#51 A desperate mother

The anxiousness and fear I was trying to hide all this time stirred up inside my stomach once Sebastian pulled the car at a driveway. He seemed like he knew all too well where we were going. Most probably, this wasn't the first time he had come here. However, I didn't bother to ask.
A luxurious mansion came into view. The house had two floors, and the exterior was made of stone and wood. We got out of the car and walked at the cobblestone leading us to the front porch.
Sebastian laced our hands and waltzed towards the front door. I heard him heave a sigh before he rang the doorbell.
Soon enough, the front door burst open, and Janine came into view. The woman's dark brown eyes scanned us up and down, and a smirk formed on her lips.
"Sebastian, what a lovely surprise," she casually said, like we had come for a simple visit.
"Janine, it's been a while," the billionaire gritted her coolly.
Had they both gone crazy?
How could they interact like this when my whole world was falling apart?
"How can I help you, Sebastian?" Janine's voice brought me back to reality.
"A cup of tea and some small talk would suffice. We've come a long way…"
"I think you know very well what we want," I rejoined, glaring at her.
"Well then, I suggest you get back into your damn car and leave!" Janine hissed and brought her right hand in front of her chest. She was holding a bloody gun.
"Janine, we can talk like civilized adults and solve our differences. Now, please, put the gun away before someone gets hurt," Sebastian tried to reason with her.
The woman chuckled and aimed us with the weapon like she had done it many times before. "Someone got hurt five years ago, Sebastian. How can you forget that?"
"I'll never forget Olivia, Janine. You know how special she was for me."
Sebastian's words made my soul ache. How could I even think he had changed?
"Then how on earth can you move on?" Janine asked, and a frown appeared on her face.
"Because that's life. My life didn't end because Liv died. She would have wanted to see me happy."
"I'm sorry I couldn't find the perfect substitute for my daughter," she retorted ironically.
"Evelyn is no one's substitute," Sebastian seethed angrily.
"Oh yes, that's right. She's a bloody murderer," she stated and pointed the gun towards me.
It was like I was living the same nightmare over and over again. The only difference was the person accusing me. This time, it wasn't the man I loved, the one who said these horrible things to me. Instead, it was the mother of the woman who saved my life that called me a murderer.
"That's why these things must remain confidential…" I muttered, glaring at Sebastian with the corner of my eyes.
If only people could see what this second chance meant to me. How much my whole world had changed. My life was almost ordinary thanks to Olivia.
Plus, I wasn't the only person Liv had saved…
This woman should have been proud of her daughter instead of looking for revenge and a way to hurt other human beings.
"Olivia was already dead. Instead of blaming Evelyn for something she didn't do, you should have been proud of your daughter. Liv saved the lives of so many people," Sebastian's voice brought me back to reality.
My heart skipped a beat seeing Sebastian stand up for me. It took him three years to see the facts and leave his emotions behind, but I'm glad he finally did it. If only he had said these words when he first found out the truth...
Most probably, we wouldn't have to go through this nightmare…
"She stole my daughter's life. She stole her happily ever after," the woman yelled, and the gun trembled in her hand.
"Janine, you need to calm down," the billionaire advised her through gritted teeth.
Sebastian was right. She was acting hysterically, so most likely, she wasn't going to pull that trigger.
"Why are you doing all this?" I questioned, tilting my head to the side slightly.
"Isn't it obvious? It's time to get my revenge for Olivia. Liv should have married Sebastian and have babies with him. This child could have been my granddaughter."
A shiver ran down my spine after hearing her response.
The worst part was that this crazy woman believed every single word she uttered. Janine thought she had to take revenge for her daughter's death.
However, she had chosen the wrong person to mess up with. I wasn't responsible for Liv's death. I wasn't driving that bloody track. That driver should have been the one to face Janine's anger and wrath.
Besides, I wasn't going to stop fighting for my daughter until I die. Lily was my life, and without her, I was nothing. I was a mother; my child, my beautiful daughter, would always come first in my life.
"Liliana has nothing to do with you and Olivia," I countered back, looking at her fiercely.
"But you have Liv's heart. My daughter's heart is beating inside you and keeps you alive!"
"And I'll forever be grateful for that. Your daughter saved my life, and, yes, I have her heart throbbing inside my chest. But that's all…" I tried to explain the truth to her.
Janine looked at me perplexed, and it seemed like she lost some of her previous self-confidence. Maybe there was still a tiny chance to make her understand what's going on.
