Page 122 of Poison Vows

“Daphne, la mia dolce bambina!”

I don’t understand Italian, but I can guess what he just said.

After all, the indescribable grief and yearning a parent has for a lost child doesn’t need to be translated, nor can it be.

“Your grandson has been searching since then for his mother. Dead or alive, it doesn’t matter to him, he’s dedicated his life for her and to find the ones responsible,” I mutter, guilt and pain ravaging my chest.

“And I have remained quiet about who exactly took Ms. Daphne away that night.”

Grandpa Armando’s nostrils flare like a wild bull.

There was only one witness to Daphne Easton’s horrible suffering that night… and that’s me.

I’m pretty sure Emmett knew all this. Maybe he even knows that his mother was with my grandfather that night, but I know one thing I have been running from all my life.

By denying the return of my memories, I was trying to keep Emmett to myself for as long as I could.

Because I know what else happened that night.

“I see you remember me now,” Grandpa Armando finally says, looking at me with a half smirk. “I was actually offended that you erased our initial meeting that night.”

Yes… that night when Emmett’s mother swam us to shore… a group of men were already waiting.

I’m not sure if they were from the SUVs that had caused us to crash, but as the men seized Emmett’s mother and me, they dragged us to kneel in front of the old man in front of me now.

“I actually did, for a few years,” I tell him. “That night, after you threatened me to keep my mouth shut, no matter who asked, you had your men toss me to the side, to leave me there. My head hit a rock. By the time I came to, I was in the hospital.”

When I’m done, we sit there in silence, my hatred and anger toward this old man festering like an infested wound.

“This might not help but after I found out you were hurt, I dealt with that rabid dog who tossed you so violently,” Grandpa Armando says ever so gently. “After I found out how you suffered, I was so sorry for leaving you there that night. I had no other option.”

Tears fall down my face unchecked.

“Of course, I had no idea that your survival had already been exposed, which led to your life being in danger multiple times after that, but I also wasn’t expecting the results of that.”

This time, a small smile appears on his weathered face.

“What did you do with Emmett’s mother?” I demand. “You sat there, having the audacity to pretend like you didn’t kill my grandfather, but you call him an old friend? You’re the vilest piece of shit I’ve ever seen.”

Grandpa Armando chuckles humorlessly.

“I might be, but you, my dear sweet child, you’re not far off,” he says with a tight smile. “You got your memories back a while ago, but you still pretended not to know anything, kept everything from my grandson, and even that day you found your fake father and scheming mother, you even acted like you didn’t know me! I’m impressed with your acting skills.”

“That’s because?—”

“And now, that boy you’ve been lying to is about to lose his life!”

My heart is no longer beating.

My lungs are about to explode.

“In any case, your own survival is in your hands,” he states seriously. “What you do from now on, well, I don’t have to tell you since you don’t trust me and all, but while you sort through the mess of all the revelations we exposed in this library, I want you to try and think back to what happened that night. Did I really threaten you?”

My heart jumps in my chest.

“No more pretending, Ivy Marie,” he continues. “No more hiding your own intelligence in search of faux love and acceptance. Grab hold to what’s real.”

Grandpa Armando presses what looks like a button and a second later, Ripley comes back in the room and proceeds to help the old man settle into his wheelchair.

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