Love lies and a billionaire’s secret

CHAPTER SIXTY–THREE–VOICES FROM THE PAST

Maria stepped between them, her hands raised placatingly. “Nia, please, let me explain-”

“Explain what?” Nia snapped. “How long has this been going on?”

Maria’s eyes filled with tears. “Two years,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. “Since you went to prison.”

The words hit Nia like a physical blow. She staggered back, leaning against the wall for support. “Two years?” she repeated, incredulous. “You’ve been meeting with my mother for two years and never told me?

Elena moved closer, her face etched with pain. “Nia, please, it’s not Maria’s fault. I asked her not to tell you.”

“Why?” Nia demanded, her voice cracking. “Why would you do that?”

Elena’s composure crumbled, tears streaming down her face. “I wanted to support you, mija. But your father… he was so angry, so hurt. He forbade any contact with you. I couldn’t go against him openly, but I couldn’t abandon you either.”

“So you went behind my back?” Nia’s voice rose, anger and hurt battling for dominance. “You let me think my entire family had turned their backs on me?”

Maria stepped in, her voice pleading. “Nia, your mom has been helping you all this time. She’s been giving me money to pass on to you, offering emotional support-

“Stop!” Nia shouted, pressing her palms against her temples. “Just stop. I can’t… I can’t process this right

now.”

Elena reached into her purse, pulling out a small, worn box. “I’ve been keeping these,” she said softly, holding it out to Nia. “Letters, little gifts… things I wanted to send you in prison but never could.”

Nia s

stared at the box, her vision blurring with unshed tears. The weight of unspoken words, of lost time, hung heavy in the air.

“How could you?” Nia whispered, her voice raw with emotion. “Both of you. How could you keep this from

me?”

Maria stepped forward, her face streaked with tears. “We were trying to protect you, Nia. Your mom was afraid of losing contact with you completely if your dad found out. And I… I was afraid of losing you too. I thought if I told you, you’d push us both away”

Nia shook her head, anger flaring again. “That wasn’t your decision to make! You had no right to decide what I could or couldn’t handle. Do you have any idea how alone I felt? How abandoned?”

Elena reached out, her hand trembling. “Mija, please. I know we made mistakes, but we love you. Everything we did, we did out of love.”

“Love?” Nia scoffed, backing away from her mother’s touch. “Love is honest. Love is trustworthy. This… this is betrayal.”

The room fell silent, the weight of Nia’s words hanging in the air. Maria sank into a chair, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs. Elena stood frozen, the box of letters clutched to her chest like a lifeline.

Nia looked between them, her heart torn between anger and a desperate longing for the connection she’d been missing for so long. “I need to go,” she said finally, her voice hollow. “I can’t… I can’t do this right

CHARTER SIDA TEHE VOICES FROM THE PAST

now.

She turned. fumbling with the door handle, desperate to escape the suffocating emotions filling the room.

“Nia, wait!” Maria called out, rushing after her,

Nia paused at the door, her hand on the knob. She turned slowly, facing Maria and Elena one last time.

Maria’s eyes were red–rimmed, her voice thick with emotion. “I’m so sorry, Nia. We never meant to hurt you. Please, can we talk about this?”

Nia hesitated, torn between her instinct to flee and the small part of her that yearned for reconciliation. She looked at her mother, seeing the years of pain and regret etched on her face.

“I don’t know if I can forgive this,” Nia said softly. “But.. maybe we can try to understand each other.” Elena s

stepped forward cautiously. “That’s all we’re asking for, mija. A chance.”

Nia nodded slowly, feeling the fight drain out of her. She allowed Maria to guide her back into the apartment, closing the door behind them.

They settled in the living room, an uncomfortable silence settling over them. Nia took a deep breath, steeling herself for the conversation ahead,

“Start from the beginning,” she said, her voice quiet but firm. “I want to know everything.”

As Elena and Maria began to speak, sharing the story of their secret meetings and covert support, Nia felt the walls she’d built around her heart begin to crack. The anger was still there, simmering beneath the surface, but it was tempered by a growing understanding of the impossible situation her mother had faced.

Hours passed as they talked, tears flowing freely as years of unspoken words finally found voice. As the sun began to set, casting long shadows across the room, Nia found herself enveloped in a tight embrace, her mother’s arms around her for the first time in years.

“I’m so sorry, mija,” Elena whispered, her voice choked with emotion. “Can you ever forgive me?”

Nia closed her eyes, allowing herself to be held. “It’s going to take time,” she said softly. “But I think… think we can try.”

As they pulled apart, Maria approached hesitantly. “Nia, I-”

Before she could finish, Nia pulled her into a fierce hug. “You’ve been there for me through everything.” Nia murmured.” “understand why you did what you did. Thank you for being my rock.”

The three women clung to each other, years of pain and secrets giving way to the first tentative steps. towards healing. As they separated, wiping away tears, Nia felt a weight lift from her shoulders. The road ahead would be challenging, but for the first time in years, she felt hope for her family’s future.

Monday morning arrived with a buzz of nervous energy at Colossius Tech. Nia had barely stepped off the elevator when Helia rushed up to her, eyes wide with worry.

“Nia! Have you heard?” Helia whispered urgently, pulling Nia aside.

“Heard what?” Nia asked, her brow furrowing at Helia’s agitated state.

Hella glanced around before leaning in closer. “There’s talk of layoffs in our department. People are saying the budget’s being cut.”

Nia felt her stomach drop. “Are you sure? Where did you hear this?”

“It’s all over the break room,” Helia replied. “And I overheard Mr. Harlow on the phone earlier. He sounded pretty upset.”

CHAPPERSHIN THE VOICES FROM THE PAST

As if on cue, Mr. Harlow’s voice carried from his office, the tension in his tone unmistakable.

“I understand the need for cuts, but my team is already stretched thin,” he was saying, his frustration evident. “We can’t maintain the current standards with fewer people.”

Nia and Helia exchanged worried glances. Throughout the day, Nia noticed the change in atmosphere. Hushed conversations in comers, worried glances exchanged over cleaning carts, and a general drop in productivity as anxiety took hold.

By Tuesday, the tension was palpable. Nia knew she had to do something. During lunch, she gathered her coworkers in the break room, conspicuously without Mr. Harlow.

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