"Liliana has my and Sebastian's blood running inside her veins. My daughter doesn't have any relationship with Olivia. Liliana doesn't have Olivia's blood cursing inside her, nor Olivia's DNA in her cells. She's my daughter. As a mother to a mother, I beg you to give her back to me," I pleaded with her. My voice broke in the end as a few stray tears ran down my cheeks.
Janine shook her head, denying what I had just said to her. She was determined she had some kind of right to take Lily away from me and raise her.
"She could have been my grandchild. I told you, you'd never be happy. And now I have one more reason to make sure of that. You're a murderer. And you, Sebastian, you betrayed Liv in the worst way possible…"
"You think you're making her happy by disrespecting her last wish?" I shot back, irony dripping from my voice.
Janine's brown eyes widened, and a gasp escaped her lips. It looked like she'd drop the gun, but then at the last moment, her hand was stable, and the barrel was pointing at me. Her finger danced on the trigger, yet I didn't feel any fear. At least, I'd die trying to protect Lily...
"Evelyn, shut up," Sebastian rebuked me quietly.
"You think I'm not able to pull that trigger? You think I'm not able to kill you?" Janine asked, leaning her head to the side. Her eyes glistened, and, for a moment, I thought she was indeed crazy.
"Olivia will never forgive you if you pull that trigger, Janine," Sebastian said, taking a step towards her.
"Don't move any closer, or I'll shoot you, too! She should have died instead of Olivia," she yelled, and the gun's barrel flickered between Sebastian and me.
She could have shot us already if that was her plan. That's why I had the impression she wouldn't fire that gun. Hence, I took a deep breath and spoke my mind once again.
"That was Olivia's fate. Accept it and move on. Stop messing with my life and give us Lily back," I stated, my voice void of any emotion.
"You're in no position to have demands," Janine declared.
"Oh, I doubt you'll manage to reach the end of your sick plan," I retorted as a sly smirk formed on my lips.
"You cannot stop me. I'll win for my Liv…" she said with a resolute look plaster on her face.
Lily's cries were heard from inside the house. I cringed and turned to look at my baby's father with a pleading look. He clenched his jaw, probably because he had also heard our daughter yelling and crying. My poor baby was calling for me, but I couldn't run to her.
"Why is she crying?" I asked in a trembling voice.
"She's still young, but soon enough, she won't remember you. Don't worry, I'll make sure to raise her up the way she deserves," the woman said, grinning slightly.
"We won't stop until we get Lily back," Sebastian said, struggling to remain calm.
"You will not find me ever again, Sebastian…" the woman chuckled evilly.
Lily's cries make my entire body ache, and Sebastian had to grasp my arms to stop me from barging inside the house and probably getting myself killed.
"Is she okay? What have you done to her?" I asked, searching for a way to peek inside the house.
"I'm really tired of all this drama. Just go away, and nobody gets hurt," Janine sighed and waved the gun towards us.
"Can we at least see her one last time?" I asked, trying to buy some more time.
The police and Nick should be here any time soon.
"Of course not. I'm not here to fulfill your last wish," the woman mocked us.
Sebastian's anger was radiating in waves off his body. I wasn't even sure how he had managed to maintain his calmness for so long. But then again, it was his daughter's life at stake besides ours.
At that moment, I was sure Sebastian wouldn't sacrifice my life nor Lily's for anything in this world. Lily and I were his family, and he cared for us in a way I hadn't ever imagined. His stance, the fear, the love, and the anxiousness in his eyes showed how much Sebastian had changed. He was willing to move on. He was ready to have a family and love us unconditionally.
I couldn't stop but question myself for how long was he feeling this way?
Was Nickolas right?
Was I too stubborn and afraid to see the truth and come back to the love of my life?
"Janine, just give us Lily right now, and I promise I won't press any charges against you," Sebastian proposed. His murderous glare scared even me. No sane human would have refused that offer. Because only a mad man would want to face Sebastian Leclair's wrath.
"That's not going to happen, Sebastian. Now take your whore and leave before I shoot both of you," that evil woman replied without even taking a moment to consider his offer.
Sebastian turned to look at me before he took my hand in his and led me backward towards the car. Our eyes never left the wicked woman who had kidnapped my daughter.
I couldn't understand why Sebastian was giving up. Did he think the police would arrive soon? Or was he so scared of this evil woman?
