If her mother's past was truly connected to something hidden deeply enough to disappear from records, then walking up to the matriarch of the Torres Mendoza family, demanding answers, would only expose how much Daniella herself already knew.
No.
She needed caution now.
Careful steps.
Careful words.
The estate gardens stretched far beyond what Daniella initially expected.
Stone walkways curved elegantly through enormous landscaped grounds filled with fountains, flowering trees, trimmed hedges, and quiet seating areas hidden beneath climbing ivy. The capital skyline remained visible in the far distance beyond the estate walls, though everything inside the gardens felt strangely removed from the outside world entirely.
Peaceful.
Doña Catalina sat beneath one of the shaded terrace areas overlooking a long reflecting pool when Daniella arrived.
Tea had already been prepared.
Of course it had.
The older woman looked up calmly as Daniella approached.
"You came."
