The Kiss that Sparked it All novel Chapter 1814

Marlinie held her daughter's slightly cold hand tighter. "No. I want to take you away from here with me. Would you come with me?"

Ellinor seemed taken aback. The answer, which she thought was certain, now seemed uncertain.

Realizing that Ellinor was hesitating, Marlinie realized that her daughter was no longer a little girl.

Pearl had grown up. She had her own concerns and people who cared for her.

Marlinie wiped away her tears and chuckled. "Look at me, still thinking of you as a little girl. I must have forgotten that you're now a grown woman with your own home and children."

Snapping back to reality, Ellinor looked at her mother with some difficulty. "Can't you just stay with us?"

The smile on Marlinie's lips turned bittersweet. "Pearl, I..."

Ellinor had always been a smart girl. She almost immediately understood her mother's reluctance. "Mom, you don't want to stay because of the Howards, right?"

Marlinie fell silent. That silence was her admission.

The Howards were her nightmares.

She had barely managed to escape from them. She didn't want to stay in a place where she could constantly be reminded of her past nightmares.

Ellinor held one of her mother's hands tightly in both of hers. "I understand! The Howards are in Greenhaven, so we can live in another city. Somewhere far away from them. Would that be acceptable?"

Marlinie shook her head. "They... they won't let me go. As long as they know I'm alive, they won't let me live with you."