However, I wasn't ready to give up. I didn't want to let that lunatic win.
"What kind of mother are you?" I shouted and freed myself from Sebastian's grasp.
"You've got no right to judge me. You stole my daughter's life. You're living the life she deserved to have!" Janine accused me once more.
A bitter laugh escaped my lips. I was so tired of being compared with a dead woman. I was exhausted from being accused of things I hadn't done.
"Thanks to your daughter, I was having a beautiful life until you kidnapped my baby girl. You're making me go through the same pain you felt when Olivia died. So, I'm asking you, what kind of mother are you? What kind of human are you?" I inquired again, taking a step forward.
"Evelyn, just come with me!" Sebastian ordered me in a muffled voice.
"You know how much it hurts losing a child. Yet, you're inflicting that torture to another woman for what? A bloody revenge plan!"
"Stop talking!" Janine hissed and pulled back the safety of the gun.
"Evelyn!" Sebastian exclaimed desperately.
But I couldn't stop. I couldn't just leave Lily with that woman and go away…
"I wonder how a caring and generous woman like Olivia had a mother like you. You're blind by anger, sorrow, and vengeance," I spat, looking at her with disgust.
"I told you to shut up!" she screamed and pointed the gun towards my chest.
"Olivia would have been ashamed of you," I muttered, sadness lacing my voice.
Janine's index finger was dancing on the tiger, and her hand was shaking.
I thought I could make her feel remorse and shame and make her drop the gun. But I was wrong.
You cannot foresee a crazy man's actions…
Janine pulled the trigger, and the piercing sound of the gunshot filled the air.
I closed my eyes and waited for the sharp pain to go through my body. But instead, I felt like falling. My back hit the ground, and then I felt something else falling on top of me. A small groan reached my ears, and my eyes snapped open.
Sebastian's face came into view. He looked pale, and his facial features were altered by the immense pain he was feeling.
My body was paralyzed by pain, guilt, and anger. My mind couldn't form a single thought, and for a few long seconds, I just lay on the ground frozen, lifeless, and numb.
Sebastian had stepped in front of me to protect me!
They say your whole life passes behind your closed eyelids in a blink of an eye when you're close to death. Yet all I could see was only two faces. Sebastian and Liliana were the two people I could think of.
A thud followed by the sound of a door closing with force was heard, startling me. I forced myself to look towards Janine's way. It seemed she had eventually dropped the bloody gun and ran back inside the house.
Sebastian was lying on top of me, his weight almost suffocating me. His slow breathing reached my ears, and I let out a small sigh. At least he was still alive, but I had to think of something.
"Sebastian? Can you hear me?" I managed to stammer and shake him lightly.
"Are you hurt?" he questioned back and opened his eyes to look at me.
"You stood in front of a flying bullet and me! How can I be hurt, you foolish man!" I retorted angrily.
However, my rage gave me enough strength to turn us over and get on my knees to check for his injury. My blouse was covered in blood, and so was his shirt. My hands trembled while I patted his torso, trying to find where the bullet had hit him.
"Stay with me, Sebastian!" I whispered and pressed my palm on top of his injury.
"I told you I'm not going to leave you ever again…" he replied, and a soft smile spread on his lips.
I swallowed back my tears and fished his phone out of his pocket. Nick was supposed to be here anytime soon, so where the hell was he?
I unlocked Sebastian's phone only to see a photo of Lily and me as wallpaper. My eyes widened and snapped to meet Sebastian's pale face. His eyes were closed, and I felt even more horrible- if that was possible.
"Sebastian, look at me," I ordered him and dialed Nick's number.
The billionaire did as I said, and I tried to give him a reassuring smile.
"Sebastian, we're almost there," Nick's voice came through the phone.
"Nick! Sebastian is… Call an ambulance! Janine shot him!" I breathed out before I left the phone fell on the ground.
"Fuck! Now I'm going to kill that bitch!" I heard the youngest Leclair brother cursing before the line went dead.
I pressed both my palms at Sebastian's abdomen, hoping this will slow down the blood loss. Silent prayers left my lips, and I forced myself to believe that everything would be okay.
It must turn out okay because otherwise…
I couldn't stand losing Sebastian now that I found out he had really changed...

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A.N. Thank you for reading! Your feedback is much needed, so please make sure to comment and let me know your thoughts. Three more chapters are left before we reach the end of this story.