Chapter 104: I don’t blame you

Chapter 104: I don’t blame you A smile bloomed on their faces, ignoring the fact Aaron introduced Eva as his sister; they were just glad to see Eva again. Leo lost interest in prolonging the woman’s suffering and quickened the poison in her to the last stage. The woman’s body turned purple, her muscles shrivelled, collapsing like a sponge drained dry, as if she’d rotted for years in seconds. ’’Butler, take care of the body...use the back door,’’ Leo warned before removing his gloves and discarding them on what was left of the woman. He left the training room with Grace and Aaron. As the door shut behind them, the staff collapsed to their knees in relief, their bodies still trembling from what they had witnessed today. Never in their lives would they dare betray their master—let alone even dream of it. Today would be forever etched in their memories, and that was one of the reasons they resisted the temptation to rob their master amidst the chaos. .... "Dad, you need to control yourself. Don’t go poisoning my sister, or I’ll burn your lab to the ground," Aaron warned in a firm, serious tone, making it clear he wasn’t just talking—he meant it. Leo smacked him on the back of the head, but he ended up feeling the pain instead. "Reckless brat! Do you have any idea how rare and costly those experiments are? And we don’t even know if that’s truly your sister yet. We need proof—we can’t give that child false hope," Leo said in a rare authoritative tone. Grace nodded in agreement with Leo, though her heart felt otherwise. They needed proof—not just for themselves, but for Eva too. The last thing they wanted was to make a mistake that could lead to another girl being recognized later after Eva had already accepted them. It wouldn’t be fair to Eva—or their real daughter. ’Maybe we should adopt her.’ These thoughts flashed through Grace’s mind, but his next words froze Her and Leo in place. "But she’s my sister! Those little cones I’ve been drawing since I was a kid—they’re from her birthmark. Eva has a small black cone hidden at the back of her nape," Aaron said, his voice firm and confident, making their hearts skip a beat. Grace froze mid-step and grabbed Aaron’s arm tightly. "Is what you said... true?" she asked, her voice trembling, her grip tightening as she waited anxiously for his answer. Aaron hissed and nodded fast—any slower, and she might’ve crushed his bones. "It’s true. Remember? Dad left her in my care after your birth complications. I was with her the longest before..." He trailed off, unwilling to revisit that painful memory. A wild laugh burst from Leo’s lips—he could definitely attest to that. When Grace was on the verge of death from blood loss, he had to become her donor because only he matched her real blood type. He’d left their newborn with Aaron and two guards, but unfortunately, those guards were killed. Aaron had survived only because his powers awakened in the nick of time. They believed Aaron’s words without doubt, remembering how he used to manically draw cones on every surface he could find. They had even taken him to see a doctor, fearing the incident had affected him mentally, but the doctor assured them it was just a coping mechanism. To this day, he has never stopped drawing cones. Who would have thought that was the one clue to recognize their daughter, but Grace didn’t want to hope too early ’’I need to see for myself,’’ Grace said, her heart beating loudly in her chest at the thought of Eva really being her child. Leo’s eyes reddened but he looked up, holding the tears from falling and giving Aaron a pat on the shoulder before quickening his steps, unable to wait any longer. As they grew closer to the living room, Grace slowed, clenching her trembling fingers into a fist. Aaron stayed patient, knowing her steps were slowed by fear—fear that it was all a lie, or that she might not be accepted. "Let’s go in together; our son has given us proof, though not as valid as a DNA test... it’s enough." Leo leaned closer, holding her trembling fingers between his. "What if she... hates me?" Grace’s calm exterior cracked, revealing a fragile heart that might shatter with a single poke. At that moment, the mighty huntress vanished—replaced by a scared mother, terrified of being rejected by her own child. "Mom, don’t overthink it. She came with me to meet you both, and she didn’t push me away when I called her, sister. Let’s go—before she starts thinking we’ve changed our minds about accepting her," Aaron urged, gently tugging her shoulder. Eva looked at the ceiling, her gaze filled with boredom as she counted how many lines she could trace with her eyes; then she heard the sounds of footsteps, and her daze cleared. She straightened in her seat, fingers brushing out the creases on her jeans and top. Sensing her tension, Ethan placed a reassuring arm around her. "You’ve got us. You don’t need to feel pressured to recognize them," Julian whispered into her ear. Only he knew why he’d lowered his voice—afraid his in-laws might hear him and silently write his name into their bad books. Eva’s heart settled at their support, but she was willing to give having a family a chance, she had met them earlier; they seemed like a loving, easygoing couple. Leo and the rest entered the living room. "Child we meet again,’’ Leo said in a soft, warm voice, causing Ethan and Julian to break out in goosebumps. Eva smiled in response, her hands clasped on her thighs, as she faced their warm but cautious gaze. The room lapsed into silence and Ethan took it as a cue to leave. "We’ll step out for a few minutes," Ethan muttered, knowing she needed some alone time with her family. Julian stood as well, and both gave Eva a reassuring glance. ’Shout if you need us,’ Ethan mouthed to her before leaving with Julian. Aaron’s lips twitched at Ethan’s words—they weren’t bad guys; what did Ethan mean by his words? Aaron shoved away the distracting thoughts from his mind and moved towards Eva, sitting close and reintroducing his parents again. "They’re my parents—Grace Quinn and Leo Quinn... and also yours." He muttered the last part hopefully. When she didn’t reject his words, a smile spread across his face, and he leaned in to hug her. But before he could, Grace pulled him aside and sat down in his position. His gaze fell on the seat to her left, but Leo had already taken it—so he settled into the one directly across from her instead. "Hello." Eva felt tongue-tied, the words barely making it out. ’How does one even talk to their newly found parents?’ she wondered. ’Shouldn’t I be crying or something?’ But no tears came. Unbeknownst to her, the tattoo on her back began to subtly react—responding to the impure excesses radiating from the two powerful Dungeon Hunters in the room. "Please can I see your birthmark?" Grace asked softly, her hands holding Eva’s. Eva nodded and turned her back to Grace; Leo got up and moved to the side as his wife brushed Eva’s hair softly with trembling hands. They found a black cone-shaped birthmark, as Aaron had said. Eva felt her grip loosened, and she turned to find Grace’s reddened eyes. Before she could ask what was wrong, Grace hugged her and burst into tears. Leo looked out the window, hiding the tear that slid from the corner of his eyes. ’Finally, they’ve found her.’ Eva’s hands hung awkwardly at her sides, but after a few seconds, she slowly wrapped her arms around Grace, patting her gently. After awhile Grace stopped crying, flashing a guilty smile when she noticed Eva’s wet shoulders. "I’m sorry, dear... I couldn’t help myself. I’m just so happy and grateful to finally see you. We searched for you for years—please believe me, we never abandoned you." Grace’s fearful and guilty voice made Eva’s heartache for no reason. She held Grace’s hand to calm her fears. Leo stood beside Grace in silence but his expression was the same as Grace—he felt guilty for not placing more of his men to protect her. Eva saw the sincerity and cautious fear in their gaze and her heart fully accepted them as her parents. "I don’t blame you and you don’t need to blame yourself—" Eva’s words were caught short by the sudden appearance of the cloud.