Chapter 41
Chapter 41:
“Why on earth did no one tell me what happened to my son?!” My mum rages, her voice burning with annoyance.
I wince at every high-pitched syllable of her outburst, her green gaze blazing with an erratic fury I know she only feels because of what happened to me.
Her green gaze belong to a flawlessly face that never wrinkles. I swear this woman never ages. Her porcelain-smooth skin and spotless, almost celebrity-like face remain unchanged, her gait still strong and commanding, and her taste in fashion always goddess-level. Sandra and Isla have teased me countless times about my mum being a sexy immortal vampire who cheats time itself, and honestly, they might be right. Whenever she’s seen with me, people often mistake her for my elder sister.
Isla and the rest of the crew are gathered in one corner of my living room, careful not to say anything that could further offend my mother.
“Mum, I p>
“You better not say another word to me, Asher. Do you know how I felt when your assistant confessed what happened to you?! I can’t believe you asked that poor girl to lie on your behalf p>
I groan. “Mum, I’m sorry. This is exactly what I was afraid of—that you’d be worried sick and p>
“Of course I’ll be worried sick, Asher. I am your mother.” Her voice cracks.
Oh no.
“Mum…” I sigh, pulling her into my arms. “I’m fine now. I swear it will never happen again p>
“Aunt Caroline, we—” Sandra begins.
My mum’s head snaps up from my chest and darts toward her.
“Sandra, you better not say anything to me right now. I am angry at you. At all of you. Did you honestly think I wouldn’t find out? Huh p>
A heavy silence fills the room.
It has been more than a week since I was discharged from the hospital. I was not expecting to see my mum today, because I had wanted to keep the gunshot…
The incident from her was meant to prevent her from worrying about me. But here she is, ready to tear us apart because we hid the truth.
I have always known my mum to be a tigress, but she is also the coolest mum in the world and the first badass friend I ever had. When Dad died twelve years ago, it was her and fourteen-year-old me against the big bad world. She took over Dad’s business despite the schemes of his brothers, who tried to incapacitate her and force her to surrender everything he left behind. We endured hell together, but we came out strong and refined.
She taught me how to be brave. Smart. Strong. She also taught me humility, but above all, she taught me that the people I love should always come first in everything.
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In everything.
I should have remembered that lesson before I ordered my assistant to keep my condition a secret from her.
“We are sorry, Aunt Caroline.” Isla’s sweet voice breaks the silence. “We are p>
My mum sniffs and pulls away from me. When she turns to Isla, the anger in her eyes softens. She won’t shout at Isla, not when she knows Isla endured the same hell with me.
“You all should be grateful that I wasn’t in a bad mood before coming here. But there is no way I am letting this slide p>
“Fuck,” I curse under my breath.
“Did you curse?!” she snaps, spinning toward me, her eyes flaring.
“No, Mum, I p>
“That will cost you a few of your millions for my spa treatment for the next three months p>
A collective gasp escapes all four of us in unison.
no.
“Full payment, Asher. Full payment p>
Her emphasis on “full payment” is so sharp that my brain immediately starts doing the math. De Marie’s is one of the most renowned and luxurious spas in the city. An hour session there costs about a hundred thousand dollars.
And Mum doesn’t do one hour. The last time I gifted her a spa treatment there on her birthday, she stayed for three hours.
Three whole, fucking hours.
I know I shouldn’t be screaming, considering the wealth I possess, but my mum can be incredibly tenacious when she wants to be. And she can be very, convincing, even if you don’t like her manner of persuasion.
“Okay, Mum.” I sigh. “I can’t believe you said that to me p>
She rolls her eyes and flips her dark brown hair over her shoulders. “That is your punishment. Next time, you’ll think twice about cursing. Next time, you’ll never try to hide important things from me again. Don’t do it again p>
I huff, raking my fingers through my hair. Why is she so stubborn p>
“As for the three of you,” she turns to Isla, Sandra, and Ethan, “I’m letting you off the hook, but next time p>
“There won’t be a next time, Aunt Caroline,” they echo in unison.
Watching them behave like children has me biting the inside of my mouth to fight back the chuckle threatening to escape. Like I said, my mum is a tigress. Messing with her is like walking straight into a death trap.
Just then, her phone begins to ring. She pulls it out of her lavish Dior bag and takes a single glance at it. Her eyes flutter closed and she sighs. Whoever that caller is, to make my mum sigh that deeply, must be important. I could hug the person right now for saving me.
My mum snaps her eyes open. “Hey, you kids, listen to me. I have a urgent flight I need to catch. I know deep down you’re all happy I’m about to leave, but rest assured I’ll be back. I’ll come back. And you, big boy.” She taunts me, flipping her her long hair behind her shoulders. “I can’t wait to spend all that money p>
Oh my God, I’m tired. Can’t she say, “I forgive you, I was playing around”? Can’t she p>