CHAPTER 21

Eva didn’t bother about the question Zayne asked. She didn’t notice the tension in his jaw, the way his hands curled slowly into fists at his sides.  The world around her disappeared the moment she laid eyes on the photo. Her fingers traced the image. She felt warmth in her chest. She had a feeling inside her, something that felt like home, even if it was one she’d never known. She looked at Tom Bates’ smile. Cornelia Bates’ kind eyes. The sight of them felt like a long-lost memory even though she couldn't remember.  She stared. Stared and stared, while the silence in the ballroom grew unbearably loud. Zayne stood next to her like stone. His posture had shifted. His shoulders were squared.  He had asked her a question—“You’re a Bates?”—but she hadn’t answered. She hadn’t even heard him. She was lost in the photo she was looking at.  Jennifer saw an opportunity and spoke up.  “How touching,” she said sweetly. She raised her voice to draw the room’s attention,“But do you know who