Chapter 290

Verena nodded, her gaze shifting back to her mother in the hospital room, eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

"I'd like to see Mom alone," she whispered.

Luis parted his lips, unable to restrain his question."Don't you want to see Dad? He's been restless with worry,longing for this day."

Verena froze for a moment before answering,"1want to check on Mom first. So many years have passed,and she's ended up like this.I..."

Her words trailed off, swallowed by the tide of emotions crashing inside her.

All she wished for now was to sit quietly with her mother-trying to piece together her pain, to understand her silence, and perhaps share even a fragment of the burden she had borne for years.

She clung to the fragile hope that perhaps even a spark of memory might flicker awake in her mother's mind. 0

Luis' gaze softened, carrying both joy and sorrow. "Dad's heart has been hanging by a thread all these years. The moment I confirmed I had found you, I told him at once. You should have seen him-his joy was beyond words, his voice trembling with disbelief. Without hesitation, he arranged for Mom to be brought here, praying that when you came, our family might finally be made whole again."

Luis paused, sympathy clouding his face, before adding, "Since losing you, Dad has not been the man he once was. He has grown thinner, older; his health has withered. Yet for the sake of us, and to care for Mom,he bore it all-gritting his teeth, swallowing his grief, and forcing himself to endure."

Listening to those words, Verena felt a lump rise in her throat, bitterness stinging her chest like swallowed glass.

She blinked furiously to hold back tears, and then looked at Luis with a voice hoarse from restraint. "Give me a little tme with Mom first. I... I'm lost right now. I don't know how to face Dad."

Luis studied her troubled expression, his heart filled with compassion.

Respecting her will, he did not press further. He nodded gently. "Alright. I'll bring Dad out. You go in first. Mr.Ben-

His voice faltered, his eyes sliding briefly to Isaac. At the last moment, he changed his tone. "Isaac and I will wait outside. If you need anything, just call."

Isaac, who had been silent all this time, listened with quiet astonishment at Verena's hidden past.

When Luis addressed him by name instead of "Mr. Bennett," Isaac froze for a heartbeat, surprise and a faint embarrassment flickering in his eyes.

He had not expected Luis to accept him so quickly as family.

But soon, his lips curved gently. He tightened his hold on Verena's hand and spoke in a voice both steady and tender. "Go on."

The warmth of his hand coursed into her, lending her strength she did not realize she needed.Lowering her gaze, Verena gave a small, resolute nod.

Luis entered the room and quietly called their father out.

But Verena's mind was fixed solely on her mother; she hardly noticed Luis and Joseph leaving the room.

When the door opened, she walked past Joseph without slowing, not sparing him even a glance.

At that moment, a slight breeze seemed to pass between them, and Joseph's body stiffened as though struck by it.

Without hesitation, Verena slipped inside. The door closed softly behind her, sealing her in the stillness of the room.

Joseph remained rooted to the spot, staring at the space where she had vanished, his face blank with shock. For a long time, he stood there in a daze, unable to regain his composure. At last, his voice returned to him, tremnbling, uncertain. "Is she... really your sistèr?" he asked Luis, doubt and hope battling in his eyes.

Luis' heart ached, yet he answered firmly, his head dipping in conviction, "Yes, Dad. She is your daughter-my sister. It is absolutely true. The DNA tests confirm it without a shadow of doubt. And look at her-her features, her expressións-she is the very image of Mom."

Joseph's eyes immediately reddened.

The daughter they had prayed for through long and weary years...had finally come home.

Luis, noticing his father's trembling sorrow, quickly offered comfort. "Dad, don't be afraid. Verena has grown strong, even when we weren't there to guide her. She worked harder than most, built herself into an excellent doctor-respected in her profession and admired by many. She has weathered hardship with calm and grace, no matter the storms she faced. Her brilliance, her composure-it all reminds me of Mom."

As he spoke, Luis pulled out his phone, his voice softening further. "Look. These are her records, and some videos I've collected. I wanted you to seethem with your own eyes."

With trembling hands, Joseph received the phone, his palms rough with age and years of toil. His fingers quivered as though he feared he might drop it.

He squinted, carefully taking in the words and images on the screen.

As he read about Verena's achievements, his lipstrembled faintly, his composure crumbling.

Suddenly, like a dam breaking under pressure, the emotions he had held back for years burst forth. Tears spilled freely,coursing down his cheeks.

He reached out with his other hand, brushing the screen gently, as though by doing so he could touch his daughter's face. His voice broke into a whisper, filled with both pride and regret."Our little girl... She really is our little girl. Just like her mother-so gifted,so lovable."

Every word carried the weight of pride tempered with the bitterness of lost years, yet also the soaring joy of finally having her back. Luis, moved by the sight, could hardly contain his own tears.

He placed a hand on Joseph's shoulder, steadying him. "Dad, she's here now. We have time-time we thought we'd lost. Don't drown yourself in sorrow. Let's hold on to the blessing of her return."

Joseph tried to wipe his tears with unsteady hands, but the more he wiped, the more they fell.

He nodded vigorously, his voice thick with emotion. "Yes... yes. It's such a relief to have her back. I am so grateful, so glad..."

As Joseph was swept up in joy and tears, the atmosphere inside the hospital room held a fragile tension.

Verena lingered by the door for a long while, pinching her wrist to steady herself before finally moving forward with quiet steps.

The room was steeped in quiet. Marisa sat facing the window, her thin arms wrapped tightly around the pillow as if it were her anchor in a storm.

She hummed a faint tune, broken with occasional mutters that slipped into the air like scattered fragments of a forgotten dream.

Verena's heart pounded faster with every step she took. Her palms were damp, her breath unsteady.

When she reached the bedside, she looked at her mother's hair, almost entirely silver now, and her shoulders so frail they seemed as though a strong breeze could scatter them. Verena's nose tingled, her chest constricted with emotion.

Drawing a long, trembling breath, Verena whispered, "Mom..."

But Marisa gave no sign of hearing. Her gaze was vacant, her mind adrift far away, as she clung desperately to the pillow in her arms.

The sight struck Verena's heart like a blade.

She bit her lower lip, and then slowly sank to her knees. After a hesitant pause, she reached out and gently took her mother's dry, fragile hand in her own. "Mom, it's me, Verena. I've come back." Her words were tender, trembling with hope, as she clutched her mother's hand tightly, willing warmth and recognition to pass through her touch.