The room fell silent silent after those words “It’s time you remember who you really are.”Ariana’s breathing stopped for half a second.The old woman’s voice was calm, but it carried something far heavier than ordinary speech — the kind of tone that belonged to secrets buried for decades.Victor stood beside her, jaw locked, his expression unreadable.The dim chandelier above cast fractured light across the marble floor, making the old mansion feel colder than before.Ariana slowly turned.“Excuse me?”The old woman did not answer immediately.Instead, she studied Ariana’s face with painful intensity, as though comparing her to someone long dead.Then her fingers trembled.“You have her eyes.”Ariana frowned.“Whose eyes?”The woman took one slow breath.“Your mother’s.”That word hit like a slap.Victor shifted.Ariana looked sharply at him.“You knew?”Victor’s silence was answer enough.Anger rose instantly.“You knew?” she repeated louder.“I knew pieces,” Victor said carefully.
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