Chapter 236
Liora patted her shoulder consolingly.
“Elara p>
Despite her efforts to hide, Elara was spotted.
Mira instantly understood why the girl had been cowering.
Standing beside a sleek Audi was a middle-aged couple.
The man, somewhere in his late fifties, wore an unzipped black leather jacket that barely concealed the beer belly straining against his sweater.
The woman was tall and dripping in wealth, dressed in a pristine white down coat and knee-high leather boots.
Her hair was elegantly pinned up, her diamond earrings catching the late-afternoon sun. Her immaculate makeup masked her age so perfectly she could have passed for Elara’s older sister.
She waved frantically. Seeing Elara shrink back, the couple hurried over.
“Elara, sweetie! Mommy bought you so many beautiful new clothes. Come see p>
Before they could get within ten feet, Brayden Knox stepped smoothly into their path, his massive arm acting as an impenetrable barricade.
“Step away from the girls p>
“Who do you think you are p>
The man was built like a tank and clearly dangerous.
Brayden merely stared her down, refusing to grace her with a response.
“Who are you people p>
Mr. Harth asked, stepping out from the crowd of exiting students.
“I’m Elara’s mother p>
“Huh? Elara’s mom? I thought she didn’t have one,” Liora blurted out.
“Elara, is this woman your mother p>
Mr. Harth asked gently.
A crowd of curious students had already formed a circle around them, their eyes glued to the drama.
“Elara, Mr. Harth is asking you a question p>
Mira prompted softly.
Elara looked at Mira and instantly knew exactly what she had to do.
“No. She’s not my mother. I’ve never seen her before in my life p>
When Elara was three, she had cried for her mother until her father finally slapped her in despair. *Remember this, he had wept you dđồn’t have a mother p>
From that day on, the very concept of a mother had been violently erased from her heart.
Yesterday, when this woman first appeared, her father had fiercely opposed the reunion.
But the woman had threatened him
*I have a right to see my daughter Let me see her for five minutes, or I’ll just find her myself and take her away forever content
He had caved, hoping a quick visit would satisfy her.
Instead, the woman had attempted to physically drag Elara into her car.
They only stopped when bystanders threatened to call the police.
“Elara, how can you say that? We just saw each other yesterday p>
The woman clutched her chest, feigning devastation.
“I saw a lot of people yesterday. I don’t remember you p>
Elara said, biting her lip hard.
“You heard her,” Mr. Harth said, his voice dropping to a stern, authoritative register.
“She doesn’t know you. Leave immediately p>
“Elara, how can you treat your own mother like this p>
The woman lunged forward, trying to grab the girl. Ronan Creed materialized instantly, shoving her back with a single unyielding hand She stumbled wildly, barely caught by her husband before hitting the pavement.
“Oh, I get it now,” Liora sneered. “You’re the vicious stray dog from yesterday p>
“Are they human traffickers p>
“Seriously! What kid doesn’t recognize their own mom p>
“Yeah, traffickers always pretend to be relatives to snatch kids in broad daylight p>
The whispers rippled through the crowd.
“We are not traffickers! I am her biological mother p>
“Bullshit. She literally just said she doesn’t know you p>
“Call 911! Get the police down here to arrest them p>