I shook my head, my voice firm, my grip tightening on her shoulders as if I could anchor her to reality. "She didn't tell me about this. I found out myself… when I met her this evening…"
I paused, my eyes locked on hers, my heart pounding as I watched her face twist with confusion and pain. "She seemed happy, Mom. Genuinely happy. Not to meet me… but to see your son…"
Victoria stared at me, her eyes wide, her breath coming in short, sharp gasps as she searched my face for any sign of deception. Her fingers dug into her own arms, her knuckles white, as if she were trying to ground herself in a world that had just been flipped upside down.
"I was so confused by her behavior…" I continued, my voice steady but soft, as if I were walking on eggshells. "I thought the same as you… So I hired some people to do the digging… This organization, these people—they're real, Mom…"
