Page 66 of Crowned for His Son

Eden had been half afraid that the camera had lied about the transformation she’d seen in her mother during their video calls.

But, whether it was the Californian sun that seemed to have taken years off her or an unknown root cause, Liv Moss looked miles better than Eden had seen her in ages.

The fact that there was no self-serving man there, offering false promises and responsible for her mother’s warm smile when she threw the doors of her Azar-gifted mansion open? Even better still.

And perhaps her newfound self-esteem and emotional clarity was what kept Liv from probing too deeply when Eden changed the subject every time she tried to talk about Azar.

Sadly, it didn’t last very long.

Five days of exploring the quiet exclusive Santa Barbara beaches with Max and only a handful of bodyguards in tow was all she got before her mother cornered her one evening, while Max played with his toys.

She delved right in. ‘You’re not talking to your husband. Why?’

Eden’s grimace earned her a wry glance. She scrambled for myriad excuses. But did she really want to rekindle a relationship with her mother and yet hide such an important aspect of her life?

No.

Her gaze flicked to Max, to the soft features already such a powerful reminder of his father that she wondered how she’d believed he was anyone else’s but Azar’s.

In the end, the facts she hadn’t wanted to admit to herself came tumbling out.

‘He doesn’t want me. He only married me because of his son. I thought it would be enough to do it for Max’s sake, but I don’t know if it’ll be enough in the long run.’

‘Of course you know. Or you wouldn’t be here,’ Liv said briskly.

‘What—?’ she started, but her mother was shaking her head.

‘And it’s absolutely fine to feel that way. You shouldn’t settle for less than you deserve. But, sweetheart, I think you’re wrong.’

Her insides lurched. She wished to be wrong. ‘Why?’ she asked anyway.

‘Because it’s the twenty-first century, Eden. And, as much as respectability means to these people, they don’t need to marry someone to validate their claims. Even if they do, courting scandal by stepping out of their marriage vows will only get them more attention. And these days any form of attention can be spun into good attention. He married you because he wanted youandhis son. Don’t make hasty decisions before you find out. I made the opposite mistake with your father. I wish I’d seen the light much sooner than I did.’

The echoes of her mother’s pain triggered memories of the most distressing period of their lives and made her prod deeper. ‘I’m sorry about that. But what about the other…?’

Her mother gave her a sad smile. ‘The other men I tried to replace your father with?’

At Eden’s hesitant nod, her mother swallowed, then blinked back a surge of tears.

‘Because they made me forget my pain for a while, and some of them even made me feel loved. But it was never the real thing.’ She reached across and grasped Eden’s hand, the lighter shade of the green eyes she’d inherited pierced her with its earnest intensity. ‘If you have a chance at the real thing, don’t walk away from it, honey. You’ll regret it, and if you’re not lucky it’ll be far too late to do anything about it.’

‘And if it’s not the real thing?’

Her mother sagged back in her chair, but the look in her eyes never wavered. ‘If it’s not, and you decide to walk away, don’t settle for second and third best. Don’t make my mistake. Because you’ll lose more than yourself.’ Her eyes flicked to Max, her eyes filling when they returned to Eden. ‘You’ll miss the chance to feel an equally meaningful kind of love. I missed a lot with you, sweetheart. And for that I’m sorry. I know I don’t have the right to ask but…can we start over? I would very much like to stay in both your lives.’

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Eden nodded. Her hands were shaking as they gripped her mother’s. If nothing else, she would repair this vital relationship with her mother, regain everything she’d lost when her father had let them both down.

‘I would like that very much, Mom.’

As her mother threw her arms around her, salving a wound left far too long unattended, Eden couldn’t shake the feeling that in his own way, Azar had facilitated this for her. Even while his own tumultuous relationship with his mother festered.

‘I haven’t seen any evidence that it’ll be worth it. So, no. Things between my wife and I will stay the same.’

She swallowed another wave of hurt at Azar’s devastating words. But was her mother right? Was she writing something off that was potentially salvageable? Could she stand having her heart crushed by pursuing a subject her husband had already ruled on?

As if intuiting her thoughts, Max toddled over, holding out the sleek phone Eden had given him to play with. ‘Papá.’

Her heart lurched, and for a second she believed—hoped—Azar was calling. When she realised her child was making a demand, asking to call his father, her chest squeezed.

---