Chapter 89
Cordelia was frozen in shock for a moment, overwhelmed by a mix of surprise and joy. Grabbing her mother’s hands, she asked, “Mom, you can recognize me?”
Xyla’s gaze was distant, her expression dazed as she blinked at her daughter. “Mom!” Cordelia exclaimed, leaning in closer, her voice thick with emotion. “You finally remember who I am… You couldn’t recognize me for so long, only Carter. It made me so sad.”
A faint smile tugged at the corners of Xyla’s lips as she stretched a thin arm to gently stroke Cordelia’s long hair. “Lia… You’re Lia…” she murmured, her voice soft.
Although Xyla’s voice was barely a whisper, Cordelia felt a deep sense of satisfaction. “Mom, the weather is nice today. Why don’t we go for a walk?” she suggested, hoping to engage her mother more.
But Xyla didn’t respond. Her gaze drifted slowly to the distance, her lips moving occasionally with disjointed mumblings. Cordelia remained kneeling in front of her mother, her earlier joy gradually fading into disappointment.
“Mom…” Cordelia whispered, searching for any sign of her mother’s awareness. Xyla mumbled again, “Lia… You’re my daughter… You’re Cordelia Jenner… You’re a Jenner?”
Cordelia’s heart skipped a beat at the mention of her family name. Her confusion grew, but before she could process anything, Xyla’s expression suddenly darkened. Her eyes, once soft, now gleamed with something colder—hatred.
“You’re a Jenner, so that means you’re William’s daughter!” Xyla spat, her voice sharp.
Before Cordelia could react, Xyla’s hand shot out, grabbing her by the hair. The sudden pain made Cordelia scream, her hands struggling to free herself from her mother’s fierce grip. “No! Mom, no!” she cried, terror flooding her. Xyla’s hold on her hair tightened, and Cordelia felt the sharp sting as her scalp seemed to tear.
Xyla pulled her up with alarming strength and threw her across the room. Cordelia crashed into a drawer, the impact reverberating through her body. Items flew off the table and scattered across the floor.
As Cordelia tried to gather herself from the floor, Xyla rushed forward, delivering a brutal kick to her stomach. “You can’t have this kid! You can’t have this kid!” Xyla continued to mumble, her voice erratic. “You need to take it away! You need to take it away!”
The pain was unbearable, and Cordelia’s cries echoed through the room. The commotion drew the nurses rushing in, but they were unable to restrain Xyla. Just as Xyla picked up a vase to throw it at her daughter, a white figure burst through the door and held her down with remarkable force.
“Quickly! Get some bandages!” the doctor commanded urgently.
The nurses, frightened but obedient, hurried to follow the doctor’s instructions. They worked together to pin Xyla down, and the doctor swiftly administered a sedative into Xyla’s wrist. Gradually, the fury in Xyla’s eyes faded, her eyelids fluttering as she drifted into a sedated sleep.
The room fell into a heavy silence. The nurses, still tense from the chaos, breathed a collective sigh of relief. Only then did they notice Cordelia, trembling and disoriented, in the corner. Gently, they helped her to her feet and guided her out to check her injuries.
Cordelia shook with fear, her body wracked with pain. Tears began to spill from her eyes as the reality of what had just happened overwhelmed her. “Luckily, all the wounds are superficial,” the nurse said softly, cleaning her wounds. “Don’t be too upset. Your mother’s been doing better lately. She took her medication before you came, but we’re not sure what triggered this outburst…”
Cordelia barely heard the nurse’s words, her thoughts swirling in confusion and fear. As she tried to gather herself, a voice interrupted her.
“Give me her medical report,” the voice commanded, cutting through the tension.
The nurse seemed taken aback. Her face flushed red as she quickly complied, lowering her gaze as she hurried to fetch the report. Cordelia turned toward the source of the voice, her eyes locking onto the tall figure of a doctor who had entered the room.
The doctor stood with an aura of authority, his white coat accentuating his striking features. There was something familiar about him, but Cordelia couldn’t place it.
“Seth?” she asked tentatively, her voice a little shaky as she recognized the doctor’s face.