Alessia’s words left the three of them in heavy silence.

The issue they’d been so unwilling to face–one they’d pushed to the back of their minds–had been dragged into the open by Alessia’s bluntness, and now an uneasy mix of emotions washed over them.

“If I’ve offended you, I apologize,” Alessia said, her gaze flickering as she sized up their reactions. She shrugged, palms up in a gesture of indifference. “Just forget I asked.”

“Lessie.” Brendan’s voice stopped her as she started to rise from he at.

Alessia didn’t reply, waiting quietly for him to continue.

“We’re not accusing you of anything,” he said, forcing a rueful smile. “We just kept avoiding this because we didn’t want to admit we’d failed as parents. But now that things are as they are, we need answers.”

Karen nodded, her eyes rimmed with red. “Was it all a misunderstanding, or…” She trailed off, taking a shaky breath.

“We don’t know exactly when Ileana learned the truth about her birth, but I started noticing a change in her after she started middle school,” Karen said. A mother always notices first when something’s off with her child.

a teenager, after all, suddenly interested in fashion and appearances. We didn’t think much of it. But as the years went

were clouded with grief. Karen could still picture Ileana’s first steps, the first time she called her ‘Mom‘, her first day at school–it all felt like yesterday. Yet now, those memories seemed to fade like mist, as if they’d never really happened at

had it all

but she had no choice but to accept

school?” Alessia’s detached tone stood in stark contrast to

was born, she became

1/2

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Chapter 153

gave her more leeway, spoiled her a bit. Back when we were all in middle school, Ivan was constantly sick, so most of our attention

the problems at the company start?” Alessia asked,

ago,” Brendan

after we graduated from

couldn’t keep up with the times. We started losing clients. Meanwhile, the Tate family adapted, innovated, and soon they left us in the dust.

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