As N took the photo, her hands trembled slightly.


    The woman in the fitted dress, standing on the far left of the photo with her hair neatly pinned back, bore an uncanny resemnce to the image of her mother stored in N''s memory.


    Time seemed to have left barely any trace on her face, which looked almost identical to how N remembered it.


    Her fingers tightened around the photo as she stared at it.


    After a long pause, she ced it on the table and pushed it back toward Alexander.


    "Mr. Kinsey, first of all, I can''t verify if this photo is even real. And second... if she truly felt regret, why didn''t shee back to see me after leaving the country all these years ago?" N voiced her doubts.


    Alexander frowned. "Your mother didn''t want to disrupt your peaceful life."


    "Then why are you disrupting mine now?" she shot back. "If I''m not mistaken, the ''master'' Buddy mentioned must be you. You''ve given him a lot of money and are now approaching us. What is your purpose?"


    Her sharp, icy gaze locked onto him, making it clear she didn''t believe a word he said.


    Alexander, anticipating her suspicion, calmly exined, "The reason I''ve returned is to take you and Buddy to live in Meristate. As for Mason''s ''master,'' yes, that''s me. The money he earned is legitimate, so you don''t need to worry about it."


    "Take me and Buddy to live in Meristate?" N scoffed, her toneced with sarcasm. "Nobody thought of taking us there all these years, and now, out of nowhere, you decide it''s time?


    "Did you even bother asking me or Buddy how we feel about this? What makes you think we''d want to go live in Meristate?"


    Alexander''s arrival was clearly about more than just taking her and Mason abroad.


    "I understand this is a lot to process," Alexander said gently. "But your mother truly misses you. She''s kept pictures of you as a child all these years, taking them out whenever she missed you. I''m honestly just trying-"


    "Enough!" N interrupted sharply. "I don''t want to hear it. If she chose to leave the country and cut ties with me, then she should stick to that decision. I''m not going to Meristate, and I don''t want to see her."


    With that, she stood and strode toward the door.


    She had only taken a few steps when Alexander''s voice called out behind her. "Even if she''s sick... Even if she''s on her deathbed and just wants to see you onest time, you still wouldn''t go?"


    N stopped in her tracks and turned to face him. "Mr. Kinsey, I have a few questions for you."


    "What are they?" he asked.


    "The young man and woman who look just a few years younger than me and stand next to her in the photo-who are they to her?" she asked.


    Alexander hesitated, his gaze darkening. It took a full ten seconds before he replied, "They''re... your half-siblings."


    Nughed. It was exactly as she had suspected.


    "And I''m guessing she''s been living quitefortably all these years, hasn''t she?" she asked.


    Judging from the fact that Alexander could casually transfer billions to Mason, Emerald''s lifestyle was probably far from humble.


    "She''s done well," he admitted, his expression puzzled by her sudden line of questioning.


    "She''s done well," N repeated, her tone sharp. "And yet, all these years, she didn''t contact me ore back to see me-not even once.


    "It''s only a 10-hour flight from


    Meristate to Saintornia. You say she misses me, but there hasn''t been a single meaningful action to back that up."


    "She had her reasons," Alexander said, his frown deepening.


    It did seem Emerald had her reasons for leaving N while she was so young not once returning to see her-then being able to be around for her other two children until they came of age, N thought


    She nodded. "I can understand she had her reasons not to see me. Simrly, I


    hope you understand I have my reasons not to see her now."