My Mother
2082 Words
John's mother finally stepped out of the house.
She stopped on the porch and stared at the unbelievable sight before her.
Four black power bikes.
Fourteen luxury electric cars.
A custom-made vehicle sitting at the center of the convoy.
And an army of sharply dressed bodyguards standing around it.
Her eyes widened.
“What is going on?”
John turned toward her.
“Mother…”
He hesitated.
“This woman claims to be Chloe's mother.”
He pointed toward Veronica.
“But are you sure we should believe her? Just because she has luxury cars and some—”
His mother cut him off with a sharp look.
“John.”
He stopped.
She walked closer.
“You were given a chance to claim that girl as your daughter.”
John lowered his head slightly.
“You didn't.”
His mother pointed toward the convoy.
“And now you're standing here questioning her because she arrived with money and security?”
“I'm not saying that.”
“You're the one who always said you didn't like children.”
John sighed.
“Yeah.”
He glanced toward the house.
“I do now.”
His mother gave him a knowing look.
“Too late.”
John frowned.
“The girl's mother is already here.”
She turned toward Veronica.
“We need to give her back.”
Veronica's lips slowly curved into a polite smile.
“Thank you, madam.”
John's mother nodded.
“You're welcome.”
Her expression softened.
“It must have been hard for you… knowing your child was gone.”
Veronica lowered her eyes, perfectly playing the part of a grieving mother.
“Yes.”
She placed a hand against her chest.
“Very hard.”
John watched her carefully.
Something about her answer didn't sit right with him.
But before he could say anything, his mother opened the door wider.
“Come inside.”
She gestured toward the house.
“Come and see her.”
Veronica nodded.
“Thank you.”
She turned slightly.
“Fredrick.”
Fredrick followed.
Vixen and Biliam came behind them, while several bodyguards entered as well.
John, Mirabel, and Stephen followed closely.
Nobody said much.
The atmosphere had suddenly become heavy.
Inside the living room, Chloe was still sitting on the floor with her toys.
She was completely unaware of what was happening.
She pushed a little toy car across the floor.
“Vroom…”
Then she heard footsteps.
Chloe looked up.
She saw unfamiliar people entering the house.
And behind them were several large men dressed in black.
Her expression immediately changed.
She stood.
“Who are you?”
The bodyguards continued walking.
Chloe's eyes suddenly turned red.
A powerful invisible force exploded through the room.
BOOM!
All six bodyguards were violently lifted off the ground.
“WHOA!”
Their bodies shot upward.
They slammed against the ceiling and hung there, trapped by Chloe's telekinetic force.
Everyone froze.
Veronica's eyes widened.
Fredrick stared at the ceiling.
Vixen's mouth opened slightly.
Biliam took a step backward.
Even John's mother was stunned.
Mirabel covered her mouth.
“Chloe…”
Chloe stood protectively in front of her toys.
Her red eyes burned brightly.
She pointed toward the floating bodyguards.
“You're not taking them!”
John blinked.
“What?”
Chloe lifted her chin proudly.
“You have to get through me first!”
She paused.
Then, with complete seriousness, she added one of her favorite cartoon lines:
“I am Captain Rescue! And I rescue everyone!”
Mirabel almost burst out laughing.
She quickly covered her mouth.
John turned toward her.
“Don't.”
Mirabel was struggling not to laugh.
“I'm sorry.”
John looked back at Chloe.
“Chloe.”
She stared at him.
“Bring them down.”
“But they're the bad men.”
“The bad men?”
“Yeah!”
She pointed at them.
“Like the bad men in Batman.”
Then she thought for a second.
“And Scooby-Doo.”
One of the bodyguards groaned from the ceiling.
John rubbed his forehead.
“Chloe, they're not bad guys.”
Chloe narrowed her red eyes.
“They look bad.”
“They're not.”
“They're dressed in black.”
John paused.
“That doesn't make someone bad.”
