Chapter 428

Elissa froze. Maya wasn't a Wilkinson by blood?

Maya was even more stunned. She spun around, her eyes wide with disbelief. "Jesse, how could you say that to me in front of an outsider?"

When Tristan Wilkinson had brought her into the family, he had always introduced her as the third Wilkinson child. No one had ever questioned her identity. With Vera missing, the public simply assumed the Wilkinsons had four children: Laurel, Jesse, Maya, and Rex.

Jesse's traditional upbringing kept him from entering a woman's bedroom uninvited. He remained in the doorway, his tone calm but icy. "All I know is that Dr. Drummond is a guest invited here by Mother and Laurel. If you consider yourself a Wilkinson, you should treat her with respect. But since you're not acting like one, how do you expect me to treat you?"

"I didn't..." Maya's confidence wavered, but she refused to back down. "Besides, have you forgotten what Dad told us?"

Tristan had made it clear years ago that her adoption was to be kept private, to prevent others from looking down on her.

Jesse's expression didn't change. "And have you forgotten what Grandpa taught us?"

Old Mr. Wilkinson had always insisted that his grandchildren never abuse their power and privilege.

Being publicly rebuked by Jesse in front of Elissa was humiliating. Maya's face flushed with anger and shame, and her eyes welled up with tears. "I wasn't throwing my weight around! It's you all who are unfair!"

Her voice rose, filled with accusation. "It's you! And Mother and Laurel! You're all just using her as a replacement for Vera, aren't you?"

She pointed into the room. "Even my room is on the third floor. Why does she get to stay on the second floor the moment she arrives?"

After Wilkinson Manor was rebuilt, the second floor was reserved for the elders and for Vera's room, which had been kept untouched. Though there were other empty rooms, Suzanne had wanted her peace and quiet, so all the children, including the eldest, Laurel, were given rooms on the third floor.

Elissa had no idea about any of this. She looked up to see Maya glaring at her, her voice trembling with rage. "Why do you think my mother treats you so differently? It's because they can't find Vera! So they're projecting all their feelings for her onto you!"

"Maya!" Jesse's voice, usually so even-tempered, cracked with rare anger. His eyes flashed. "You watch what you're saying. How dare you even say her name?"

The accusation hit Maya like a physical blow. She bit her lip, looking utterly betrayed, and then burst into tears.

"Why are you yelling at me? Dad said years ago it wasn't my fault! I was..." She paused, wiping away her tears with the back of her hand. "I was only eight or nine! What was I supposed to do when those men came to take Vera?"

Jesse's lips thinned into a hard line. His voice was barely a whisper. "Was it that you couldn't do anything, Maya? Or that you didn't *want* to? You know the answer better than anyone."

Vera had been taken from their own yard while Maya was playing with her. From the moment the men

broke in to the moment they drove away with Vera, Maya had not made a sound. If she had screamed just once even if they couldn't have

stopped the kidners then and

there, they could have alerted security to lock down the exits. Vera might not have been lost.

But Tristan had protected her all these years, fueling her arrogance and entitlement.

Hearing his words, Maya completely broke down, her sobs turning hysterical. "You're saying I did it on purpose, aren't you? Jesse, none of you have ever seen anyone but Vera Wilkinson! Did any of you ever care if I lived or died?"

"Even after twenty years, all of you still resent me for it, except for Dad! Don't you?"

Especially Suzanne. Since Vera's

ve

disappearance, she had barely spoken to Maya. Before, even after Vera was born, Suzanne had still been kind to her, despite her attention being focused on the new baby But for the past two decades, everything had changed it wasn't just Suzanne; Laurel, Jesse, and even Rex had grown distant.

If it weren't for Tristan's constant protection, she might not have had a place in this

family at all.

The more she thought about it, the more unfair it seemed. They both had the Wilkinson name, so why was Vera the cherished treasure while she was so easily cast aside?

Without waiting for Jesse's response, she shot Elissa one last venomous look and ran from the room.

For a moment, Jesse seemed lost in thought, as if genuinely considering her question.

Elissa, an unwilling witness to their family's private tragedy, stood frozen, unsure

of what to say. Jesse finally seemed to snap out of it, turning to her with an

embarrassed expression. "I'm sorry you had to see that."

Elissa shook her head. "It's okay."

"Don't pay any attention to what she says for the next few days," Jesse said, his voice gentle again. He was worried she might get upset, which wouldn't be good for the baby. My father spoiled her, so she can be a bit dramatic."