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ESMERALDA'S POV When the guard left, I felt like the whole house was a ticking bomb. The seconds stretched. Then minutes. My heart beat a little faster than I wanted it to, my fingers tightening slightly in my lap. I didn’t move from the couch. If she wanted to see me, she could come to me. The door opened again. And there she was. My mother. She looked exactly the same. Perfect. Composed. Immaculate in a way that always felt untouchable. Her posture was straight, her expression calm, her eyes scanning the room before settling on me. No warmth. No hesitation. Just… assessment. “Esmeralda,” she said, her voice as smooth and distant as I remembered. “Mother.” The word felt strange on my tongue. She stepped further inside, her heels clicking softly against the floor, and took
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