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"Eh?" Cecilia mumbled, her eyes widening in confusion. She looked at her daughter, almost certain she had misheard her.

Rachel sighed, her expression softening as she tried to put her thoughts into words, "What I\'m trying to say is... you aren\'t wrong to feel how you feel about Dad. I know he\'s trying to build a better future for us, but in the process of doing that, I think he\'s forgetting some important things. He says everything he\'s doing is for us, but he hardly spends time with us anymore. If anything, he wants us to do everything his way. I want to help him, but... I\'m not sure if it\'s the right thing to do. What do you think, Mom?"

Cecilia blinked, her mind reeling as she processed Rachel\'s words. Her heart thudded in her chest as she hesitated before asking cautiously, "You... how much do you know about what he\'s doing?"

Rachel took a deep breath, her gaze unwavering as she replied, "I know about the M.A.M. experiments. I just never expected Dad to be behind such things. I\'m scared... to feel that I find it hard to recognize him."

Cecilia\'s heart sank. She had always hoped to shield Rachel from the darker aspects of Derek\'s work, to keep her daughter from bearing the weight of such knowledge. And yet, Rachel already knew, and not only that, she understood more than Cecilia had ever given her credit for.

Rachel continued, her voice heavy with emotion, "That\'s why I feel that you didn\'t do anything wrong. If you were unhappy enough to seek comfort elsewhere, then I must have underestimated how lonely and sad you must have been feeling all this time."

Cecilia felt like she had been punched in the gut, her breath hitching as she shook her head vehemently, "N-No, Rachel. That\'s not true. I love your dad and I—"

"Mom," Rachel interrupted gently, looking directly into her mother\'s eyes with a serious, almost pleading expression, "didn\'t I say to be truthful with me? I\'m not going to judge you. In fact, I might be the only one, who, as your family, will accept your thoughts and feelings without blaming you for it."

Cecilia\'s fingers curled into fists on her lap, her anxiety bubbling to the surface. She felt exposed, vulnerable, like a child caught in a lie,"You... you\'re not mad at me for what happened? I thought you might tell your dad about what happened, and I... I wouldn\'t have the right to stop you."

Rachel\'s eyes softened, and she reached out, placing a comforting hand over her mother\'s clenched ones, "I... I have to admit, I\'m sad. But I\'m sad because Dad let things end up this way. It breaks my heart to see you like this, struggling alone. So all I want now is to not let you get hurt even more. As your daughter, I just want to save you before it\'s too late."

Cecilia\'s vision blurred as tears welled in her eyes. She had always thought she was protecting Rachel. Yet, here she was, her daughter offering her solace, understanding, and a safety net she hadn\'t realized she needed. But even then, guilt gnawed at her insides. She couldn\'t let Rachel bear this burden for her. No matter how much Rachel understood, no matter how much she offered forgiveness, Cecilia knew she had to do what was right.

Most of all, she shouldn\'t betray Derek, not after everything he had done for her.

She straightened her back, her expression hardening with resolve as she said firmly, "No, Rachel. What happened is a mistake, and I will just confess what happened to your dad before it eats me up. That is the right thing to do as his wife and your mother. We are a family, and nothing will change that."

Cecilia knew it was pointless to find out what happened last night. She can\'t consult a Mindforce expert, and even if her body seemed clean when she woke up, she knew there existed mana products in a grand suite to clean up after intercourse in just seconds.

And after seeing the video of her kissing Ash...she felt it was better to not try to remember at all and just accept that such a night had passed. Rachel\'s grip tightened around her mother\'s hand as she whispered urgently, "Mom, you cannot seriously be thinking that."

"Why not? It is never good to keep secrets… I have never kept any secrets from him, and I surely can\'t do it now. I won\'t be able to keep this in without ruining our family," Cecilia replied, her voice strained as she pressed her lips together, torn between guilt and desperation. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Aren\'t you forgetting someone? Or do you not care what happens to Ash?" Rachel asked, her tone filled with doubt and concern.

"Ash? Why would anything happen to Ash?" Cecilia looked at her daughter, bewilderment etched across her face.

Rachel sighed, frustration flickering in her eyes, "After you confess, do you think Dad would sit still and let Ash go after what happened with you? Do you really think he won\'t do anything despite knowing the extent to which Dad could go?"

Cecilia\'s eyes widened, and she stared at Rachel in stunned silence. She had been so consumed by her own guilt and the need to be honest with Derek that she hadn\'t thought about the consequences for Ash. The thought of Derek harming Ash had never crossed her mind. But now, with Rachel\'s words echoing in her head, doubt crept in, chilling her to the bone.

"I… I didn\'t think… I can\'t imagine your dad would… He\'s the most respected Hunter in the world. He wouldn\'t harm an innocent—"

"Mom, you know how unpredictable Dad can be these past few years," Rachel interrupted gently, her voice softening as she saw the fear and confusion on her mother\'s face, "He\'s not the same person he used to be. You know that. If he thinks someone wronged him or his family, he won\'t hesitate to retaliate. Do you really want to risk Ash\'s life like that?"

