A flicker of irritation crossed Cole’s features.
Catching his expression from the corner of her eye, Elliana immediately understood the direction of his thoughts, and a subtle, amused smile curved her lips. The marriage certificate hadn’t slipped her mind, but since Cole never brought it up, she’d decided not to push the issue. That official document had never held much significance for her anyway.
To break through the uncomfortable atmosphere settling over the room, Elliana decided to change the subject entirely. “Donovan,” she said, shifting her focus toward him, “I need to understand something. What kind of connection did you have with my mother?”
Done with the secrecy, Donovan laid out the complete history for Elliana, leaving nothing out.
As the story unfolded, everything began making sense in Elliana’s mind, and she gave an acknowledging nod.
Seth jumped in next. “Elliana, we overheard you mention Quentin earlier. I think you should know the story about his mother.”
Quentin’s mother, Rosemarie Watson, had been only twenty-eight years old—absolutely in her prime—when she became the wife of fifty-six-year-old Lenard. She had been an extraordinarily beautiful woman, intelligent and gifted, who eventually bore Quentin.
Though plenty of gossip had branded Rosemarie a shameless fortune hunter, Elliana had never bought into that narrative. Rosemarie had carried herself with quiet grace and modesty. Within the Hudson household, she had never competed.
She had never chased influence or social standing and had never inserted herself into family business matters. Throughout the years, she’d remained a devoted and unwavering companion to Lenard.
Elliana conjured a mental image of Rosemarie before redirecting her attention to Seth. “Are you saying Rosemarie has her own complicated history?”
“She certainly does,” Seth confirmed. “And without it, her son Quentin would never have become one of Miguel’s targets. Rosemarie used to command an organization back in Delta. Just like us, Miguel defeated her forces, left her badly wounded, and she barely managed to flee to Ublento after suffering tremendously. Your mother was the one who saved her from death.”
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Everything suddenly clicked into perfect clarity for Elliana. That explained why Rosemarie had always shown her such genuine warmth and affection—it stemmed from Rosemarie’s gratitude toward Rita. It also finally made sense why Lenard had shown her such careful attention and kindness. He’d been fulfilling Rosemarie’s heartfelt requests.
As Elliana worked through these interconnected relationships, she released a deep breath. Her mother might have left her behind in Ublento, but her mother had carefully positioned a network of protectors to keep watch over her. Her mother had gone to remarkable lengths to ensure her safety.
“Unfortunately, Rosemarie’s situation wasn’t as favorable as what Donovan and I experienced,” Seth continued. “Your mother managed to heal our injuries completely, and we successfully avoided Miguel’s detection, adopted new identities, and created fresh starts. But Rosemarie’s wounds ran far too deep. Even your mother’s exceptional medical skills couldn’t repair all the damage. She ended up with a persistent, crippling condition that drastically narrowed her available paths forward. Becoming Lenard’s wife represented her sole option for finding security and maintaining a peaceful existence.”
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