Chapter 21

After Tyla passed away, Samuel became so consumed by grief that he neglected her daughter. It was Carla who stayed by Tessa's side—day and night—when she had a high fever. Overwhelmed by the loss of Tyla, Tessa lost her appetite and couldn't bring herself to eat. It was also Carla who kept her company, offering comfort and patiently coaxing her to eat. If it hadn't been for Carla, Tessa might not have made it through. To Tessa, Carla was like family. Although they hadn't been in touch for the past three years, she still called Carla during the holidays. Lost in thought, Tessa handed Carla a gift box. "This is Haverford's famous truffles. You should have it for a meal." Accepting the truffles, Carla smiled. "I'll make it for you tonight, Ms. Tessa." Tessa shook her head. "No, it's for you. I've had it plenty of times, so I brought some back for you to try." Carla quickly declined. "Oh, you really shouldn't." However, Tessa insisted, gently placing the box of truffles into Carla