Stolen Identity: Mute Heiress

Chapter 369: Brooding

Mari lay on her bed staring at the ceiling. The curtains were open, but she didn’t care to look outside. Warm sunlight spilled into the room, yet it did nothing to lift the heavy feeling in her chest.

Her phone lay beside her, face down. She had checked it too many times already. No message from Jax. No missed call.

She had no intention of calling or texting him either.

After a while she turned on her side and hugged a pillow tight to her chest.

Mari didn’t move when a knock sounded on her door and then the door creaked open quietly.

"Doll?" her mother’s voice came gently. "Can I come in?"

She raised her head, "Yes, Mom."

Andy stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. She looked at her daughter for a moment, taking in the stiff posture, the tight jaw, the way Mari’s shoulders were drawn inward like she was trying to protect herself.

"You didn’t join us for breakfast," Andy said.

"I wasn’t hungry," Mari replied flatly. "And I wasn’t interested."

Andy walked closer and sat on the edge of the bed. The mattress dipped slightly under her weight.

"That’s not like you," she said softly. "You don’t usually brood this long."

Mari frowned and turned her face away. "I’m not brooding. I just want to be left alone."

Andy tilted her head. "Are you asking me to leave, doll?"

Mari sat up immediately. "No! No, Mom. I didn’t mean that." Her voice softened. "You should know by now that I would never not want to talk to you."

Andy smiled a little and reached out to brush Mari’s hair back from her face. "I know."

They sat in silence for a moment. Then Andy sighed. "You shouldn’t be mad at your father."

Mari let out a short laugh with no humour. "Why not? You saw the way he acted last night. He treated me like a child in front of Jax."

"He was scared," Andy said. "He only did what he did to protect you."

Mari raised a brow. "Protect me from the same man you trusted enough to leave me with?"

Andy shook her head. "Jax is not the problem, doll. It’s the people around him. The ones who keep putting you in danger."

"Do you really think Jax doesn’t know that?" Mari asked standing up. Her eyes shone with emotion. "Do you think he hasn’t been worried about that himself?"

Andy stayed quiet.

"He’s been carrying all that by himself," Mari continued. "The guilt of what Chad and Venita did. The fear of what could have happened had he not caught on soon enough. That had been weighing him down. That’s why he stayed away from me. He didn’t know how to face me and he thought he was protecting me by staying away." Her voice cracked. "And just when I managed to convince him to open up to me again, Dad ruined it."

Andy reached for her hand. "It’s not ruined, l doll."

Mari pulled her hand back gently. "It feels ruined."

"It isn’t," Andy insisted, taking her hand. "Jax just needs time to sort things out on his end."

"Everything is already sorted," Mari said firmly. "I made up with Chad and Venita. Diva is no longer a threat to me. What else is there?"

Andy exhaled slowly. "You need to understand something."

Mari looked at her.

"You are your father’s only child. Our only child," Andy said softly. "Everything he does comes from a place of love and fear. The thought of losing you terrifies him. It terrified me."

"That doesn’t mean he gets to control my life," Mari muttered.

"He’s not doing this because he hates Jax," Andy said. "He’s doing this because he loves you."

Mari scoffed. "Love shouldn’t feel like a cage."

Andy nodded. "True. But when you became a parent you’d understand better. Parenting isn’t always gentle. Sometimes it means making hard choices your child won’t like." She paused, then continued, "Like when a child is sick and needs injections. The child cries. The parent feels terrible. But the injection still has to happen so the child can get well."

Mari sighed and dropped back onto the bed. "I get what you’re saying. That doesn’t mean I like it."

Andy smiled softly. "I didn’t expect you to."She leaned closer. "You could have been seriously hurt last night or worse if your father hadn’t had his men watching you—"

"I know," Mari interrupted quietly. "And I appreciate it. But he didn’t have to act that way especially not in front of Jax. And I don’t like that he spoke to Jax that harshly either."

Andy studied her face. "If the roles were reversed, and you were the parent... what would you have done?"

Mari looked away. "I don’t know."

"Yes, you do," Andy said gently.

Mari turned her face to the pillow. "I’m an adult. I just wish he’d trust me enough to let me handle my own business."

"This isn’t just your business," Andy replied. "We are the ones who connected you to Jax. We have a role to play too. You need to trust us when we say we’re trying to keep you safe."

Mari clenched her jaw. "This is my first relationship, Mom. And it feels like I don’t even have control over it."

Andy smiled knowingly. "That feeling is because of the circumstances surrounding the relationship. Not the relationship itself."

She patted Mari’s leg. "Be patient. Everything will be okay soon enough."

"When? What more do you need Jax to do? I told you we’ve resolved things with his siblings already. Diva is in the hospital and I’m sure..."

"She’s dead," Andy said flatly.

"What?" Mari asked, eyes wide.

"She didn’t make it out of the car alive. That was part of the reason your father was upset. His men had to move the cars and change the scene of the accident so you won’t be involved in the investigations," she explained.

Mari was silent for a minute as she processed the information. She remembered wondering why Diva’s car was no longer there when they drove past the accident scene. "Is Jax aware?"

"Yes. He is."

Mari sighed again. "When was he told? Last night or today?"

"Last night. Have you spoken to him since last night?"

Mari rolled her eyes. "No. And honestly, I’m pissed at him."

Andy raised a brow. "Why?"

"He just left when Dad asked him to leave," Mari said. "He just... walked away. He didn’t let me go with him."

Andy laughed softly. "You should be thankful."

Mari frowned. "For what?"

"For having a man who loves you enough to respect your family," Andy said. "And who respects himself enough to do the right thing even when it hurts."

"Whatever," Mari muttered.

Andy stood up. "Alright. Enough brooding."

Mari glanced up. "What now?"

"What’s your plan for today?" Andy asked.

"I don’t have one," Mari replied. "I resume work next week. So... for now nothing."

Andy clapped her hands lightly. "Perfect. Then we’re going for a pampering session. Let’s make today our spa day. Massage. Nails. Hair. Whatever you can think of," Andy said. "The last couple of weeks have been stressful. We need to relax."

Mari smiled despite herself. "That’s a good idea. I was telling Emily last night that I needed a pampering session." She reached for her phone. "Speaking of Em, I need to check on her to see if she’s left."

"By the way, what’s up between her and Callan? Are they finally getting together?"

Mari’s smile widened. "Yeah."

Andy nodded approvingly. "About time. Alright, when you’re done getting ready let me know." She turned to leave, then paused at the door. "Oh, and doll?"

"Yes?"

"Be a good girl and go make up with your father."

Mari scowled. "Mom—"

Andy wagged a finger. "Hurry. I need your father in a good mood."

Mari blinked. "Why?"

Andy grinned wickedly. "Because I was deprived of sex last night thanks to all this drama. We were in the middle of it when Callan’s call came in and considering how upset he was and your argument we couldn’t get back to it."

"Mom!" Mari groaned.

Andy smirked. "What? I have needs too! Don’t be a cockblocker, doll."

Mari shook her head, giggling. "I should have known you had an ulterior motive."

Andy laughed loudly as she walked out while Mari laughed as she reached for her phone to give Emily a call.