Chapter 189

Eleanor's POV

Jace remains by my bed, a silent sentinel in the growing darkness. The steady drip of the IV provides a rhythm to my scattered thoughts.

A bitter laugh escapes my lips, drawing Jace's attention. "I used to mock you for not being a Harrington," I say, my voice rough with unshed tears. "Called you their lapdog. Karma really is something, isn't it?"

He remains silent, but I catch the slight tension in his shoulders.

"Turns out I'm not a Harrington either." The words taste like ash in my mouth. "I'm just... nobody."

I catch myself starting to say "Mom" and forcibly correct it to "Clara" in my head. Another habit to break, another piece of my identity to shed.

"You should go," I tell Jace, forcing myself to think practically despite the emotional turmoil. "Mrs. Harrington... I mean, Clara... she's ruthless when she targets someone. Don't let yourself get caught in this mess."

He turns to face me, his expression unreadable in the dim light. Before he can respond, the door bursts open, making us both jump.

A woman rushes in - middle-aged, simple-dressed and disheveled, as though she's been running. Her eyes lock onto me with an intensity that makes me shrink back against the pillows. Something about her face seems vaguely familiar, like looking at a distorted reflection.

"Eleanor," she gasps, and then she's on her knees beside my bed. "I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry!"

The realization of who she must be hits me like a physical blow. My birth mother. The woman who gave me away, who let me live a lie for twenty-five years. Anger rises in my chest, hot and sudden.

"Get out," I whisper, then louder: "Get out!"

She reaches for my hand, but I snatch it away. "Please, let me explain-"

"Explain?" My voice cracks. "Explain how you let them steal someone else's life? How you watched another woman raise your child while the real Harrington daughter lived as a stunt double?"

Tears stream down her face, but I feel no sympathy. Only rage. Only the bitter taste of a life built on lies. "Why?" I demand. "Why did you have to ruin everything like this? I'd rather have had nothing than be hated by someone I loved so much."

The monitors register my increasing heart rate, their beeping becoming more insistent. Jace moves toward the door, presumably to call a nurse, but I barely notice. All I can see is this woman, this stranger who shares my blood, kneeling beside my bed as though she has any right to my forgiveness.

"Please," she tries again, her voice trembling. "You have to understand-"

"I don't have to understand anything," I cut her off, my voice ice-cold despite the fire in my chest. "You want forgiveness? Here's what you can do - disappear. Disappear and never come back. That's the only thing any of you can do for me now."

"I was foolish back then," she begins, her voice trembling. "I thought... why should all the children be Grant's? Why couldn't you have a better life with the Harringtons?"

"Stop," I cut her off, my voice sharp enough to make her flinch. "I don't want to hear your explanations. I don't want to see you."

"Please, Eleanor, you have to understand-"

"Understand?" The word comes out as a harsh laugh. "Get out! You abandoned me once - just stay gone forever. I'll never forgive you!"

Maya takes a step forward, reaching for me. "I was trying to give you a better life-"

"GET OUT!" The scream tears from my throat, making the machines beep frantically. "You ruined everything! You had no right to decide my life like that!"

Jace moves between us, gently but firmly guiding Maya toward the door. I watch them through a haze of tears, my hands clenched so tight my nails dig into my palms. The door closes behind them, and for a moment, blessed silence fills the room.

When Jace returns, I can't bear to look at him. His presence, his concern, his silent support - it all feels like mockery now. The drip of the IV seems deafening in the quiet room.

"When I was a Harrington," I say, my voice eerily calm, "you kept your distance. Now that I'm nothing, why are you still here? To watch me fall?"

"Eleanor-"

"Don't." My eyes fall on the heavy crystal ashtray on the bedside table. "All of this started because of you. Every time you're in my life, everything falls apart."

He steps closer, concern etched on his face. "Eleanor, I once rejected you because - "

The ashtray feels cold and solid in my hand. Before I can think, before I can stop myself, I hurl it at him. There's a sickening thud as it connects with his forehead, and blood immediately starts trickling down his face.

Jace staggers back, more surprised than hurt. The sight of his blood should make me feel guilty, but instead, it fuels something dark and desperate inside me.

"We're done, Jace. Forever." My voice doesn't even sound like my own anymore. "Every misfortune in my life is connected to you. You're my curse, and I'm finally cutting you loose."