The Chased Billionaire Heiress

 Victoria sat lost in her thoughts as she was clutching her late husband, Mr. Morgan's phone was in his hand after he took it from the coat that was in his belongings. It felt heavy, almost as if it carried the weight of the years they had spent together, the memories, and the regrets that now filled her heart. Sarah, her daughter, stood in the doorway, her face pale, her eyes wide with a mixture of confusion and anger. The voice on the voicemail was unmistakable Ariana's voice, the daughter of Mr. Morgan's first marriage, the one who they had chased away the other day. 

Victoria had listened to the voicemail from Ariana over and over, the words haunting her, echoing in the silence of the house that once brimmed with life. Ariana's voice, so full of hope and love, was like a dagger to her heart, especially now that it was too late to respond, too late to mend the broken ties between them. 

Sarah had heard the message, too, her expression unreadable as she listened to her half-sister speak. But as the final words played out, "I love you, Dad. I'll talk to you soon, Bye." Sarah turned to her mother, her voice trembling with emotions she had kept buried for too long.

"Why didn't you tell her?" Sarah asked, her voice strained, almost breaking. She stared at her mother, her hands clenched into fists by her sides. "Why didn't you tell her that Dad had passed away? How could you keep that from her?" Sarah inquired. 

Victoria didn't answer immediately. She kept her gaze fixed on the phone, her fingers trembling as she pressed the button to replay the message again. Ariana's voice filled the room once more, cheerful and oblivious to the tragedy that had unfolded. Victoria's eyes welled up with tears she had been holding back since the minute her husband died, but she forced them down. She couldn't cry, not in front of Sarah, not when she needed to be strong.

"He was Ariana's father," Sarah continued, her voice rising, breaking through Victoria's silence. "Even if you hated her, even if you couldn't stand the sight of her, he was still her father, and she had a right to know! She had a right to say goodbye!" 

Victoria flinched at the accusation, the words hitting her like a slap across the face. She hadn't hated Ariana, not truly. She had resented her, yes, for the way Mr. Morgan had always treated her as his precious firstborn, the child of his late wife. But hate? No, that wasn't the right word. 

"Sarah…" Victoria, her mother, finally said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't want to burden you with it. I thought..." Victoria's statement was cut short. 

"You thought what?" Sarah interrupted, her eyes burning with tears of her own. "You thought it would be easier if she didn't know? Easier if she didn't get a chance to be there for him in his final moments? How could you make that decision for her?"

Victoria looked up at her daughter, seeing the hurt in her eyes, the betrayal. "I don't know how to tell her" she admitted, her voice trembling. "I was afraid… afraid that she would blame me for his death. That she would hate me even more," Victoria retorted. 

"Hate you?" Sarah repeated, stunned. "You think she will hate you? Is that why you kept this from her? Because you think she will hate you?"

Victoria nodded, her tears finally spilling over. "I know you have always felt like I wasn't enough for you," she said, her voice breaking. "You have always looked at me like I didn't give you the loving love you deserved. I didn't want to make things worse between us. I thought… I thought maybe if you didn't have to go through the pain of losing him, you wouldn't… you wouldn't hate me so much."

Sarah was silent for a moment, the words sinking in. She had always felt a distance between her and her mother, a chasm that seemed impossible to bridge. But she had never imagined that Victoria had felt the same way that she had been trying to protect her in the only way she knew how, even if it was the wrong way.

"Mom…" Sarah said softly, her voice choked with emotion. "I don't hate you. I've never hated you. I just… I just didn't know how to deal with everything after you got married again. It was hard, but I never hated you."

Victoria looked up at her daughter, her eyes wide with surprise and disbelief. "But you always… I thought…"

Sarah didn't have an answer to that. She wasn't sure if Ariana would forgive them, if she would even want to speak to them after finding out the truth. But she knew they had to try, they had to give her the chance to say goodbye, even if it was too late.

"Let's call Ariana" Sarah said, reaching for the phone. "We will explain everything. We will make this right, as much as we can."

Victoria nodded, her heart pounding in her chest as she watched Sarah dial the number. She felt a mixture of fear and hope, unsure of what the future held, but knowing that this was the first step towards healing, towards mending the broken ties that had kept them apart for so long.

As the phone rang, Victoria held her breath, praying that Ariana would answer, that they would have the chance to make things right. The seconds stretched into eternity, the ringing echoing in the quiet room.

 " There is no answer, should we wait or should we call her again?" Victoria inquired Sarah before the two were interupted by Viola, the youngest daughter.

" Mummy, the doctor said that you need to fill out some documents for the death certificate and why are you two perplexed about seeing me?" Chloe inquired as she met with the two sights glued on her.