جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 160

Teresa POV Lena didn't stop crying immediately.It wasn't loud. It wasn't dramatic. There were no sobs that drew attention from the few other people in the café. But it was real. Her shoulders moved slightly with each breath. Her head lowered so her hair fell forward, hiding her face. Her hands tightened against each other on the table, fingers twisting and gripping like she didn't know what to do with them.I stayed where I was. I didn't reach across the table. I didn't touch her arm or try to comfort her with words. I just sat there, present, waiting. She had spent years not letting anyone see her like this. The least I could do was let her have this moment without making it about me.After a while, she reached for a napkin from the dispenser at the end of the table. She wiped her face quickly, almost angrily, like she was annoyed at herself for needing to do it."I hate this," she said quietly."I know.""I don't cry." Her voice was flat, but there was a crack in it. "I never cry.

Teresa's POV I didn't tell Mark. I didn't need to. He was already tense enough being back here, watching Lena, watching everything. Adding this would only make him more anxious, and he had enough to carry. Some things, I needed to handle alone.When the time came, I stepped out to the back of the house.There was a small sitting area outside, tucked against the garden. A stone path led to a round table with two chairs. A teapot sat in the center, already steaming, with two cups beside it. The morning air was cool, the sky clear. It was the kind of morning that felt peaceful, even when the people in it were not.Elizabeth was already there.She looked more rested than yesterday, but the tiredness was still there. It didn't go away easily. It lived in the lines around her eyes, in the way her shoulders curved slightly forward. She wore a soft sweater and dark pants, her hair loose around her face."Teresa," she said softly when she saw me."Good morning.""Come, sit."I walked over and

Teresa's POV We stayed at the farmhouse for a full week.The days blended together in a way that felt strange at first but became comforting. There was no rush. No meetings. No pressure. Just the slow rhythm of waking up, having coffee, sitting outside, eating meals together. It was quiet there. Too quiet sometimes, especially at night when the only sounds were the wind and the distant bark of a dog from a neighboring property. But it helped. The silence gave us space to think, to breathe, to stop running.Mark's father came back the next day, just like Elizabeth said he would. He arrived in the late afternoon, driving up the gravel driveway in a dark sedan. He looked tired, the same tiredness that seemed to live in everyone in this family. But when he saw Mark and me standing on the porch, he smiled warmly and pulled us both into hugs."Good to see you both," he said. His voice was steady, but I could see the concern in his eyes. It was the same concern Elizabeth carried. He tried n

Teresa's POV "That's how business works," Richard snapped, his composure cracking. "People in the city do it all the time. You cut corners. You save where you can.""I don't." Mark's voice was quiet now, which made it more intimidating. "My company is built on honesty and transparency. That's why it's still standing while others have fallen."Richard didn't respond. Because he couldn't.Mark looked at him one last time. "We're done here."Then he turned to me. "Let's go."I stood up. Neither of us looked back as we walked out of the restaurant.---Back at the guest house, everything felt heavier.Mark closed the door behind us and locked it. The sound of the bolt sliding into place echoed in the quiet room."You okay?" he asked."Yes." I sat on the edge of the bed. My hands were shaking."You didn't say anything.""I didn't need to."He nodded slowly. He stood near the door, his hands in his pockets."I'm sorry," he said."For what?""For bringing you here. For not seeing what she w

Teresa's POV Her mouth closed."You did it when I was a child," I continued. "When I told you what Nathan was doing. You cried. You said you didn't know what to believe. You said you were confused."She stared at me."But you weren't confused," I said. "You just didn't want to deal with it."Nathan's father watched quietly, his eyes moving between us. He didn't interrupt. He didn't need to."She's your mother," he said finally, his voice calm. "You should show some respect.""I didn't ask you." I didn't look at him."I'm just reminding you.""I don't need reminders." My voice was sharp. "I know exactly who she is. And I know exactly who you are."My mother's voice broke again, louder this time. "Teresa, please—""No." I turned back to her. "You don't get to come here and pretend you care now.""I do care.""Where was that when I needed it?"Her face went still. The tears stopped. Something else flickered in her eyes. Something harder."When I told you what Nathan was doing?" I contin