The aroma of freshly brewed tea filled the quiet space as Catherine and Lily sat across from each other in a secluded corner of a traditional tea house. The ambiance was serene, yet the air between them was thick with unspoken words. There was no hostility—at least, not openly—but there was an underlying tension that neither of them attempted to mask.
Lily took a slow sip of her tea, her expression unreadable. “I imagine you have many questions,” she said at last, setting her cup down with deliberate grace.
Catherine met her gaze steadily. “I didn’t expect to see you here in Japan.”
A faint smirk touched Lily’s lips. “Neither did I expect to be saved by my daughter-in-law. Life has its strange twists.”
Catherine didn’t respond immediately. She had long accepted that Lily had never trul
