Chapter 44
ELODIE’S POV~
Liora was always a little wayward, headstrong like her father but she knew when not to push. Especially when it came to school.
That morning, she lay sprawled on her bed, the sheets tangled around her legs, her small face half-hidden in her pillow. “I know,” she muttered sullenly, voice heavy with sleep and irritation.
I stood by the door, waiting for her to move, to show even the smallest sign of effort. She didn’t. She just stared at me, her brows drawn in that stubborn little frown she got from Dante.
“Mom,” she mumbled after a while, “help me squeeze the toothpaste p>
There was no warmth in her voice, no soft edge like there used to be. Just that distant, careless tone that sliced through me in a way I couldn’t show.
I nodded quietly. “Hmm,” I said, my voice calm, because I couldn’t let her see how easily she could break me.
When I left for the bathroom to prepare her brush, I heard her phone buzz. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her pick it up, her lips twitching with a faint smile as she typed quickly. I didn’t need to ask who she was texting. I already knew. Sienna.
Her “Aunt Sienna.” The one she adored.
By the time I came back with her toothbrush, she had already set her phone down and was pretending to scroll through something else. I handed the brush to her wordlessly, then warmed a towel with hot water and wrung it out for her. I used to hum while doing this. Now the silence between us felt heavier than the air itself.
She brushed lazily, half-hearted, eyes drifting toward her phone every few seconds. When she finished, I asked softly, “What would you like to wear today p>
She pointed to the wardrobe without looking at me. “I’ll change myself, Mom. You can go p>
My throat tightened, but I nodded anyway. “Alright p>
I turned and left the room quietly. The sound of her door closing behind me echoed down the hall.
Minutes later, when I came back to check on her, she was dressed. I stopped in the doorway. The outfit she had on wasn’t one of the ones I picked for her. It was a camouflage jacket, oversized, sharp-edged, with black combat boots and a messy ponytail. I’d never seen her look so much like someone else before.
Sienna’s influence. I didn’t even need to ask.
Liora caught my reflection in the mirror and turned slightly. “Mom, you don’t have to stand there. I’m fine p>
Her tone wasn’t rude, just distant. Detached. Like I was a stranger.
I forced a small smile. “You look… nice,” I said quietly.
She didn’t answer. She picked up her phone again.
I watched as her face shifted, frowning now, the spark dimming from her eyes. She typed something quickly, biting her lip. I didn’t have to guess. She was texting Sienna again.
Maybe Sienna hadn’t replied. Maybe she was busy. But I could feel the worry ripple through Liora’s small body from across the room.
When I finally spoke, I tried to keep my voice steady. “Liora, are you packed? We need to go downstairs for breakfast p>
She turned, her patience cracking. “I know, Mom! Can you stop talking so much? It’s really annoying p>
The words hit me harder than they should have. But I swallowed it all. The ache, the guilt, the sting of being replaced.
I didn’t answer. I just stepped back and let her walk past me.
Her bag hung loosely from her shoulder, her camouflage jacket brushing against my arm as she brushed past. She smelled faintly of Sienna’s perfume, vanilla and smoke. Not mine.
I followed her downstairs silently, watching her skip the last two steps like she used to when she was little. Only this time, she didn’t turn to look if I’d seen.
And in that quiet, cold morning light, I realized I’d lost something I couldn’t get back.
Not to death, not to distance. But to someone else’s shadow.
Still, I said nothing. I just walked behind her like a ghost in my own home.
When we went downstairs, the house felt too quiet for how large it was. The kind of silence that seeps into your bones and makes every sound echo. Amber hadn’t woken up yet, and Nonna was already in the living room, dressed neatly as always, with a cup of herbal tea steaming between her wrinkled hands. She smiled when she saw us.
“Elodie, Liora, you guys are up so early p>
I tried to smile back, to sound normal. “Morning, Nonna p>
Liora, however, barely lifted her head. “Morning,” she mumbled, her tone sharp and dull at once.
Nonna’s gaze softened, but she noticed immediately. “What’s wrong, tesoro? Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed p>
Liora didn’t respond. She just picked at the hem of her sleeve, eyes downcast, as if speaking to her grandmother would take too much energy.
The housekeeper tried to save the moment, her laugh gentle. “It’s nothing serious, Signora. Miss Liora was still asleep when Luna Elodie went to wake her. She’s probably just a little cranky p>
Nonna chuckled softly, her silver hair catching the morning light. But then her gaze shifted, almost naturally, toward the staircase. “And Dante? Hasn’t he gotten up yet p>
The question burned through me. I swallowed before replying, keeping my tone as calm as I could. “He… went out last night p>
Nonna’s smile faltered. She didn’t ask anything else, but I saw the understanding flash through her old eyes, the disappointment she tried to hide behind another sip of tea. She didn’t scold him, not in front of Liora. She just looked away.
We ate breakfast in near silence. Liora pushed her plate around, pretending to chew. I couldn’t taste anything. My thoughts were miles away, probably wherever Dante was.
After breakfast, Liora realized she’d forgotten her sketchpad and dashed upstairs to grab it. I stayed seated at the long table, folding her napkin just to keep my hands busy. That’s when I noticed it, her phone lighting up beside her untouched plate.
My eyes landed on the glowing screen before I could look away.
‘Kiss Kiss Aunt Sienna’
My stomach sank. The contact name hit harder than I expected, childish, yes, but too intimate, too full of affection. Something inside me froze.
I didn’t mean to touch it. Spirits, I swear I didn’t. But I reached for it anyway, my fingers trembling slightly.
The message preview glowed faintly.
“Sweetheart, don’t let your mom ruin your morning again, okay? Be good for Aunt Sienna. I’ll pick you up later if your dad is still busy p>
For a long moment, I couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe.
The phone felt heavier than it should.
My throat tightened as I stared at those words, the ache creeping up slow and cold, like frost beneath the skin. I set the phone down, gently, as if afraid it would shatter. But inside, I was already breaking.
So this was why she’d been moody, dismissive, angry with me over breakfast. Because she’d already spoken to Sienna. Because the woman who used to be Dante’s friend and and now something more, my replacement had become someone my daughter adored. Someone she called “Aunt.” Someone she trusted more than me.
It was almost funny, in the cruelest way possible.
I looked up at the stairs, hearing Liora’s footsteps above.
I wanted to tell myself not to cry, not here, not where Nonna or the housekeeper might see. But my chest hurt, my breath catching on something sharp. Because at that moment, I realized I wasn’t just losing Dante bit by bit… I was losing her too.