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because he had more money than even she knew what to do with. I also thought a marriage to Rupert
would be a way to gain more freedom, but& it was not. All I did was trade one prison for another,
and in that trade, I lost you. Eliane s hand fluttered up, as if she wanted to touch him, before it balled
into a fist and retreated to her lap. I never wanted to be separated from you, Ivar. That was not how
it was supposed to be, but I understand if you forever hate me for abandoning you to that demon of a
woman.
She didn t abandon you, though, Scout felt compelled to add, because the pain radiating
from the broken woman was too much to bear. Rundstrom wanted Eliane but not her kid, so
apparently he paid your granny an insane amount of money to get rid of you while they were away on
their honeymoon. When they returned, the baroness refused to give you back, and since Rundstrom
kept Eliane on such a tight leash she couldn t get out from under his thumb long enough to report to the
police that you were missing. It doesn t matter that a blood relative took you from your mother, Ivar.
According to the letter of the law, that s kidnapping. You were a stolen child.
To say that he looked stunned would have been a vast understatement. I never knew.
How could you? No one questions where they come from, so why would you? But I promise
you were never a mistake, or the product of a violent act, and you were never unloved and unwanted.
You ve always been loved by the woman sitting next to you, just like you ve always loved her. So
much so, you ve refused to go near her out of fear that your so-called monstrous existence made her
suicidal.
Another lie. This was ground out from Eliane with a ferocity Scout hadn t thought the
woman wasn t capable of. But there seemed to be a mama tigress prowling beneath a lifetime of
enforced docility. I was told very much the same about you that you had tried to kill yourself when
you were informed that I wanted to see you and be a part of your life. When you began to appear in
magazines, I feared you would be exposed to the life I had been forced to live, and I wanted to protect
you from that. But clearly, my mother had found a new cash cow in you, and she was not about to
relinquish her control.
The fury in Ivar s expression was so hot Scout could feel the burn. That bitch needs to pay
for everything she has done.
I ve looked into that, and you do have legal recourse. Scout nodded to the untouched files.
Eliane, no criminal charges can be brought against your mother at this time for stealing your earnings
when you were modeling, as the statute of limitations has run out, but that doesn t preclude a civil
suit. Ivar s case, however, is much more recent. Aside from the kidnapping charges, according to
Canadian child labor laws you can file charges against your grandmother for grand larceny, thus
bringing everything this so-called aristocrat has done into the spotlight. In doing so, though,
understand that you ll also be unveiling the private lives of both you and your mother and making it a
part of public record. That s something you re going to have to decide what to do as a family.
A family. A bubble of nervous laughter escaped Eliane before she looked shyly to Ivar. I
know you are much too old to need a boring old mother in your life, but I do like the sound of& of
family.
Ivar reached over and grasped her hand, plowing right through that invisible barrier Eliane
hadn t been able to get around. I will always want you to be a part of my life, as long as you are
willing to be in it. I hope you feel the same way about me.
Eliane s smile was brilliant, and the nervy tension flowed out of her body like magic. My
darling, beautiful boy, I do. I love you.
I love you, too. He pulled her into a hug, then looked to Scout from over his mother s frail
shoulder. Scout blinked, startled by depth of emotion in his pale eyes. She d thought she d seen
contentment and happiness in him before, but she now realized that had just been scratching the
surface. My Scout. Thank you.
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