CHAPTER 61: 61-BROKEN BEYOND REPAIR

Iris:

I ran back to my room to check on my son, and sure enough, he was crying hysterically.

He looked dull, almost lifeless, as he lay on the bed staring at the ceiling.

His body trembled slightly, as if he were trapped inside a cage, and that cage was his own body.

Scarlett stood nearby, hugging herself. At this point, she already knew what my son’s illness was.

Of course, she had been hired by my mother, but all I could do was cry beside my son.

As soon as I reached him and touched him, I realized I needed to ask Kash for help.

I didn’t know why, it was just an instinct. The moment I stood up from beside him, I shouted at Scarlett to take my daughter away so she wouldn’t have to suffer with Colin.

Amy was hiding behind Scarlett by then.

Just as I was about to rush out of the room to find Kash, my mother stepped in front of me, blocking the way.

"Step out of my way, Mother. My son needs his father."

I hated breaking down in front of her because every time I did, it reminded me that she didn’t care about my tears.

And every single time, it hurt the most. Even now, she didn’t seem to care.

Her expression was dull, almost bored, as if she were silently blaming me for what was happening to my son.

"And what will he do?" my mother asked, referring to Kash.

"So you want me to just sit here and watch my son suffer?" I hissed, my breath hot as my eyes flicked to Luca standing behind her.

My mother rolled her eyes and snapped her fingerssomething she had never done before.

Suddenly, my son began to calm down. I turned to look at Colin, then back at my mother, before rushing over to hug him.

"After you’re done checking up on him, meet us in the living room," my mother warned.

I stayed with Colin, holding him and crying. He cried too.

I had lost count of how many times he had asked what was wrong with him, and how many times I had no answer.

I felt defeated and alone. Everyone in the house seemed to be against me and my children.

After I gave him warm milk and hugged my daughter, I had to leave.

Even though people might see me as free, I was still bound by invisible shackles, ones placed on me by my own mother.

In the living room, the two of them sat comfortably with wine glasses in hand, as if celebrating my surrender.

"Sit down, Iris," my mother said, and I obeyed, though a fire burned inside me.

"You saw what I’m capable of, didn’t you? What did you think would happen when you threatened me?" my mother asked. She didn’t truly care what I had to say, and she never had.

"How did you do it?" I asked through tears, demanding to know how she had managed to punish my son even when I took her phone.

"Did you think you’re the only one watching us all the time?" she replied. "They’re all watching. I have codes, signals, and ways to send orders. Sometimes I tell them that if I text them to punish Colin, they’ll wake him up my son. Sometimes I tell them that if I don’t contact them within a certain time, they should wake him up."

Her explanation made my heart sink. My mother was cruelly cunning and she knew exactly how to make me break.

"Kash told you there are no healing properties in the water. Why are you still clinging to the hope that something can be done?" I asked my mother, hiccups escaping between sobs.

"Well, I had a word with him, and it seems he finally understands what I meant. He doesn’t know for sure if there are healing properties or not, so he’s going to figure it out. Don’t worry. When he does, and my child is saved, yours will survive too. You should be asking me other questions instead of this one."

She corrected me, mocking me for not asking the right questions.

"Ask me what I need you to do, so I won’t have to punish you again," she said, laughing at how foolish I was to keep denying the truth.

I suppose I already knew what she was referring to, but I stayed silent, waiting for her to explain it herself.

"The demands are clear—what Luca said," my mother remarked. I nodded reluctantly. She gave a small laugh, probably at my expense.

"Are you happy now?" my mother asked Luca. He began to nod, smirking.

This was a mother more interested in the man beside her than in how much she was hurting me.

Yet she still managed to surprise me with her cruelty.

Every time I thought it couldn’t get worse, she proved me wrong.

"Don’t worry, I’m not going to have sex with you in public," Luca said, noticing how defeated I looked.

"I guess I’m supposed to thank you for that?" I grunted, then stood up and stomped back to my room.

I had to make space for his things in my wardrobe.

Sadly, no one had asked me when he was welcomed into my life either.

There was only one thing I knew for sure, I needed Kash to find out what properties the water truly held so this nightmare could end.

I planned to speak with him directly this time.

After changing into a light green off-shoulder top and gray pants, I left my room before Luca could come in.

By the time I was leaving, he finally arrived with his bags. He gave me a quick glance, but didn’t say anything, I was already on my way to meet Kash.

"I see you’re in a hurry," my mother called from her bedroom.

"I’m doing a job for you. I’m going to find out what powers the water holds and I’ll do it soon," I said, pausing briefly and watching her with a tired expression.

My mother’s face brightened. She smiled and gave me a small nod.

"Finally, you’ve learned. Go ahead. But remember, if you try to be clever or cross me, your son will suffer. And this time, my son won’t go back to sleep."

There was a sharp warning in her eyes as she motioned for me to leave.

As I walked back into the main mansion, I already knew who I would run into, but at that moment, I didn’t care.