Chasing The Vengeful Villainous Heiress-Chapter 58: What are the odds?

Tiana led Valerie to sit on her bed and took out a first aid kit to treat her hand.

She was rather calm and gentle, compared to her usual self and it made Valerie uncomfortable, but there was nothing she could do. The two of them had to talk this out somehow.

"So, how do you know each other?" Tiana suddenly asked and Valerie opened her mouth to speak but Max beat her to it.

"She’s my wife."

"Ha, what a strange way fate works." Tiana muttered, slowly wrapping the bandage around her arm after disinfecting it. "You know, I used to wonder what kind of girl my son would get married to. He was so soft-hearted and sweet sometimes and other times, he was very possessive, not letting anything come near his things."

She paused and looked up with her lips curled up, smiling warmly at Valerie.

"He had the face of a real lady killer but I guess you’re the one who got to go home with the prize, I’m proud of you." She said and for a moment, Valerie felt she was getting a pep talk from a mother.

It was warm and heartfelt.

"But don’t trust that pretty face, he gets too serious for his own good."

"Yeah, I understand."

Tiana swiped Valerie’s hair back and gazed at her eyes. There was no way she would’ve thought of the possibility of meeting her son’s wife in this place but she did.

So, what was stopping the possibility of meeting her best friend’s daughter in this very place?

"Valerie," she called her name. "What is your last name?"

"Ross." She answered and Tiana’s eyes widened. "I am Valerie Ross."

"Haha." She laughed, taking Valerie’s hand and pressing them against her head. "What are the odds? It’s like the world’s bringing it all to me. What’s been going on out in the world that you, of all people, would end up here?" She asked and gazed up at her with eyes of affection. "Maria must be sobbing in her grave by now. I couldn’t do anything to help you back then and even now... I’m not fit to be her friend."

Valerie stroked Tiana’s hair and said,

"You were my mother’s friend." She smiled. "Thank goodness, right?"

"What do you mean?"

"You saved me in here. If not for you, I wouldn’t have made it this far and would’ve died of starvation. My mother... She would be proud of that one act." 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Tiana’s eyes grew teary as she saw the same smile her best friend used to have all the time. She was definitely her daughter.

"Can you talk to me now?" Max asked and they both turned to look at him. He had a devasted look on his face. "I’ve been patient and in the dark all this time. Please tell me why you ended up here. I thought... I thought you died in that crash."

"Maxie," Tiana called and once Max heard that name, he couldn’t help himself any longer and rushed to embrace his mother once more. "You’re grown up, you shouldn’t act so childish in front of your wife."

"What can I do?" He asked, his voice choked back by what seemed like tears. "I didn’t know anything and thought you had really died but you’re here. You’re in front of me. How do you expect me to stay calm?"

"I don’t think you will feel that way once you’ve heard why I ended up here."

"Nothing you say will convince me that you had to be sent to an asylum." Max claimed but then his mother said,

"I was the one poisoning you." This made Max shudder and hai face contorted in confusion.

"What?"

"I don’t remember why I did it but I did, which makes me guilty. I knew it was wrong after others had found out and I begged your father to take me away because I didn’t want to hurt you any further." She explained and looked up at him. "Do you still feel I shouldn’t have ended up here?"

Max was silent. He didn’t know what to say, or what to think. His mother had been the one poisoning him? It was a lie.

Valerie watched them and wondered how Max would react to this. If she had to guess, then she was sure he would shrug it off and leave it for later.

"So what?" Max asked and she closed her eyes. Yeah, that was the kind of person he was.

"What? I just said I was the one poisoning you for years. Did you not get that? You could’ve died."

"But I didn’t die. And because I didn’t die, it doesn’t matter." He said. "Mom, you were the one who got me more than anyone. You loved me dearly so for you to do that, there had to be a reasonable reason. And I know you weren’t happy harming me."

"Are you a fool? How can you put reason to my actions?" Tiana yelled at him. "Is this how you would behave if someone else had done this to you?"

"Not someone else." Max shook his head and hugged his mother. "You’re my mother. The only one I can tolerate such an act from are you..." He shifted his gaze to Valerie sitting behind them. "...and Valerie."

She flinched and immediately looked aside. Was he serious? And why was her heart racing at a time like this? His words were stupid.

"Even if you had no reason to poison me and simply did it because you wanted to, as long as the result was not death, you deserve to be pardoned, Mom." Max concluded and broke the hug, pressing his forehead against his mother’s forehead.

Tiana was silent. How exactly did she raise this son of hers? Her eyes grew teary and she cried. She finally hugged him while apologizing.

"I’m sorry, Maxie. I’m so sorry."

Valerie watched them. He forgave his mother for such a grave thing done against him so why was he still keeping a grudge against what she said about him? Guess that forgiving privilege was only for his mother.

"Come with us." Max said, "Let’s get out of here."