Coerced

Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Mara's POV

Shannon's confession, his love and hate tale towards me and my family had invoked a demolishing indignation in my insides breaking my heart to bits and pieces but I was shrewd not to ventilate my wrath before him. Now I know why Shannon insisted on marrying me so suddenly. He wanted to get my lips sealed regarding his brother's accident. Once I am a part of his family, his reputation is my reputation too. What a calculated creep that he is! His thoughts are totally right about me. I will not go against my own husband but it doesn't mean I forgive him and his younger brother for what they have done to me. And now I hate this man beyond the evilest thing existent in nature.

My whole family suffered by the irresponsibility and selfishness of the Clandevis brothers. The younger brother shatters my family and the older tries to cover the faults of the younger. He is ready to go to any extent, most predominantly even if it means erasing the life of a person.

Indignation is a small word to describe my feelings towards this barbarous slayer.

I need to somehow get out of this hell hole. Keeping my emotions at a bay that would shrink him to no clue on what's going on in my mind I walked out of his house giving him no explanation.

Goodbye Shannon Clandevis....

Three years later....

My husband is a billionaire who has the power to destroy me and my family to fragments with a snap of his fingers but he allowed me my privacy for all these years even when we are still bound by the wedlock. Tracking me and drawing me to the court to take full custody of our daughter is an easy game for him but he concurred with the solitude that I wished for.

Today after three long years of separation he is in my house for a strong reason, his mom is sick and unfortunately in the last days of her life. I couldn't deny him on ethical grounds. On the other hand my mom-in-law is a very good lady with a kind heart. In our little time of togetherness she has blessed me with a mother's love that I had long lost and yearned. Therefore, I couldn't refuse her request to see me and my daughter.

"Should I take her?" Shannon offered his help in carrying our sleeping daughter through the stairs of the deluxe castle but I politely declined him. I am only here to pay my final respects to Amaira's grandmother when she is alive, not for fostering my relationship with Shannon Clandevis. 

Walking around the lavish mansion with my daughter in my arms I climbed through the steps of the grand staircase that supported many family pictures stuck to the wall besides. With countless confused thoughts in my mind, I reached the kind lady's room in a qualm.

Opening her tired eyes she looked at me with zeal and motioned me with her hand to come in. I greeted my father-in-law and sat on the chair adjacent to my mom-in-law’s bed with my daughter in my lap. 

She slowly extended her fragile hand to mine and spoke in a weak voice. "Thank you for coming." 

I squeezed her hand that now rests in mine. "That is no problem. I am always available whenever you require me." Her vision directs to Amaira in my lap with a soft smile.

She signals Shannon to come close as he helps her to sit and lean back to the bedpost. Extending her frail hands she signals Amaira to come to her lap who just woke up. "Go to your grandmother Princess...” I tell my daughter softly as she takes a hesitated crawl to her grandmother. 

Mrs Clandevis kisses Amaira's cheek and looks behind to her husband who places a blue velvet box in her hands. "Here is a pair of bangles I purchased for Amaira when she was born but unfortunately couldn't give her because of the circumstances." 

I try to politely return the expensive offering. "Amaira requires only your affection, not your wealth, mom..." But Mrs Clandevis held my hand firm. She tells me in a feeble voice. "Please....Amaira is the only granddaughter of Shangril Clandevis, the princess and the heir of Clandevis industries and wealth." 

"The bangles have got an adjustment knob to fit her wrists according to her size. I request you not to hesitate to accept the gift. Consider it as our blessing to our granddaughter". She tells me ruffling the soft hair of Amaira and kissing her head.

I had no other option but to accept the heart warming present. Few minutes of talking and playing with Amaira mom signals to my father-in-law and Shannon to leave the bedroom. "Amaira looks completely like Shannon." 

She instills observing our tiny princess who was very busy playing with her new pair of Betty and Barbie dolls. "Yes she is..."  I concur with her discernment

Mom holds my hands firmly in her weak ones and tears spill out of her eyes. "You have got a very large heart Mara. Please pardon my son. I know you and your family suffered an unquenchable misery because of my children but Shannon truly repents for his mistakes. After you left him he became a robot with no feelings and emotions except when he speaks about you and Amaira. He rarely visits us and is lonely. I have lost a son already but I do not want to lose another. Please forgive him." She hugs me tightly and bursts into a yowl.

"I request you to calm down, mom. Getting too stressed is not good for your health." I tell her, getting panicky. Noting her present physical state I run my hand soothingly on her back in an attempt to relax her. She obliges me, taking a deep breath and dries her tears with her hands. "I have never seen my son cry after he achieved his puberty but now he breaks down every time he speaks about you and Amaira." 

She snivels and kisses Amaira's forehead who sat perceiving her grandma with puzzled looks. "Consider this as a mother's plead and the last wish to forgive her son." 

Mom sniffles holding my hands and I nod unwillingly to pacify the nearly dying old woman.

****

In no time Amaira got attached to her grandparents and Shannon. I understand it is the magic of genes. Within the few hours of time that I stayed in my parents-in-law's house, Shannon bought innumerable dresses for me, toys, shoes, frocks and even baby blankets for Amaira. It appeared as though he was making full use of the opportunity to buy things for us and I became like a clay pigeon in the presence of my parents-in-law, unable to deny him.

Amaira ingrained a full fun mode playing, jumping in Shannon’s lap and pulling his hairs when he tickled her to the limit. After a few minutes my father-in-law joins the dad and daughter game. Looking at her cheerful family, mom tells me elated landing to tears of joy. "After a lot of time I hear laughter and giggles in this family." 

Unwittingly since that day my visits to the Clandevis house with Shannon became regular.