Catherine wanted to go over to Julian, but Nancy held her back.

“This isn’t the ce for jealousy,” Nancy whispered. “Catherine, you need to know when to pick your battles.”

Catherine froze, her eyes welling up with tears.

She longed for Julian’s attention. But he didn’t even nce at her. Instead, he held Willow’s hand and exchanged pleasantries with Timothy and Heather. “Mr. Chapman, Mrs. Chapman.”

Timothy smiled warmly. “You’re a lucky man, Julian.”

A wife’s beauty was a husband’s honor.

Even Julian couldn’t help but nce at Willow. A faint smile tugged at his lips.

Heather reached for Willow’s hand with genuine affection. “I heard you two have reconciled. I was so happy for you, but I didn’t want to disturb you.”

Timothy wrapped an arm around Heather and chuckled. “Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Let’s not get in their way.”

He adored Heather, which naturally gave him a favorable impression of Willow. His tone was warm. In an effort to amuse Heather, he blurted out, “You and Mrs. Ziegler hit it off so well. If you look closely, your features even have a bit of resemnce! Don’t you think so, Julian?”

Julian wasn’t one to study women’s faces, but he was a natural in social diplomacy. “There is a slight resemnce.”

Heather stared at Willow, a sense of longing in her expression.

She really liked Willow. It would be great if she were her daughter.

But that wasn’t possible. The world was vast. What were the chances of such a coincidence?

Timothy, noticing Heather’s momentary daze, immediately pulled her closer. “That was careless of me. I’ll make it up to youter.”

Heather leaned against his shoulder, looking delicate and fragile.

Not far away, Charlie watched, his face drained of color.

How could it not ache to see the woman he once loved sharing such a bond with another man? His usual gentle expression cracked ever so slightly.

Later in the evening, Charlie finally found an opportunity to speak with Heather alone on the terrace.

“Heather,” he called softly.

She turned around, her usual gentleness reced by an icy demeanor. “Mr. Burke, let’s not pretend to be close. There’s nothing between us anymore. Call me Mrs. Chapman.”

Charlie winced at her coldness. “Heather, must you push me so far away? We once loved each other.”

“Loveb?/b”

Heather let out a sharpugh before spitting out, “How dare you say that word? If it doesn’t make you sick to say it, bit /bcertainly sickens me to hear it.”

Charlie knew the past was long goneb, /band there was no going back with Heather.

So, he changed the subject and asked about his missing daughter, b“/bHas there been any news of her?”

At the mention of her lost daughterb, /bHeather’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears.

That winter was brutal. Her daughter was only bfive /byears old. Heather had copsed from illness, and when she woke up, the child was gone.

Years had passed. Was her daughter still out there somewhereb? /b

As the memories surged back, Heather’s expression twisted with resentment. “That’s my child, Charlie. She has nothing to do with you!”

Charlie’s face bwas /bfull of regret. “bI /bwronged you back then. I know that now.”

He hesitated for a long moment before finally speaking again. “The past is the past, We’ve both moved on. My younger daughter, Catherine, she…”

The past was the past?

They had both moved on?

His younger daughter?

Heather shook her head in disbelief. She had underestimated Charlie.

Even now, he had the audacity to stand before her, shamelessly trying to secure a future for Catherine. bAnd /bwhat about the child she’d lostb? /b

Just as her emotions threatened to spiral out of control, the ss doors bto /bthe terrace swung open. Willow stepped inside.

BIG bSALE/b: 3500 bonus bfree /bfou you

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