Chapter 186
Chapter 186:
By the time Dario brought Helena and Albert to the new nursing home, the sun had already risen.
Peering through the window, Helena watched as the car rolled past towering pines and into a private facility nestled in nature.
No signage marked the entrance, but the vehicle eased through three layers of security. Each checkpoint was guarded by men in sharp uniforms, their posture and presence betraying years of rigorous training.
Noticing Helena’s faint discomfort, Dario explained, “This private nursing home was established by the Harrison family. The grounds are lined with clusters of black pine trees, known for their ability to cleanse the air—a natural retreat brimming with freshness. It’s an ideal environment for someone like your father p>
Helena responded with a brief nod and chose not to ask any questions. Once the car stopped, she stepped out. Guided by Dario, she helped Albert into a room.
The room was flawless. Sunlight poured in through the wide windows, casting a soft glow over the polished floor. Beside the bed, sleek monitors blinked quietly. A few nurses entered, their attitudes warm yet professional, and quickly introduced themselves.
A sense of calm finally settled over Helena. As soon as the nurses left, she turned to Dario without hesitation and said, “Now will you tell me? You’ve mentioned the Harrison family more than once. Who are they really? And what is it about my past that you’re still not telling me p>
Before Dario could respond, Helena interrupted, her voice sharper this time. “No—I want to hear it from my dad p>
The lies she’d swallowed during her time with Alden had left her raw. Trust wasn’t something she could hand over so easily anymore. Even though she understood Dario’s intentions were good, there was still a flicker of doubt that wouldn’t leave her.
Dario shrugged and went quiet without protest. Albert paused for a few seconds, then let out a heavy sigh and said, “Helena, the truth is… there’s no blood relation between us p>
Helena had been carrying that suspicion for some time. Even so, having Albert confirm it with his own words sent a sharp ache through her chest.
But once those difficult words were spoken, the rest came more easily. From him, Helena learned what Dario hadn’t said aloud: the Harrison family wasn’t just some distant name—they were her mother’s family.
Discover new content now gⱯlnσνeℓs․cøm
Her mother, as it turned out, was a celebrated figure in the business world. She had fallen in love with Helena’s birth father despite fierce family opposition. In those circles, image and obedience mattered more than love. When she became pregnant, her family lied, telling her the baby hadn’t survived childbirth. Behind her back, they sent the infant to an orphanage.
That child had been Helena.
During those years, Albert worked as a driver for the Harrison family. He had been the one tasked with delivering baby Helena to the orphanage.
“You were just a tiny thing…” Albert’s hands trembled as he gestured, emotion tightening his throat. “When I held you, you felt lighter than a kitten. So small, so delicate—I couldn’t take it. After I left you there, I kept going back. I’d visit in secret, begging the staff to be kind to you p>
“What happened after that? What made you decide to bring me home?” Helena’s eyes turned red as she pushed him to explain.
Later…
Albert’s fingers curled into fists as the memories of Helena’s past came rushing back. His Helena had already borne too much pain, cast aside by the very people who should have loved her most.
Just when Helena had begun to find her footing, life had thrown her into another storm—one that nearly tore everything away.
Not wanting those shadows to resurface and take hold of her again, Albert kept his explanation vague. “Something serious happened at the orphanage… that’s when I decided to bring you home p>
Something serious?
Images flickered through Helena’s mind—fragmented flashes of a rose field, a boy, and dreams too dark to name. She opened her mouth to press for details, but Dario interjected, “Why didn’t you return her to the Harrison family? By then, her mother had already broken free from her family’s control. Maybe if Helena had met her mother back then, she wouldn’t have had to endure so much p>
“At the time… the Harrison family had already gone overseas. I had no way of contacting them,” Albert said, though the guilt still pressed down on him like a heavy stone.
He had believed he was doing the right thing—giving Helena a home, making up for the past. But fate had other plans. The car crash came without warning. And when he regained consciousness in the nursing home, disoriented and weak, the first question he asked was about his family.
It was only then that he discovered, through all those years, Helena had been the only one by his side. His wife had long abandoned him and married into the Simpson family. She hadn’t just turned her back on Helena—she had gone out of her way to make Helena’s life harder whenever she could.
Albert’s chest ached with guilt as he squeezed Helena’s hand. His voice was rough with emotion as he said, “I let you down. I should’ve protected you better. I’m sorry… for every tear you had to shed because of me p>