Chapter 89
Lily POV
Deciding not to think too much, I started sorting through the files.
A moment later, I look up to find the old woman staring at me not when pity but in admiration. Her eyes crinkled with warmth.
“You’re a hard worker,” she remarked “Just like your mother p>
The mention of my mother made me pause again. I looked up at the woman, feeling my curiosity piquing. “You said before you knew her,” I said quietly. “On my first day in your office, you told me. What did you mean p>
The old lady smiled but didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she adjusted her glasses and began arranging some papers on her desk. “Your mother was a remarkable woman,” she said finally. “Strong, kind and full of determination. You remind me of her p>
My chest tightened. It wasn’t much, but any scrap of information about my mother felt like a lifeline. “How did you know her?” I pressed.
The woman sighed, leaning back in her chair. “We crossed paths many years ago, in a different time and place. I’m afraid I can’t tell you much more than that. Some things are better left in the past p>
I frowned but didn’t push further. It was clear the woman wasn’t going to elaborate or say more than she had already said and right now, my priority was figuring out my next steps regarding Lucas and Kai.
I returned to arranging the files, sorting through them even though my mind remained restless.
Half an hour later, I finished the task and stacked the neatly sorted files on the desk. “All done,” I said brushing my hands against my jeans.
The old woman smiled at me. “Thank you, dear. You’ve been a great help p>
I rose to my feet, picking up my bag. “If there’s nothing else, I should leave now p>
I turned to leave when her voice stopped me again. “You could stay for a while, I’ll soon be done and we can head out together p>
I wanted to refuse, but there was this ease I felt around her, so I nodded and returned to the desk I was before.
“Do you mind if I ask you something?” I began hoping she would open up more to me.
The woman looked up from her paperwork, her gaze meeting with mine. “Of course, dear. I’ll try to answer your questions p>
I took a deep breath. “I don’t have any memory of my mother. There are no pictures of her anywhere in the pack house. I don’t know what she looks like I clamped down on my lips, to stop myself from crying. “That’s why I would appreciate even the tiniest of information about her p>
A flicker of sorrow crossed the woman’s face. She folded her hands on the desk, her gaze softening. “Your mother was one of the bravest and wisest woman I’ve ever known,” she said slowly. “She had a mind as sharp as a blade and a heart that could move mountains. If only she had lived longer… well, let’s just say she would have achieved things beyond what most of us can dream of p>
My heart swelled with a mixture of pride and sadness. I’d always wondered what my mother had been like, and what qualities she had passed down to me. To hear her being described in such a way, comforted me even though it was bittersweet.
“Brave and wise,” I murmured, my lips curving into a small, wistful smile. “I wish I had the chance to know her. She sounds… amazing p>
“She was,” the woman chuckled. Then glanced over at me. “And you carry so much of her spirit, I think. There’s strength in you, Lily, even if you don’t see it yet p>
The compliment warmed me but it also stirred a longing within me. “I know you already told me you met her a long time ago, I’m just curious… this place you met here was it Golden Moon Pack or elsewhere p>
I felt her hesitation and saw her fidgeting with the edge of a file folder. “That,” she said carefully, “is a story for another time p>
I felt disappointed but I decided not to push it again. It was clear that the woman didn’t want to share more than she had already said. I decided to shift the conversation to something else.
“You can’t imagine how happy I would be if my mother were alive,” I said sighing deeply. “Maybe a lot of things would have been different. My father… well, he doesn’t care about me. All his love is reserved for my sister, Vanessa. He loves her so much and gives her everything she wants p>
“Your sister?” the woman’s brow furrowed, her head tilting slightly as though she hadn’t heard me correctly.
I nodded, a small bitter laugh escaping me. “Yeah, her name is Vanessa and we’re technically twins. We are born on the same date but in different years. She’s a year older than me and she’s the perfect one, the golden child. She’s beautiful, loved by a lot of people, popular and she gets everything – our father’s affection, Lucas as her mate and now they’re going to be mated officially p>
I sighed again.
“Every year on our birthday, our father will give her anything she wants while I’m asked to stay in my room and out of the way. But I got so used to it that birthdays began to mean nothing to me. Maybe if my mom was here, she would never have allowed my father to treat us differently. No one ever talks about her in the pack. The only thing I know is they say I killed her. That my birth brought her death and honestly, I don’t know why they would blame me for that. It’s not like I knew anything back then p>
I turned to the woman again. “Thank you for telling me. You don’t know how precious this information is to me. I would cherish it p>
The old leaned forward, her expression turning serious – as if she was worried. “Lily,” she said carefully. “Your mother only had one child and that’s you p>