I Reclaimed My Birthright, Humiliating Them Both

Chapter 5

Elara forced her heavy eyelids open. Every bone in her body ached, and her limbs felt weak and numb. Her voice was so hoarse it was barely audible.

"...What happened?"

"Your mother's condition suddenly took a turn for the worse. She's barely hanging on..."

The maid's words struck Elara's foggy mind like a bolt of lightning.

Panic and desperation instantly overpowered the searing pain and numbness coursing through her body.

Elara scrambled out of the pile of flower petals on all fours, then stumbled out of the villa as fast as she could. She hailed a cab and rushed to the hospital.

The moment she reached the inpatient wing, she threw open the door to Cindy's room.

Vivienne stood beside Cindy's bed, a cold, sinister smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

"...Even if you cling to life with that illness, all you'll do is watch her live in humiliation forever. You might as well end it now and put yourself out of your misery."

Cindy lay deathly pale against the hospital bed. Her chest rose and fell violently, and she struggled to get even a complete sentence out.

"Vivienne! You're dead!"

The last thread of Elara's sanity snapped.

Like a cornered animal, she charged forward in blind rage and slammed Vivienne to the floor with a heavy thud. She then pounded on her relentlessly.

The room descended into chaos.

Suddenly, the door flew open.

The instant Cassian saw what was happening, fury exploded across his face.

"Elara! Stop!"

He was far stronger than her. She barely had time to react before he yanked her away.

Elara's back slammed into the corner of the bed.

Pain exploded through her spine, and her vision went black.

Vivienne immediately seized the opportunity. She threw herself into Cassian's arms, sobbing as she played the victim.

"Cassian, Elara's lost her mind! She attacked me for no reason..."

Beep! Beep! Beep!

A shrill alarm suddenly pierced the room.

The numbers on the heart monitor began dropping rapidly.

Elara's heart felt as though it had been ripped apart.

She forgot all about her own pain and scrambled across the floor toward the bed, screaming at the top of her lungs.

"Dr. Mercer! Get Dr. Mercer! My mom can't hold on!"

A cold, vicious glint flashed through Vivienne's eyes as she watched the panic unfold.

Then, without warning, she went limp against Cassian, clutching her chest and taking short, ragged breaths.

"Cassian, my chest hurts so bad... I can't breathe..."

Cassian's expression darkened.

He looked toward the medical team rushing in behind him and gave a sharp order.

"Everyone, get over here! Save Vivienne first!"

All the color drained from Elara's face.

She grabbed Dr. Mercer's white coat with both hands, desperation breaking through her voice.

"Dr. Mercer, please! Your team has been treating my mom for so long. Please save her first!"

Dr. Mercer looked down at Elara's tear-streaked face, visibly torn.

Then, without warning, Elara was ripped away with brutal force.

Her body slammed against the wall.

Her vision went black, and she lost consciousness.

When she woke again, the sharp, eye-watering smell of hospital disinfectant burned her nose.

Dr. Mercer stood beside her bed, grief weighing heavily on her face.

"I'm sorry, Miss Lawson. Cindy missed the critical window for treatment. She's... gone."

Gone.

The word struck Elara like a sledgehammer. Every last bit of strength drained from her body.

She lay motionless on the hospital bed.

The agony in her chest had already turned numb. Even her grief felt distant, as though it belonged to someone else.

Just then, a refined man in his late 50s or early 60s slowly entered the room.

His features were gentle and scholarly, but his heavy gaze remained fixed on Elara's lifeless face.

It was Adrian Whitmore, her biological father.

His voice was low and rough, thick with guilt and remorse.

"Kid, I'm so sorry. I failed as a father. I spoiled Vivienne and let her grow into an entitled, reckless woman. She's the reason your mother died. But she's the only blood heir the Whitmore Family has left. I'm apologizing to you on her behalf. The Whitmore Family will give you everything we have to make up for what you've lost."

Elara slowly lifted her eyes.

A sharp sting suddenly burned behind her nose.

This was her biological father.

The man she'd never met once in her life.

For more than 20 years, he'd given all his love and affection to the impostor who had stolen her place in his family, never even knowing Elara existed.

A bitter laugh escaped her lips.

She reached into her hospital gown and pulled out a small, smooth, translucent jade pendant.

"Mr. Whitmore, you don't need to apologize for her. The truth is, I'm your real..."