Elysia Thorne''s lips quivered as she nced between him and the photograph repeatedly, her eyes filled with turmoil and confusion. "I... If she really is Emmett''s mother, then... do we have to give Emmett back to her?" she murmured, her voiceced with desperation. Tarquin Bradford didn''t answer immediately, instead, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into aforting embrace.


    If ire Yeager was indeed Emmett''s biological mother, ording to thew, they would indeed have to return Emmett to her.


    "I... I can''t..." Elysia''s voice broke as tears streamed down her face.


    She clung to Tarquin''s shirt, her sobs making it hard to breathe.


    She had often wondered, feared, what she would do if Emmett''s real parents ever came looking for him. But she never allowed herself to think too deeply about it.


    She admitted to herself that she was selfish; she couldn''t bear the thought of being separated from Emmett, of giving him to someone else.


    Emmett might not have been her biological child, but she had raised him from infancy.


    When she found Emmett, he was so tiny and fragile, his body bruised and barely clinging to life.


    She had watched over him day and night, fighting to bring him back from the brink.


    Over the years, she loved Emmett just as much as she loved her son, Elliot Evan, but with an added sense of protectiveness.


    Emmett, unlike Elliot Evan, wasn''t as quick-witted or physically strong. Elliot Evan was as sturdy as a little ox by the age of one, while Emmett was still delicate, often falling ill.


    She had invested far more time and energy into Emmett than she ever had with Elliot Evan.


    No one could me Emmett for being curious about his origins; if he knew he was adopted, he''d surely want to know about his real parents.


    And while finding out about his biological parents should have been a joyous asion for Emmett, Elysia couldn''t help but feel anything but happy. Instead, she felt an overwhelming sense of sorrow.


    "Tarquin, I''m scared," she wept into his chest. "I''m so, so scared..."


    Tarquin''s heart ached for her, holding her closer, his hand gently cradling the back of her head to soothe her.


    "I know, I understand. Let''s not worry


    just yet. Nothing''s confirmed, and


    we''ll talk to ire to get to the


    bottom of this. Even if she is, we might still have a chance. She hasn''t tried to acknowledge Emmett yet, and she even pushed you to take Emmett away from Silver City. That might mean she isn''t looking to take him away from you."


    Elysia nodded eagerly at his words, clinging to a thread of hope.


    "You''re right, she hasn''t tried to owledge him. As long as


    to let Emmett stay


    ????


    do anything." Content bele With Sheet


    "If she really is Emmett''s mother, I''ll talk to


    Eer," Tarquin said, his b a and Emmett. Contexoval?


    furrowed with concern for both


    belongs


    ire''s living situation wasn''t ideal, and Emmett might not find happiness with them...


    Meanwhile, ire was huddled in a deserted alley, her body wracked with sobs. The pain was unbearable.


    That was her child, her own flesh and blood, born after nine months within her.


    But now, she could only watch him from a distance, too afraid to acknowledge him.


    Not only could she not acknowledge him, but she also had to push him away from her.


    Her heart ached, the pain almost too much to bear.


    "Mommy, what''s wrong?" Maria tugged at her sleeve, her small face etched with concern.


    ire pulled her daughter into her arms, her cries echoing in the quiet alley.


    "Mommy''s heart hurts, Maria... That''s your brother, your little brother... He''s a part of mommy too..."