A Life Debt Repaid

Chapter 1231

Every guest was staring at Cordy, convinced that she was going to declare her love for Jay because her affection for him was all too visible.

And given Zoe's personality, she would want nothing less than to announce it to the whole world.

And yet, when she began, she said, "There are two people I want to thank. The first is Clara Gooding, my mother."

Clara was sitting below stage, her body obviously stiffening when Zoe suddenly mentioned her.

She was holding Yelena in her arms after she got off the stage.

"Yes, she's my mother," Zoe said. "But I never called her that, because there was a time I hated her. If not for her, I wouldn't have gone through the worst moment of my life-1 mean, who would've thought that an heiress of the great Levine family would turn out to be just a maid's daughter?"

Her words were calm, but everyone could empathize with her pain and despair of the time.

really wanted to disown her..." she continued even as she looked

her eyes welling with

against her, but Zoe was too kind and ultimately

Zoe finished. "If I had done that back then. I'd regret it

head—she was the one who had

in the heat of

given me all her love in a way that no one else could accept," Zoe said, looking at Clara then. "The world might

was the first time Zoe called her that, and Clara's tears

her tears. "It's alright, Grandma. I'm here, and I

had she done to

on living our separate lives. I know you've been quietly sacrificing yourself for all

because it's what you're obliged

tears, offering her silent