Paule looked at Margaret, his gaze lingering on the pain etched into her face. Her tear-filled eyes held no trace of deception. He could see it clearly; she had missed her daughter deeply.
But kidnapping? That word didn't sit right with him.
His memory was vivid, undistorted by time. He had found Anne alone, abandoned by the roadside. If she had been taken, why would the kidnappers just leave her behind?
No
Paule believed she hadn't been kidnapped. She had been discarded like something unwanted. And he had taken her in, loved her, and raised her.
Yet, the tears in Margaret's eyes didn't feel false.
Confusion twisted inside him. The lines between truth and perception blurred, and Paule didn't know what to believe.
"This is her," Nathan said and handed Paule an old photograph. "This is my sister, Raya. Please look closely. Is this the girl you found?"
Paule took the photo, and the moment his eyes landed on it, a cold shiver ran through him.
