Valentina pov
“You’re telling me that you’re Alexander and Daniel’s mother?!” I asked in disbelief, the spoon hovering near my lips as I stared at the insanely gorgeous middle-aged woman in front of me.
Sera smiled, her sharp eyes locking onto mine. “Yes, I am. Though, to be honest, I’d rather only be called Daniel’s mother since that silly child already cut ties with me.” She leaned back in her seat, drumming her pink manicured nails against the table. “Can you imagine? A son cutting ties with his own mother? That insolent child,” she scoffed, and my mouth fell open.
I slowly set my ice cream down on the table.
Yes, ice cream.
Could you believe that after learning that Felix and I had been kidnapped while buying ice cream, Sera immediately ordered some for us? And now, here we were, eating ice cream while having this absolutely insane conversation with my… mother-in-law?
Right? She was my mother-in-law.
I turned to Felix, gauging his reaction, searching for any sign that the woman before me was lying, that she wasn’t really his grandmother. But the way he simply buried his face in his ice cream, completely ignoring everyone, told me she was telling the truth. Besides, he had called her “grandmother” just a few minutes ago.
Still… why would she kidnap us?
Damn, it seemed like everyone in this family aside from Felix was weird.
I turned back to her, laughing nervously before asking, “Why- why did Alexander break off ties with you?”
Sera stopped drumming her fingers against the desk and raised a brow at my question. Then, slowly, a smirk tugged at the corner of her lips, making a shiver run through me. Because at that moment, she looked exactly like Alexander- the same dangerous glint in her eyes, the same eerie calm right before he did something unpredictable.
I swallowed nervously.
“Well,” she began, voice even, “I’ve done so many things, I’m not quite sure which one it could be.” She tapped her chin thoughtfully. “But I’m thinking it might have been the time I almost assassinated him… or maybe when I slipped poison into his food.”
She paused, as if considering. “Oh! It could also be when I bribed one of his men to snitch on him to the police and nearly got him arrested. I’m not quite sure but it’s probably one of those reasons.”
My eye twitched as I stared at her.
She had to be joking, right? Yet when I turned to Felix, his expression remained neutral but this time, he raised his head and flashed me a toothy grin, his eyes sparkling.
I scoffed in disbelief and leaned toward him, whispering in his ear,
“Are you sure she’s your grandmother? Maybe you didn’t get a good look at her face. She might resemble your father, but that doesn’t mean she’s your grandmother.”
Felix blinked in confusion for a brief moment, then snapped his head toward Sera, his eyes narrowing. I followed his gaze to see her smiling gently at him with affection before she spoke.
“Baby Felix, do you want more ice cream? There are more flavors if you want, I had them bring plenty.”
The moment Sera said that, Felix’s expression shifted instantly. His lips stretched into a grin, and he nodded before muttering under his breath.
“Yes, Grandma.”
Then, he turned to me and nodded twice, his mouth forming the words without hesitation.
“She is my grandma, Mommy.”
My mouth fell open in shock again, and I couldn’t help but think that the ice cream she just offered played a significant role in his answer.
I sighed and slapped my hand against my forehead in frustration.
Alright. I believe that she’s Alexander’s mother now because Felix hated everyone except me. He even despised his father yet here he was, smiling at Sera. That could only mean one thing. She was his grandmother.
“Then why did you kidnap us?” I asked with a frown. Even if she was Alexander’s mother, I didn’t like how she had put Felix in that situation. No excuse could justify that.
I watched as Sera seemed to contemplate my question, rubbing her chin in thought. But then, to my utter disbelief, she simply shrugged and laughed.
“Just because.”
“….”
What the actual hell?
I opened my mouth to speak, but she held up a hand to stop me. Resting her head on her other hand, she narrowed her eyes at me.
“You’ve been asking all the questions. Now, I have one for you.”
I raised a brow, suddenly realizing I might have been a little too direct, maybe even cold toward her. After all, she was Alexander’s mother and Felix’s grandmother.
I quickly straightened up, feeling slightly uneasy under her stare. “I-I’m sorry if I was rude. Please, go ahead.”
Sera shook her head, waving her hand dismissively. “Of course not, of course not.”
Her tone was lighthearted, but then, without warning, her smile dropped. She leaned in, tilting her head to the side, and in that moment, something shifted. Something felt… off.
That was when the suspicion began within me.
“Who are you?” she asked, her voice eerily calm. “You are not my daughter-in-law.”