Vienna’s POVCélestine took the armchair opposite me, her long dress swishing as she sat. She smoothed the fabric over her knees with nervous fingers."I’m here, Vienna," she said quietly, almost as if she feared I might send her away. "What… what would you like to know?"I let out a short, bitter laugh. "Everything." My voice was cold, clipped."How the hell could you abandon your own daughter? And why—" my voice cracked, but I forced it steady again, "—why did you keep it from me when you found out who I was?"Her lips pressed together. She gave a small, resigned nod. "I will tell you everything, Vienna. From the very beginning."I leaned back, arms crossed, heart thudding in my chest."It still feels like yesterday," she murmured, gaze drifting past me to some invisible place in the past. "I was young… naive… and desperately poor. When Harold—the love of my life, my one chance at a decent future—left me because his parents disapproved… I thought my world had ended. I’d just found o
Last Updated : 2025-08-15 Read more