No Strings Attached

Chapter 442

Hearing her voice, Marian, who was teetering on the brink of death, suddenly found her heartbeat again.

The doctor immediately exclaimed, “The patient is responding! Keep talking to her; say something more.”

Clara watched Marian’s pale face. Her heart ached as she nestled into her embrace. She didn’t want to admit that she wasn’t her father’s biological daughter. Yet faced with the kindness Marian had always shown her, Clara’s heart was torn with guilt. Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

Although Marian had long known Clara was her granddaughter, she had concealed her longing, fearing the truth might cause Clara to lose her child.

The loss of her own daughter in her middle years had devastated Marian, and now in her elder years, she was afraid to acknowledge her own granddaughter.

Remembering the times she’d spent with Marian, Clara was moved by the careful affection she’d been shown. Her tears began to fall as she lay in Marian’s arms, whispering, “Grandma, it’s me, Clara, May’s daughter, the one you loved so dearly. Please, wake up.”

Her words unleashed a flood of tears among everyone present. Whether it was Edwin or the entire York family, they had all been waiting for this moment for what felt like an eternity.

Elle, wiping away her own tears, turned to Edwin with a quivering voice, “Clara’s accepted us. She’s willing to be part of our family now.” Her excitement was palpable.

Edwin’s tears cascaded down his cheeks as he clutched the talisman May had left him, murmuring softly, “Mom, I’ve found our little sister. Rest in peace. We’ll take good care of her.”

He strode to the bedside, taking Marian’s hand. “Grandma, did you hear that? Clara’s acknowledged us. Please get better soon, so we can bring her home.”

Elle approached, crying, “Grandma, haven’t you always longed for Clara to come home? Now she knows the truth. Please wake up. We’re going to throw her a grand family reunion party, and let everyone know she’s your granddaughter.”

When Marian heared these words, the heart monitor finally showed a sign of life. Marian slowly opened her eyes, with tears at the corners. She turned her head to look at Clara and, with a shaky voice, she touched Clara’s cheek. “My Clara, is it really you? Have you truly come back to us?”

Clara nodded vigorously. “Grandma, it’s me. The baby and I are both fine. Please, get well soon. I want to taste your famous barbecue ribs.”

Marian’s stiff face softened into a smile at her words. “Just like your mother. She craved those two dishes the most when she was pregnant with you and your brother.”

The mention of “mother” unsettled Clara, who had always associated the word with Victoria, the woman who brought her nothing but pain. She knew little of her birth mother, May. Her eyelashes fluttered down as she spoke softly, “Was she...was she a good person? Did she adore her children?”

Marian felt a pang of sympathy, knowing Clara’s shadows of doubt concerning a mother’s love.

She stroked Clara’s face tenderly, her voice weak. “She loved you and Eddie deeply, sewed many little dresses for you by hand. She wanted you to be the most beautiful princess in all of Northbridge.”

“Even pregnant, she continued her piano recitals, insisting that she wanted you to experience the adoration of an audience, even from within the womb. She wanted to nurture you to become the

brightest star in the sky.

“Clara, your mother loved you deeply. If she knew you are about to become a mother yourself, she would be overjoyed.”

Listening to Marian’s description, Clara began to form an emotional connection with May. She realized that she too was once her mother’s cherished little princess. And her mother had done everything for her, even sacrificing her own life to save her.