My Second Chance Mate is a Barbarian (Sera and Fenris) novel Chapter 470

470 /526

Nadia

I woke with a start, the stiff chair accommodating my bruised neck and shoulders. My head swam as I sat up, rubbing the grit from my eyes.

Mama was watching me from the bed, her voice rusty as she spoke. "You came back..."

"Yeah..." I replied, my own voice thick. I cleared my throat and stretched, trying to shake off the stiffness.

A heavy silence hung between us. Mama finally broke it. "That chair couldn't have been very comfortable. Did you even move all night?"

"Not much," I answered, rubbing my stiff neck.

"You should've gone home to a real bed," she chided.

I shrugged. "I'm okay."

"Eat anything?"

I shook my head without looking at her. "Not since dinner last night."

"Where is Toby?" I asked. "Has someone told him about Dad?"

Mama's eyes flicked to the window. "He's with your grandfather. And no, I haven't told him."

I gripped the bed rail, knuckles white. "You need to tell him."

An uncomfortable silence stretched out again. I couldn't bring myself to look at her, couldn't bear to see the grief and anger etched into her face.

I got up and moved to the window, looking out at the pale morning sky, at the towering buildings of Valdris. A strange numbness filled my chest.

Mama was quiet for a long moment. When she spoke again, her voice was weary. "I'll ask them to bring you breakfast. You should eat something."

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. I remained at the window, my back to her, as the silence swelled between us once more.

"Your grandfather called this morning," Mama said, her voice flat and tired. "He wants you to come stay with him."

I turned to face her, eyes narrowed. "I'm not going. Perfect timing, as always, isn't it? He thinks he can just step in and fix everything with his money now that Dad is gone?" I scoffed, shaking my head. "Tell him I'm sorry, but he's a bit too late."

"Your grandfather..." She sighed, struggling to sit up. "He cares about us, Nadia."

"No, he doesn't." I crossed my arms. "Wealth, he's always had plenty. But every time he offered some, it came with strings...because he wanted to own us."

"Nadia, please." Mama's brow furrowed. "Let me explain."

"Don't." I held up a hand. "I don't want to hear it. He offered his help. Dad said no. Every single time."

"It wasn't that simple," she protested weakly. "Terms and conditions... You don't know what the terms were. You never even asked your father about it."

"I don't want to know." I spat it flatly. "The only thing I ever needed to know was that Dad said no. Every single time."

"What kind of man?" I bit out. "What kind of man does that? Makes terms and conditions before he'll help his own flesh and blood? For the Goddess's sake, Mama."