Cecilia\'s face drained of color as she processed Rachel\'s words. She had always believed Derek to be a fair and just man, but Rachel was right. He had changed. He had become someone she barely recognized, someone capable of making ruthless decisions without a second thought. If he saw Ash as a threat…

The realization hit her like a punch to the gut, and her hands trembled as she clutched her dress.

Rachel\'s expression softened, and she reached out, squeezing her mother\'s hand gently, "I\'m not trying to stop you or force you into making any decision, Mom. But I just want you to think about it carefully. Because I wouldn\'t want you to make any decision that you would regret in the future and haunt you forever, especially a decision that could put an innocent life or more in danger."

Cecilia\'s eyes trembled as memories of Cedric\'s friends and their families flashed in her mind.

She had only told Derek about what Cedric\'s friends were planning, and the next thing she knew, they were all dead. She had always pushed away the thought that Derek might have been involved, but now… could he really have done something so monstrous?

She only wanted them to be apprehended and questioned, but never did she think they would be…

A shiver ran down her spine, and she shut her eyes, pushing the horrifying thought away. She couldn\'t let herself believe that. But what if… what if she was wrong? What if he could do something terrible to Ash?

She took a deep breath, struggling to calm her racing heart, and finally nodded, "Okay… I won\'t confess. But… I don\'t know if I can face your dad anymore… not with my head held high." She looked away, the weight of her decision pressing down on her. "I should get back home before he thinks something is wrong. Or maybe he already does," she added anxiously as she got up, her hands wringing together nervously.

"Mom…" Rachel murmured, her heart aching for her mother\'s turmoil.

Cecilia turned back to her, gripping Rachel\'s hand with a desperate look in her eyes, "I don\'t have much time, and I can\'t face him now. But tell Ash he can\'t talk about this to anyone and forget it ever happened. Also make sure to delete every footage the hotel has of last night. Okay?"

"Don\'t worry about it, Mom. I\'ll talk to him and take care of the videos," Rachel said with a reassuring nod, trying to calm her mother\'s obvious distress.

Cecilia gave her a quick, grateful smile, though it didn\'t reach her eyes, before she hurriedly turned and walked away, her heart pounding with anxiety and confusion. Rachel watched her mother\'s retreating figure, her heart heavy with the weight of guilt yet at the same time filled with determination to never stop until justice prevails…even if it meant seeing her family get hurt.

Still, she couldn\'t shake off a thought in her head and headed up to talk to Asher right away.

-

The suite was bathed in the soft glow of morning light, the air filled with the rustle of fabric and the quiet click of buttons slipping through holes. Asher stood before the mirror, his reflection a portrait of calm composure as he methodically fastened his shirt, the crisp white material matching his flawless skin.

The door to the suite swung open, the sudden intrusion shattering the tranquil silence. Rachel stepped in, her face a canvas of anxiety, her eyes darting to Asher\'s reflection in the mirror.

Asher\'s lips curved into a smile, a slow, languid expression that belied the tension in the room, "How did it go?" His voice was a smooth, velvety rumble, a sound that seemed to caress the very air it traveled through.

Rachel\'s shoulders slumped, her breath escaping in a heavy sigh, "I have done my part for now," Her eyes shifted to the side as she added, "The drink I prepared for her seemed more effective than I thought. It really rendered her incapable of recalling memories of the last few hours unless someone showed her what happened."

"That\'s not the best part is it? It freed her of her inhibitions and pulled out her deepest desires. I thought I might have to force my hand a bit, but surprisingly, an upstanding woman like her was holding such illicit desires...a desire to spend a night free of guilt and only experience comfort. As expected, you and I together can make banger potions," Asher said with a smirk.

"I had no idea my mom was bottling up so many emotions that it even made the potion\'s effect stronger on her. I feel bad for her..." Her voice was a mix of guilt and sorrow, a cocktail of emotions that left a bitter taste in her mouth. She had no idea her mom was putting up a happy face the past few years to make it seem like everything was alright. Asher turned, his eyes narrowing as he regarded her, his gaze a sharp, piercing scrutiny that seemed to strip away the layers of her composure, "Don\'t feel bad, Rachel. You would rather let this happen than see everything going to hell because of your family, right?" His voice was a cold, hard truth, a brutal reminder of the stakes at play.

Rachel\'s nod was slow, a reluctant acquiescence that seemed to weigh heavily on her shoulders, "I know. That is why I am doing this." Her voice was a soft, resigned murmur, a surrender to the inevitable.

But her eyes held a spark of doubt, a hint of nervousness in her voice, "But...did you really sleep with my mom?" Her lips pressed together, her gaze unwavering, seeking the truth no matter how harsh it may be.