Page 61 of Seeds of Sorrow

Panic seized her at seeing her girl so upset. Ever since they’d met, Hadina and her family had caused Peyton nothing but trouble and now here she was, inconsolable and traumatized.

“Eat this,” Piper said softly, handing Peyton a vanilla-flavoredconchas. “It should help with the shock and give you a sugar boost.”

Hadina brushed her bangs out of her eyes and whispered to her while she ate the sweet bread, hoping the physical touch would help calm her. By the time Peyton was finished eating, her sobs had turned to the occasional sniffle, the tears on her cheeks beginning to dry. Hadina breathed a sigh of relief.

“I’m sorry,” Peyton whispered, leaning her forehead against Hadina’s. “I think I just got a bit overwhelmed.”

“You have nothing to apologize for,tentadora. It’s me and mine who are to blame for this.”

“What are you talking about?” Piper asked, looking between them all.

“Zellie helped Demi escape. She literally shielded the bitch with her body and said we’d have to shoot her to get to Demi.”

“I should have shot her on the spot,” Hadina spat.

Don’s eyes widened and he smacked Hadina over the back of the head. “Don’t say such things. This family has seen enough loss.”

Hadina pushed to her feet and towered over her father, her last thread of restraint finally snapping. “Are you seriously this delusional,Papi, or do you just like pretending to be obtuse? Zellie, your fucking daughter, just helped Demi Treyva escape. You know, the woman who traffickedchildrenand pushes drugs. She fucking shot Harris! Tell me, how is Zellie any better when she helped to set theputafree?”

Piper pushed between father and daughter, creating a divide. “Hadina, calm down. This isPapiyou’re talking to.”

Fury boiled in Hadina’s blood and she struggled to understand why it mattered anymore. What good was respect if it didn’t help the people who needed it?

“Pip, I love you so I’m warning you… Get out of my fucking way and let me handle this.”

Movement out of the corner of her eye caught Hadina’s attention, and she saw Harris stumbling over to them. He looked pale and sweaty, the blood loss starting to weaken him. He placed a hand on Piper’s shoulder, tugging her towards him slightly. “Piper… I need some help here. Let Hadina and your dad talk, eh?”

Piper stared at her sister before nodding, slipping an arm around Harris’s waist to help support him as she guided him out of the room.

“Your sister must have had her reasons,” Don said, sounding almost defeated. He dropped down into his chair and buried his face in his hands. “She wouldn’t have done something like this without good reason, Hadina.”

Hadina closed her eyes and willed herself not to cry. Years of anger and frustration were rising to the surface, and she was going to erupt if she didn’t get herself under control. She felt arms curl around her waist and opened her eyes to Peyton, her beautiful blue eyes staring into hers. If she needed to find her strength, Hadina only had to look at Peyton and remember the reason she was still fighting at all.

“All my life, you’ve made excuses for Zellie,” she said, allowing herself to be guided by Peyton to sit on the sofa. “She’s been a fuckup for years and yet you refuse to hold her accountable. How can you really believe that she has agoodreason for doing this,Papi?”

Her father frowned, clasping his hands in his lap. “Because I know all of you better than I know myself,mija, and you all have your mother’s heart. Zelina isn’t a bad person and I have faith that she will make good of this situation.”

Hadina sighed and shook her head sadly. “Then I think you’re a fool,Papi, and that breaks my heart. She chose to save the woman who disrespectedMama, you, and threatened Peyton’s life. That’s unforgivable in my eyes.”

Peyton squeezed Hadina’s hand, pressing closer to her. “Demi mentioned something about me, Don. She told Zellie to tell Hadina who I really am. I don’t understand what that means. Did Zellie ever mention anything to you?”

In all her anger, Hadina had pushed that part of the evening from her mind. Now she felt chills run down her spine as she saw the panicked look in her father’s eyes. Peyton tensed beside her and Hadina knew immediately that she had caught it too.

“What aren’t you telling us?”

Her father stood and closed his eyes. “Wait here.”

Disappearing from the room, Hadina watched him leave before she turned to Peyton. “I have a horrible feeling about all of this.”

Peyton grimaced. “As do I.”

They waited in silence until Don returned, a sheet of aged paper in his grasp. He whispered a prayer in Spanish before passing the paper to Peyton, his weathered hands trembling. “I’m sorry.”

Hadina watched over Peyton’s shoulder as the girl released her grip and opened up the folded sheet of paper. “Whatisthis?” Peyton said quietly, her brows pinched together.

A birth certificate. The piece of paper was a birth certificate with Peyton’s name. And listed undermotherwas the name Demitria Treyva.

There had to be a mistake.

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