Chapter 1165
“She’s perfect,” Maxine murmured, smiling as if mesmerized. “Look at her—those bright eyes, that thick hair… flawless. She will surpass every heiress the Griffiths family has ever known!”
A wild, triumphant laugh burst from her lips.
“Ha-ha! My perfect heiress—at last!”
Elliana lay helpless on the operating table, watching as Maxine held the daughter she hadn’t even touched. The simple dream of holding her child felt heartbreakingly out of reach. Tears threatened, but she swallowed them down. She had to stay calm.
“Maxine, please,” Elliana said softly, her voice trembling but resolute, “give me my daughter. Name your price—I’ll pay anything.”
Maxine finally tore her gaze from the baby, eyes gleaming with manic delight. “Even if you offer me the world, I’d still refuse. This child was meant for me. No one will ever take her away from me.”
Elliana stared back, her eyes blazing with unspoken defiance.
“When your mother was a baby, I brought her into the Griffiths family and raised her as mine,” Maxine said, her tone eerily calm. “I fed her, clothed her, and she repaid me with betrayal. For that, she deserved death. But since you’ve gifted me such a remarkable heiress, I’ll show mercy. I’ll spare your mother’s life. She can run free—consider it a trade: your daughter’s future for your mother’s freedom.”
Still clutching the baby, Maxine turned to leave.
“Maxine, wait!” Elliana cried, panic breaking through her calm.
Maxine paused, her voice almost sweet. “What is it now?”
Elliana knew she couldn’t stop Maxine. But there was something else she needed to know. “My mother… who were her real parents? Where did she come from?” she asked, forcing her voice steady. The question had haunted her for years, and this might be her only chance for an answer.
Maxine’s smile faltered, her eyes glinting with something unreadable. “You want to know her bloodline? That’s a dangerous curiosity. I can’t tell you—it would stir things best left buried. But I will say this: your mother was a child I stole. And I, Maxine Griffiths, never steal from the ordinary. She came from greatness—two people of unmatched blood. Only someone of superior lineage could ever catch my eye.”
L?tｅst ch?pt?rs in glnovels.ο
The truth hit Elliana like a thunderclap. Her mother came from an extraordinary lineage, and her maternal grandparents were people of power and influence.
“Goodbye, Elliana.” With that chilling farewell, Maxine walked out, clutching the infant like a prize she’d won in battle.
Paulina lunged after Maxine, but Elliana’s sharp voice stopped her cold. “Paulina, no! You can’t stop her. Going after her now is suicide.”
“I don’t care! I’ll die if I must—I’ll get your daughter back!” Paulina cried, tears streaming down her face.
A faint, broken smile touched Elliana’s lips. “And you’d die for nothing. Maxine won’t hurt the baby—she sees my baby girl as a treasure. Let her go… I’ll get my daughter back. But right now, we have a bigger threat—Miguel.”
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