“She married into power when she married Richard,” Hudson continues. “But that wasn’t enough for her. She wanted more affluence. More power. Laurel wasn’t content with the richness she’d been given. She wanted more.”
I swallow hard.
“And my mother?” I ask.
My father’s jaw clenches. “I thought that everything that had happened was because of Sadie’s obsession with me. That she had been in love with me and when she couldn’t get what she wanted…she stepped over the edge. I never thought that she’d been pushed to it.”
Bile rises in my throat.
Hudson leans forward, his gaze focused on me.
“Your mother was a victim,” he tells me. “A victim of her sick mother. She was raised to be a pawn and when she tried to break free, Laurel made sure no one believed her.”
“Except you,” I whisper.
Hudson nods. “Sadie brought me as much proof as she could. Put herself at my mercy. Told me she was pregnant and that she wouldn’t bring you into the same world she’d been born into. She wanted to save you from having the same fate as her.”
Hudson’s words hang in the air, heavy and suffocating.
“She wanted out,” he continues. “Not for herself. For you.”
My chest tightens, something fragile cracking open beneath my ribs. I stare at my hands in my lap, one bandaged, one trembling, trying to reconcile the woman I remember with the one they’re describing.
“She hid the pregnancy as long as she could,” Hudson says. “When Laurel found out, she lost control. Sadie was never meant to get away.”
My father swallows hard. “I didn’t know. Not until Hudson revealed everything the day you were taken. Laurel made sure of that. She fed lies to everyone. About Sadie’s mental health. Saying she was unstable due to drug use.”
The room feels smaller. Hotter.
“All those years,” I whisper. “I thought she didn’t care enough to stay clean. But it was Henry. Every time we ran, he would find us and the cycle would start all over again.”
Hudson nods. “We confirmed that Henry was in debt to Laurel’s family,” he says. “He owed them hundreds of thousands that he couldn’t pay back. Without her help, they would have killed him. She paid his debts and put him to use. He was her insurance policy. Planted early. Trusted. He fed her information, handled the messes she didn’t want traced back to her.”
My pulse stutters.
“He helped push your mother toward the edge,” Hudson continues. “Made sure she never felt safe enough wherever she was. He was supposed to gain access to the money I helped your mother take from Laurel. Money that was legally hers.
Colter’s jaw tightens beside me, a muscle ticking. His arms curves subtly behind my back, anchoring me.
“She tried,” my father says hoarsely. “She tried to get away. The night she died… she was trying to warn Hudson. Warn me.”
The words slam into me.
“She called me to come and get both of you. Told me that something was brewing. Said you were in danger. I’ve always known you existed, Peyton,” Hudson adds quietly. “When we learned of Laurel’s betrayal, I had men go back to the apartment and search it again. We found a small bag hidden. It had your name on it.”
My vision blurs. I blink hard, refusing to let the tears fall. Not now. Not in front of all of them.
“Laurel told me she had her killed.”
“Yes,” Hudson answers without hesitation. “You were also supposed to die with her.”
A cold understanding settles in my gut.
“My mother sent me on an errand across the city,” I say flatly. “Because she knew Henry was coming.”
Silence crashes down.
I lean back into Colter, exhaustion pulling at my bones. His hand slides into mine, careful of my injuries, his thumb brushing a slow, steady rhythm against my skin.
