Chapter 10 - The Real Mother
Leo slowly walked down the marble steps. He looked at Clara, his brown eyes filled with an undeniable, profound connection.
"Are you the lady who sings the song?" Leo asked softly.
Clara dropped to her knees, completely ignoring her torn maid uniform and the hundreds of wealthy guests watching them.
"I am," Clara whispered, her voice choking on a beautiful sob. "I am your mother, my sweet boy."
Leo didn't hesitate. He ran across the marble floor and threw his tiny arms around Clara’s neck. Clara buried her face in his shoulder, holding him so incredibly tight, smelling the scent of the child she thought she had lost forever. The six years of agonizing grief completely washed away in an instant.
Victor stood above them, his imposing, tattooed frame serving as an unbreakable shield. He slowly knelt down beside them, wrapping his large, muscular arms around both Clara and Leo.
"I am so sorry I didn't find you sooner," Victor whispered, pressing a gentle kiss to Clara’s forehead. "But you are never leaving us again."
Victor honored the vow he had made at the start of the gala. He didn't care that she was wearing a maid's uniform. He didn't care what high society thought.
Within a month, Elise was sentenced to twenty years in a maximum-security prison without the possibility of parole. Clara moved into the penthouse, and she and Victor were married in a quiet, beautiful ceremony on the beach, with Leo standing proudly as his father’s best man.
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The night terrors stopped completely. Leo finally had his real mother to sing him to sleep, and the cruel woman who stole their happiness was locked away forever.
Do you think Elise deserved a longer prison sentence for kidnapping and faking a baby's death, or was 20 years enough justice?