Chloe looked unconvinced.
John softened his voice.
“Please. Bring them down.”
Chloe looked at the men.
Then at John.
Finally, her red eyes slowly returned to normal.
The invisible force disappeared.
THUD!
All six bodyguards crashed onto the floor.
“Ow!”
“Ugh!”
One rolled onto his side, groaning.
John immediately stepped forward.
“Everyone okay?”
The bodyguards nodded painfully.
Veronica had barely moved.
She was staring at Chloe.
Her expression was difficult to read.
She had expected a frightened six-year-old.
Instead, she had just witnessed a child effortlessly overpower six trained bodyguards.
Remarkable.
For a brief moment, Veronica's eyes revealed genuine amazement.
This was the child who carried the Dragon Rite.
The child she had once intended to kill.
Yet standing before her wasn't some helpless little girl.
It was a powerful child who had already begun developing abilities of her own.
Then John's mother stepped forward.
She looked at Chloe.
“Chloe.”
Chloe turned.
“Yes?”
The older woman pointed toward Veronica.
“This woman…”
Chloe looked at Veronica.
“She is your mother.”
The word struck something deep inside Chloe.
Mother.
Her red eye glow immediately disappeared.
Her face softened.
She stared at Veronica.
“...Mum?”
Veronica's heart skipped for a fraction of a second.
She slowly walked toward the little girl.
“Yes, darling.”
She crouched down until they were at eye level.
“I'm your mum.”
Chloe stared at her.
Then she looked at Fredrick.
Veronica reached backward and gestured toward him.
“And that is your dad.”
Chloe looked at him.
“Dad?”
Fredrick forced a smile.
“Yes.”
He didn't like the lie.
But he knew what his wife was doing.
“I'm your dad.”
Chloe's eyes filled with uncertainty.
Then she suddenly stepped forward.
She wrapped her arms around Veronica.
Veronica froze.
For one brief moment, everything stopped.
No plan.
No Dragon Rite.
No Sterling Fox.
No revenge.
Just a mother holding a child.
Veronica slowly placed her arms around Chloe.
Something inside her shifted.
Her desire to kill the girl disappeared.
Just for a moment.
She looked down at Chloe.
The little girl's face was buried against her.
Veronica's expression softened.
Then reality returned.
The hatred.
The plan.
Sterling.
The Dragon Rite.
Everything came rushing back.
But she didn't push Chloe away.
Instead, she held her tighter.
Chloe looked up.
“Why did you leave me?”
Veronica's smile trembled slightly.
“We didn't leave you, darling.”
She gently touched Chloe's hair.
“We were looking everywhere for you.”
“All this time?”
“All this time.”
Chloe hugged her again.
Veronica closed her eyes for a moment.
“I'm here now.”
John stood several feet away, watching.
His suspicion only grew.
Something wasn't right.
Veronica eventually stood and turned toward John and his mother.
“Thank you.”
She looked around the house.
“Thank you for taking care of my daughter.”
John's expression remained guarded.
Veronica continued.
“As a gesture of gratitude, I'm going to renovate this entire neighborhood.”
Everyone stared at her.
“The roads, the houses, the utilities… everything.”
She smiled.
“And everything will be done in the name of the Lincoln family.”
John's mother looked shocked.
“You don't have to do that.”
“I insist.”
Veronica nodded.
“And you are all welcome at the Hale residence anytime.”
Stephen looked toward Chloe.
A small smile appeared on his face.
“I'm gonna miss that little miss troublemaker.”
Mirabel nodded.
“Me too.”
She looked toward Chloe.
“Especially when she throws food into my face with her mind.”
Chloe giggled.
John didn't laugh.
His eyes remained fixed on Veronica.
“I have a feeling that woman is lying.”
Mirabel turned toward him.
“John…”
“She isn't Chloe's real mother.”
Mirabel sighed.
“What is your problem?”
John looked at her.
“I don't know.”
