Chapter 178

Aria's POV “I don't know.” Something in Jade's voice made my stomach twist. It wasn’t just the words, it was the way she said them. Her voice was filled with defeat, like she had already gone through every possibility and come up empty. “She’s powerful,” Jade continued. “Too powerful. She’s my mother. I should know.” Dread ran down my spine. I had never heard Jade sound this way before. There was silence, then I asked. “Will you tell me everything now?” There was an even longer silence this time. The silence was so long that I thought maybe she wasn’t going to respond. I released a resigned sigh and stared outside, feeling disappointed. Then suddenly— “Okay.” It was just one word, but it hit me hard. Because after several months, Jade was finally going to tell me everything. “Okay,” Jade repeated, her voice was quiet. “I’ll tell you everything.” I sat back in the seat, my heart pounded hard in anticipation. I waited. I didn’t rush her. Jade had been keeping secrets since the moment she