Aria’s POV
The ward was very quiet.
I leaned against the pillow, staring at the sky outside the window, my mind blank.
There was a sound at the door.
I turned my head.
Marielle walked in.
She brought Clara with her.
When her gaze fell on me, I saw the obvious relief in her eyes—as if she had finally found a lost child. Unfortunately, I was not the one she was looking for.
She sat down by my bed, her voice overly gentle. “Aria, you must be hungry. Mom brought you—”
“You’re not my mom.”
I cut her off.
Her movements froze.
After a long moment, she finally spoke in a low voice. “No matter what you think, I was your mother. That would never change.”
“You’re not.”
I repeated, “We were already even.”
Her eyes reddened.
Tears clung to her lashes, about to fall.
“Aria… did you real
