Everyone sat in the grand hall of the mansion, the air heavy with silence. The servants stood frozen in place, not daring to lift their eyes. Raihana sat at the edge of the sofa, holding little Matteo in her arms. The boy didn't understand what was happening, but his tension mirrored his father's.
Leonardo stood before Elena, his features carved in stone, his eyes burning like embers. His voice finally broke the silence:
— "How did you come back? They told me you died… in the delivery room. I saw the reports myself."
Elena smiled faintly, then lowered her head as if recalling an old tragedy.
— "They lied to you, Leonardo. That day… my condition really did collapse after giving birth. My heart stopped for a few moments. The doctors thought I was gone, but one of them… helped me disappear. He said my life was in danger because of your enemies, and the only way to survive was to be declared dead."
She paused, then raised her eyes to his, tears glistening in them:
— "I had no choice… I had just delivered our child, and I was terrified that danger would reach you because of me. So I believed the lie, let them hide me far away… until the moment came to return."
Raihana felt her heart tremble. Elena's words were crafted with precision, emotional yet strangely cold. Raihana could not sense pure honesty in them—more like a story carefully painted, a lie dressed in tears.
Leonardo didn't seem entirely convinced, yet he couldn't reject her in front of everyone. His mind burned with endless questions, but his silence served as a shield against breaking down.
As for Matteo, he clung to Raihana, watching Elena warily. She reached out to touch his hair, but he pulled away slightly. Still, she smiled at him and said softly:
— "One day, you'll know that I am your mother, little one."
Raihana tightened her arms around him, as if to protect him from a stranger's hand. Inside her, a fire raged—was it jealousy? Fear? Or simply the instinct that this woman had not returned with good intentions?
Evening fell heavily upon the mansion, while everyone knew that Elena's return was not the end of the story… but its beginning.