Chapter 20

Antonio couldn't help but feel aggrieved. He had brought Charlie and Lilian here with good intentions, thinking they could reconnect with Norah after years apart. He knew they had never been close, but blood ties couldn't be severed so easily—or so he had believed. He had thought that between parents and their children, reconciliation was just a matter of talking things through. On the way here, he had even urged Charlie, Lilian, and Isabella to approach the meeting calmly and avoid any confrontation. They had all agreed to his request, yet now they had done exactly what he had asked them not to. Deep down, Antonio knew this was his fault. Suppressing the sting of regret, he carefully composed himself before speaking. "Norah, it's been a long time." He had missed her terribly. For the past five years, not a day had gone by when he hadn't thought about her. Each failed attempt to find her had nearly convinced him he would never see her again. Now that they were finally reunited,