surreal to believe. Jason had woken up.
After twenty-five long years, he was finally conscious.
I rushed to the hospital with Chloe and my mother-in-law, my heart racing as we made our way to the ward.
Jason was lying in bed, pale but with his eyes bright and full of recognition. When he saw me, a small smile tugged at his lips.
“Kaia… you’ve aged.”
His words hit me harder than I expected. I felt a lump form in my throat, tears threatening to spill. “You’ve been asleep for so long,” I whispered. “We’ve all been waiting for you.”
I motioned toward the door, where my mother-in-law and Chloe stood, eager to meet him. Jason’s gaze shifted to Chloe, and he blinked, his brow furrowing in curiosity.
“Who is she?” he asked softly.
I took a breath, and with a tender smile, I answered, “She’s our daughter. We had her through IVF.”
Jason’s surprise lasted only a moment before his eyes softened, and he looked at Chloe with a warmth I hadn’t seen in years.
“What’s her name?” he asked, a loving smile spreading across his face.
I smiled back. “Her name is Chloe. We named her after you—’Soph’ means to remember.”
Jason’s smile deepened, his voice soft and full of affection. “Chloe… she’s beautiful.”
