Guardian ✓

resolve

XAVIER HAD BEEN RIGHT ABOUT HIS MOTHER.

Valeria Solomon was scary. In fact, as he drove to his mother's estate that evening, his mind came up with a million excuses as to why he should respect his mother's wishes and not visit – at least, not so soon.

Valeria Solomon had always acted more like a businesswoman than a mother. Rather than that having a negative effect on him, Noah appreciated it. He did not want to ever see his mother be affectionate because it reminded him of his life with his biological father. The only escape from the horrors of living with him was his mother's love. Ergo, when they finally escaped, he was more than okay with his mother not being how she once was.

Crawford II took her place instead. While she became the disciplinarian, he provided unconditional love. Even when he taught Noah about his underground businesses, Noah never really realised how twisted some happenings were until his father was gone and he was left with the aftermath.

An aftermath that had now been erased to the ground. And that had been the outcome of his mother's upbringing. There was no room for any wrongdoing in her life.

However, matters were not as simple as they had been been with only the three of them. Noah couldn't obey his mother because Emma was here now. Perhaps he was being too optimistic, but she must be distressed that Noah was not by her side.

Right?

Valeria may be good at providing materialistic care but only he could provide Emma–

He shook his head, restarting his car before he chose ignorance over seeing the person he cherished the most in this universe. He may have listened to his mother before but now Emma was involved. He had to make sure Hawthorne hadn't–

A flashback of the day he took her to the Hansel and Gretel cottage took his breath away and for the first time since that night he felt something in his chest. It was painful and twisted his insides like it had the day he had been told what Kevin had done to Emma.

Surely the fear of what might happen won't lead him to actually harm Emma, right?

"Open the fucking gate!" He snarled at the guard who ran up to his window – most probably to tell him again that he was not allowed to enter the premises.

Before the guard could go back to his post to open it, the gate was already being opened internally. Noah got out of the car, tossing his keys at one of the security members before running to the house.

He saw his mother as he entered through the large wooden door, standing by the banister with an unreadable look in her eyes.

"I'm not leaving until you let me see–"

"Let's speak before I let you do anything, Noah." She turned around before he could reply, giving him no choice but to follow.

He wasted no time in asking the question he had been dying to ask ever since he had gotten the text from his mother a week ago.

Emma's safe.

"How is Emma?" He didn't know why his voice won't go above a whisper.

If his mother wasn't already staring intently at him, she wouldn't have even heard what he'd asked.

"It will take longer than it did before to bring her back to normal." His mother averted her eyes for a millisecond but it was enough for him to know how bad the situation was. "The doctors managed to get all the drugs out of her system but she has not shown a lot of movement."

Noah shifted in his chair before giving up on sitting and stood up instead to pace. His mother could afford a hole in her limited edition Persian rug.

Or send him the bill.

"How did you find her? I tried for days–"

"You were on the right track," Valeria smiled wryly, "your research helped more than the police officers I bought to keep this ordeal a secret. But I had warned you. I did not get involved before because of you and your father. I had seen the reports when you brought her to the Crawford residence. Why did you think I was okay with not meeting her until the party?" Noah couldn't even find it in himself to be surprised.

Of course his mother had known everything.

"What I did was still not enough."

Valeria crossed one leg over the other, leaning back. One would think she was relaxed but Noah knew better. His mother was stressed to the core. It didn't help ease his mind about what he would see upstairs once he was relieved from here.

"Gabriella Canalis gave the right hint – Isaac. I remember going to his wife's funeral because her father was a good business partner. I wish I had taken you with me that day." Valeria's eyes had a faraway look in them and that made Noah stop. "If you had seen the black and blue face of what Isaac had done to her, maybe you would have found my daughter a bit early."

"Mom–"

"Multiple times." Valeria murmured. "When I finally got to his house – when I finally saw Emma, do you know what she showed me? A tally." She blinked rapidly. "She showed me how many times they hurt her – the wall, it was covered in lines. I had to ban tallies in my offices because I will never get the image of her from that day out of my mind. Kevin being gone doesn't even give me an ounce of satisfaction because it wasn't just him who hurt her. He let others–"

"Stop," Noah interrupted, sinking down on the sofa. "You can hit me instead. Do anything else. Take my position. Treat me like you treated Kevin but don't tell me that. Don't tell me how they hurt my Emma. Not while they're still out there."

Valeria Solomon didn't say anything after that. They both sat in silence.

"One week," Noah finally spoke. "In one week I'll have every men who hurt her in front of you. That's a promise."

Valeria nodded slowly. "Especially Isaac."

Noah nodded. He may not have gone to Isla Winters' funeral but he did know what happened to her. Everyone knew.

He got up from his position on the sofa, heart heavy. It was time to see his Emma.

Valeria followed.

"When was the last time you slept?"

"Yesterday–"

"I am not asking about your fifteen minutes power naps on your office desk, Noah. When was the last time you slept on a bed?"

"Before."

Before Emma was taken.

"I'll ask someone to bring you a pillow and blanket. Emma's sofa is more comfortable than your office chair."

His lips tilted for the first time in forever. "You're the one who picked out the furniture, Ma'am."

She shrugged lightly, holding a finger up to show her secretary that she'll be with him in a moment.

"Yes, Mr Crawford. I picked it out for working at reasonable hours."

He didn't say anything but instead walked over to kiss his mother on the cheek. Noah knew his mother was, along with everything else, the queen of comebacks.

Not even his dad could argue with her logic.

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