Chapter 335: I Am Your Grandmother
Cecilia didn’t answer right away.
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Her eyes filled with emotions Maya couldn’t quite understand. There was fear in them, but there was something else too, something deeper. Longing. Love. And beneath it all, a quiet sense of surrender.
Suddenly, all the little things Maya had never thought to question began pressing at the edges of her mind.
Cecilia’s unexpected arrival at the estate. The convenient explanation that she was simply an old friend of Dahlia’s. How eager Dahlia had been for them to meet.
Then there was Cecilia herself.
The way she had looked at her from the moment they met. The inexplicable affection she had shown both her and Jaime.
The tears. The protectiveness. That strange sense of familiarity she had felt around her but could never quite explain.
And every time she or Jaime called her Grandma Cecilia, there had always been something in the older woman’s expression. An emotion Maya had noticed more than once but had never thought to question.
Until now.
Could she be…?
Maya’s breath caught. Her eyes met Cecilia’s, searching them for an answer the older woman had yet to give.
Cecilia didn’t look away. Instead, tears slowly filled/her eyes.
“Grandma Cecilia…” Maya whispered, something uneasy beginning to form in her chest. “Who are you?”
Cecilia’s lips parted, but no words came. She wanted to tell her, but fear held her back.
Because once the words left her mouth, there would be no taking them back. No more pretending. No more hiding behind the affectionate title Maya and Jaime had so innocently given her.
And Cecilia was terrified that the moment Maya learned the truth might also become the last time her granddaughter ever willingly spoke to her.
But she had no other choice.
Her grandson needed blood, and she had the blood that could potentially save him.
As desperately as Cecilia wanted to protect the fragile relationship she had only just begun to build with her grandchildren, Jaime’s life mattered more. If saving him meant risking everything she had only just found, then there was no decision to make.
She drew a deep breath.
“I am your grandmother.”
Chapter 335–Am Your Grandmother
Maya stared at her.
“Around them, shock rippled through everyone who hadn’t already known the truth.
“You…” Maya’s voice barely came out. “You’re…”
“Yes, Maya.” Tears slipped down Cecilia’s cheeks. “I am Cecilia Lockwood. Your biological grandmother.”
Maya’s lips parted, but no words came.
Then, slowly, she turned toward Dahlia,
The expression on Dahlia’s face only deepened the shock settling over Maya.
“Aunt Dahlia…”
“Maya, I…” Dahlia hesitated. “I can explain.”
Before she could say anything more, Damien immediately stepped in front of Maya, placing himself protectively between her and his mother.
“Explain what?” His attention snapped toward Dahlia, his expression hardening. “Mom, what exactly is going on here? What have you done?!”
Dahlia looked at her son.
“Son, I…”
“Excuse me,” Dr. Nakamura interrupted. “I hate to interrupt what is clearly a sensitive matter, but we’re working against time. If we need to run tests and crossmatch the blood, we need to start now.”
Dahlia nodded, then looked around at everyone, her eyes lingering especially on Maya and Damien.
“Let’s talk about this later. Jaime needs to come first. The rest can wait until we know he’s safe.”
As if summoned by her words, the doors to the surgical wing opened.
Every head turned.
Nurse Daniel emerged first, followed closely by Nurse Sophia and another member of the medical team as they carefully guided a hospital bed through the doorway.
Maya’s heart lurched, and she immediately rushed forward.
“Jaime…”
Jaime lay motionless beneath the blankets, his complexion frighteningly pale. An oxygen mask covered his nose and mouth, while several lines and tubes remained connected to his body.
Seeing him like that nearly broke her all over again.
“Oh my God… Jaime.”
Her hand lifted instinctively toward his face, only to hesitate inches away.
She was suddenly afraid to touch him.
Chapter 335 Am Your Grandmother
He looked so fragile.
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Her trembling fingers finally brushed lightly over his hair, the touch so gentle it was barely there as fresh tears spilled down her cheeks,
She carefully reached for his hand, barely closing her fingers around it.
“You’re going to be okay,” she whispered through her tears. “You promised me.”
Her voice broke.
“You better be okay.”
Dr. Brown was the last to emerge, following behind Jaime’s bed.
“Maya.”
She looked at him but didn’t release Jaime’s hand.
“We need to move him into critical care now,” he said gently. “We need to get him connected to the monitors and keep a very close watch on his new heart.”
Maya swallowed. “Can I go with him?”
“Not yet. We need to get him settled first, and because of the transplant, access to the room will be strictly controlled to minimize the risk of infection.”
Maya looked back down at her brother and nodded.
“I understand.”
Every part of her wanted to follow him. To stay beside him until he opened his eyes and she could hear his voice again.
But she knew she couldn’t get in their way now. Slowly, reluctantly, she loosened her fingers from Jaime’s
hand.
“I’ll be right here,” she whispered, brushing her thumb over his knuckles one last time.
“I’m not going anywhere.”
The moment she let go and took a step back, the nurses began moving again.
Maya remained where she was, watching as they wheeled Jaime toward the critical–care room. But before they could disappear inside, Dr. Brown turned back toward the others.
“I’m sure Dr. Nakamura and Dr. Anderson have already explained what happened. His condition is stable for the moment, but his blood count is still dangerously low. We need those additional units available in case his condition changes.”
Cecilia inmediately stepped forward.
“Then there’s no reason to waste another minute,”
She turned toward Maya and moved closer, but Damien instinctively shifted as though to shield her
4 Chapter 335–Am Your Grandmother
Maya immediately placed a gentle hand on his arm.
It’s okay.”
He looked at her for a moment before reluctantly taking a step back.
Cecilia continued toward her until only a small distance remained between them.
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For a moment, she
simply looked at Maya, her expression softening as she took in the familiar features Maya had inherited from her mother.
Then she slowly reached for her hand.
Maya hesitated, but she didn’t pull away when Cecilia took it.
“You look so much like my Malia,” Cecilia whispered, fresh tears gathering in her eyes.
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