"I don’t believe you. Daddy, you must be tricking Kiki again."

Tristan affected a serious tone and cleared his throat twice. "COUGH, COUGH..." he said into the phone while starting the car. "I’m absolutely not tricking Kiki this time."

"Okay, then I’ll only give you half an hour."

"Okay, I promise I’ll be home within half an hour."

Though he’d said half an hour, Tristan made it back to Regalia Fields in only twenty minutes.

When he opened the door, he saw Kiki lying on the sofa, watching TV.

By the time he closed the door, Kiki had already scrambled off the sofa and was running toward him.

"Daddy."

Tristan smiled and bent down to pick Kiki up. He glanced around the room, his brow furrowing slightly. "Where are your grandpa and grandma?"

Kiki made a mysterious shushing gesture and struggled to get down from Tristan’s arms. "Shh, they’re in the other room. Daddy, we have to be quiet. Grandma saw this just now and started crying, and then she started fighting with Grandpa." He walked over to the coffee table, pulled a photograph out from under a cup, and handed it to Tristan.

The moment Tristan saw the photo, his heart seized. His expression darkened, and his voice trembled as he said, "Kiki..."

"Hm? Daddy, what’s wrong?" Kiki tilted his little head, looking at Tristan with a puzzled expression.

Looking at Kiki, Tristan couldn’t bring himself to say, ’This is your mother.’ He feigned exhaustion, forcing a yawn and a smile. "Daddy’s fine," he said softly. "Just a little tired. Let’s go to bed."

"Mhm, okay."

***

At the 28th birthday banquet for the Joyce family’s eldest daughter, more than half of Tridell’s most prominent figures were in attendance.

Tiana watched Leo Joyce, who was swarmed by a flock of wealthy socialites, and a bitter smile touched her lips. ’I shouldn’t have come.’ Occasions like this were never for her.

She raised her glass and took a delicate sip of red wine, then turned her head to look away. A casual glance was all it took for her gaze to be completely captured. There was something uncannily familiar about the woman in the white suit.

She set down her glass, gathered her skirt, and ran toward the woman. The woman seemed to notice her, giving a slight nod in her direction before saying a few words to the men at her side and heading for the main entrance.

Without a second thought, Tiana chased after her.

Once she was outside the main doors, Tiana finally shouted, "Amelia Avery, stop! Stop right there!"

The woman stopped and turned to face her. "Miss, you’ve mistaken me for someone else. I’m not Amelia Avery."

"How could that be? Amelia, you’re not dead! Why did you lie to all of us?"

The woman patiently walked over to Tiana. "Miss, I’m really not Amelia Avery."

"Nonsense! That’s ridiculous! How could you not be Amelia Avery? Even dressed like this, I’d recognize you! Amelia, why are you pretending you don’t know me?" Tiana was so frantic she started to cry. ’For all these years, every time I saw the heartbroken look on Leo Joyce’s face at the mention of Amelia Avery, I wished I was the one who had died back then. But now, Amelia is clearly alive, and yet she refuses to admit it.’

"I’m really not," the woman said calmly, a smile never leaving her face.

"Amelia, you can fool everyone else, but you can’t fool me. I know you’re Amelia. You have to be!"

"Look, miss, how can I make you understand? I’m really not Amelia. My name is Celia Osborne. I’m truly not the Amelia Avery you’re talking about."

"I don’t believe you. You must be lying to me! I don’t believe a word you’re saying. You used to trick me all the time when we were little!"