He lowered his voice.
“But something is wrong.”
Mirabel shook her head.
“Can't you just be happy for the child for once?”
John said nothing.
His eyes followed Veronica.
Meanwhile, Chloe was getting ready to leave.
Vixen approached.
Veronica noticed something around Chloe's neck.
She stopped.
“What is that?”
She reached toward the necklace.
Chloe touched it.
“This?”
Veronica recognized it immediately.
The Sterling Fox family necklace.
The necklace Sterling had given Aura years ago.
Veronica's expression hardened.
She gently removed it from Chloe's neck.
“Take this off, darling.”
Chloe looked confused.
“Why?”
Veronica smiled.
“Because I have something better for you.”
She removed a beautiful Hale family necklace and placed it around Chloe's neck.
“There.”
Chloe looked down at it.
“I like it.”
“Good.”
Veronica turned toward Vixen.
“Take the other necklace.”
Vixen took the Sterling necklace.
Veronica's voice became cold.
“Burn it later.”
Vixen nodded.
“Yes, ma'am.”
John noticed.
His eyes narrowed.
He had no idea what the necklace meant.
But the way Veronica had removed it bothered him.
Veronica turned back toward Chloe.
“Okay, up we go.”
Chloe smiled.
“Henry Danger!”
Veronica laughed softly.
“Yes.”
She bent down and lifted Chloe into her arms.
Chloe happily wrapped her arms around her neck.
Veronica looked toward Vixen and Fredrick.
“Let's go.”
They began walking toward the door.
Fredrick followed.
But as he watched Veronica carry Chloe, his expression changed.
He glanced at the necklace.
Then at Chloe.
Then at Veronica.
This wasn't how the plan was supposed to go.
They had come to take the girl.
They were supposed to eventually kill her.
But first Veronica had given Chloe a Hale family heirloom.
Now she was carrying her like a real mother.
Fredrick's eyes narrowed.
What is happening to her?
Was Veronica slowly becoming emotionally attached to the child?
Or was this simply another part of her plan?
He didn't know.
Outside, the convoy waited.
Veronica carried Chloe toward the custom electric car.
A bodyguard opened the door.
Veronica climbed inside with Chloe.
Fredrick entered after them.
The door closed.
Inside the vehicle, Chloe sat between them.
She stared at Veronica's necklace.
Her eyes lit up with curiosity.
She reached out and began playing with it.
Fredrick watched carefully.
He expected Veronica to stop her.
Instead—
Veronica laughed.
“You have your own, you know.”
She took Chloe's Hale necklace between her fingers.
“Look.”
She held it up.
“Here.”
Chloe looked down.
Then she grabbed her own necklace.
“Oh!”
She began playing with it.
Veronica smiled.
For a moment, she looked genuinely happy.
Fredrick stared at his wife.
He had never seen her look at the girl like that.
The convoy slowly began moving.
Outside, John, Mirabel, Stephen, John's mother, and the rest of the Lincoln family stood watching.
The black power bikes moved first.
Then the luxury electric cars.
Finally, the custom car carrying Chloe disappeared down the road.
Mirabel watched until the last vehicle vanished.
“She looked happy.”
Stephen nodded.
“Yeah.”
John said nothing.
His eyes remained fixed on the empty road.
Mirabel turned toward him.
“John?”
He finally spoke.
“I don't trust her.”
Mirabel sighed.
“You've said that already.”
John shook his head.
“No.”
He looked toward the direction the convoy had disappeared.
“Something is seriously wrong.”
He couldn't explain it.
He didn't have proof.
He didn't even know what he was looking for.
But deep inside, every instinct he had was screaming the same thing.
That woman was hiding something.
And somewhere inside that moving luxury car was a six-year-old girl who believed she had finally found her mother.
She had no idea that the truth about who she really was was still buried deep inside her.
And she had no idea that the woman holding her was the greatest enemy her real family had ever known.
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