Mariana and Adele stood frozen at the window, their eyes fixed on the garden below.
Ruth was walking slowly, holding a woman gently in his arms, and the sight made both of them tremble. Adele's lips parted but no sound came out at first. Her throat felt tight. Finally, she whispered, "What's going on?" Her voice was filled with disbelief and pain.
Mariana's brows furrowed. She tried to understand the scene before them. "I knew Madam was here… but has their relationship really mended? How is that possible?" Her words trailed off as she looked at Adele's pale face.
Adele's whole body shuddered. A flood of memories tore through her chest like knives.
She remembered the years when her mother had turned her away. The sharpest memory came back first, the one she had tried so hard to bury.
