chapter744

Kathleen followed the directions and eventually found herself standing outside what she assumed was Madge's current residence. As she stood in front of the wrought-iron gate, she tilted her head back to take in the sight of the villa.

From the outside, the neighborhood seemed nothing special, but once inside, it was unexpectedly nice.

To think that even after ending up in such a small town, her sister could still find herself living in a villa.

A smirk crept across Kathleen's lips.

Her younger sister had always had a knack for being lucky. Even as a kid, whenever they visited a church, the old priest would come out, clasp his hands together, and proclaim Aberdeen to have a blessed destiny. Meanwhile, Kathleen would stand beside her, feeling utterly invisible.

At any event where Aberdeen Rodriguez was present, Kathleen might as well have been a ghost.

As she walked through the garden to the front door, Kathleen pressed the doorbell with a slight smile.

The door was answered by Norris. He had been preparing breakfast, thinking of making pancakes after hearing that the elders liked them. Just as he finished mixing the batter, the doorbell rang.

He opened the door to find a woman he didn't recognize, dressed in expensive clothes with an air of arrogance.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

Kathleen sized up the man before her. Tall enough, decent-looking, but his clothes screamed small-town. Just a plain, middle-aged man with no sense of style or charisma.

"You must be... Norris?" Kathleen ventured.

"Yes, that's me. Who are you looking for?"

Aberdeen married a man like this? Kathleen thought incredulously.

Norris could feel her scrutinizing gaze, the kind that made him feel both judged and uncomfortable. Before he could say anything else, Madge's voice came from behind him.

"Sister?"

...

In the living room, Kathleen sat on the couch, holding a cup of hot water that Madge had handed her. Madge smiled, I remember you don't like coffee or tea. I hope that hasn't changed."

Before coming here, Kathleen had imagined many scenarios. She thought that after over twenty years of wandering, Aberdeen would be a shadow of her former self. Perhaps she'd be alone, frail, and bent with age. Or maybe she'd settled for someone ordinary, had a few kids, and become plump and weary. Without the luxury of wealth, her once lovely face would be marred by age spots and wrinkles. Yet here was Aberdeen, looking just like the girl Kathleen remembered. Twenty years had passed without a trace of hardship on her face. Still so innocent, so na?ve, even the way she looked at Kathleen hadn't changed.

Could it mean she hadn't remembered any of it?

According to the reports, Aberdeen had lost her memory and ended up in Pinehollow.

Lost her memory...

At this thought, Kathleen took a deep breath, her initial anxiety giving way to calm. She smiled and asked "Have you been well all these years? Mom and Dad have been worried sick looking for you, especially them..."

Madge smiled warmly, "I've been good. You haven't changed a bit, sis."

"Do you remember the day you disappeared? It was such a lovely day, we were out shopping together, and then..."

Kathleen tried mentioning that day, and seeing the confusion on Madge's face, she relaxed completely.

"All these years, Mom and Dad thought you'd been taken abroad. It was a wild guess, but they thought you might have been abroad all this time. We just recently got word of you, and it feels like a miracle that we're all together again..." Kathleen's eyes glistened with tears as she spoke.

Madge felt a pang of sorrow. Her parents had mentioned their search but had glossed over the hardships. It was the first time she'd heard the depth of their efforts.

Watching Madge's eyes well up with guilt and sadness, Kathleen shifted the topic to Madge's childhood favorites stamps and candy boxes, still kept safe at the old house.

"I remember every visit to Grandma's, you'd save the prettiest, tastiest candies for me. I was not a great sister, losing you and taking so long to find you," Kathleen said with a rueful smile.

Madge couldn't recall the incident but was moved by Kathleen's remorse. "It's okay, sis. We're together now, that's what matters. You don't need to blame yourself..."

Reuniting with family was more than she could have hoped for.

Just as Madge was comforting Kathleen, who was dabbing at her eyes, their parents came downstairs.

Geneva paused at the sight of Kathleen, her brow furrowing instantly.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

Kathleen quickly stood up, "Mom, Dad."

Her father remained silent. Her mother moved to stand beside Madge, as if to shield her daughter.

"Mom?" Madge asked, puzzled.

Kathleen's eyes darkened for a moment before she pasted on a smile. I heard Madge was found and flew in from Lumina City. I didn't expect you'd be staying here..."

Madge nodded, "Yes, we were just reminiscing about old times."

"Really? What stories?" Geneva asked, a smile returning to her face.

Madge recounted, "We talked about visiting Grandma's, fighting over candy..."

Geneva listened, warmth spreading through her heart, a smile touching her lips. But catching Kathleen's lowered gaze, her unease returned.

For some reason, she couldn't shake

her wariness toward Kathleen. It

was an instinct, and her instincts had never led her astray. But without any evidence, she had to keep her suspicions to herself for now