Genevieve's chest tightened watching Ivy's broken form.
Moving closer, Genevieve pulled the shaking girl into her embrace. She fixed Jasper with a sharp look. "I brought Ivy up with my own hands. Don't you think I understand her character better than anyone? She wouldn't hurt the smallest creature—she can't even watch a chicken being slaughtered, much less harm another person! How dare you accuse Ivy based on empty claims?"
Genevieve's forehead creased with deep lines. Her heart broke for Ivy, while anger burned toward Bella. "She's my blood. How can my own daughter stand against her family like this?" The weight of it crushed her spirit.
"I've failed as a mother," she whispered to herself, drowning in self-blame.
Genevieve didn't need to voice her disappointment—Jasper was already suffocating under his own shame, unable to meet anyone's eyes.
"What came over me?" he tormented himself. "How could I suspect Ivy just because of Bella's words?"
