Shattered Rose He Held On Tight novel Chapter 164

Chapter 164 Not About the Illness

Finished

Sadly, neither Sterling nor Isabella had realized that day would be their last together as mother and son.

Claudia reached out and gently touched the photo, her fingers brushing the younger Sterling’s face, his expression caught somewhere between awkward shyness and forced indifference as Isabella held him in her arms.

“Your mom was beautiful. She loved you so much,” she said softly.

Even if Isabella had hated Quinton, she’d never taken it out on Sterling.

Maybe there were times when she couldn’t help but hurt him, but that wasn’t her fault. She was sick.

Even at the very end, she used her own body to shield him, fighting to give him just one more chance at life.

Sterling didn’t argue.

Love was a feeling you could always recognize, clearly and deeply.

He had never blamed Isabella. He knew that when he was in pain, she had been hurting even

more.

The one who truly deserved to rot was Quinton.

He claimed to love her, begged to marry her, but never protected her. He hadn’t cherished her, and in the end, he hadn’t even let her go.

All of Isabella’s suffering had started with him.

So now, for the rest of his life, he would be stuck in that wheelchair, forced to watch as everything he once gave up his wife and son for slipped through his fingers, one piece at a time.

Claudia turned around and hugged Sterling back, this time face–to–face. “Where’s Mrs. Romero now? Let’s go visit her sometime.”

Sterling ran his hand through her hair. “Westwood Memorial Park.”

The Romeros had their own family cemetery, and after Isabella’s death, Quinton had insisted on burying her there.

But once Sterling came of age, he had her moved. He arranged for her to be buried at

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Chapter 164 Not About the Illness

Westwood, next to her parents, in the most peaceful part of the cemetery.

Quinton had thrown a fit, but it didn’t matter.

Claudia’s voice was muffled. “Let’s go see her after the rain stops.”

Sterling gave a faint smile. “Yeah.”

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Too soft.

This little Rosebud could be coaxed away with a scar and a sad story.

If only, for the rest of her life, she’d keep all that tenderness just for him.

After being coaxed into the shower by Sterling, Claudia came out dressed in the clothes he had picked for her.

Sterling definitely had taste.

No cringe–worthy “straight guy fashion sense” here.

She threw herself onto the couch and into his arms, he’d just finished showering and changing in the other bathroom too. “When’s dinner?” she asked.

“Hungry already?”

“Not really. I just have a feeling tonight won’t be peaceful.”

She glanced up at him, curious. “What illness does Fiona have? Did she ever live in the Romero Manor before? Everyone in the family seems pretty hostile toward her.”

Claudia had assumed Fiona had always lived outside with Waylon after they got married, but the way people reacted, it felt like there was history there.

She’d also noticed Kenneth sneaking glances at Fiona more than once, only to get pinched hard by Clarissa every time.

Sterling paused.

The mess with the previous generation was so much more chaotic and complicated than anything they were dealing with now, he didn’t even know where to start.

“Fiona has a heart condition, along with some complications. Waylon’s trying to use the Romeros‘ influence to get her a transplant.”

Money wasn’t really the issue at this point. The bigger problem was that it was nearly impossible for Waylon to quickly secure a suitable donor.

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