She stepped inside, gently pulled Ivy up, and then placed a box into her hands.
Ivy blinked in confusion, staring at the box.
Helena inhaled quietly. "This is something I prepared for you," she said softly. "Your dowry."
Ivy froze for a moment before bursting into laughter. "Dowry?"
In their country, such a thing didn't exist.
But seeing how traditional her parents were, she decided not to refuse.
She opened the box, and the moment she saw what lay inside, her smile faded. A black card rested silently within.
She stiffened, staring at it. Helena laughed lightly at her reaction.
"I've been preparing this for a long time," she said. "From the moment you were taken away, I started investing money under your name."
Ivy's fingers trembled slightly.
"That money was always yours," Helena continued, her voice steady but heavy.
"I'm just returning what rightfully belongs to you. So you're not allowed to reject it."
A lump formed in Ivy's throat. Helena took a breath before adding,
