His presence haunted me long before my eyes landed on him.
The maids rushed in, carrying his luggage from the door and past me to his room upstairs.
Ariella shrunk behind me when he approached us, his arms extended. "My daughter. My sweet Stella." Just like mother had, he cupped her cheeks, turning her head from side to side like he couldn't believe we'd actually found her.
"She's still shocked Kirilli. Killian said she'll get a full check up tomorrow. But it's true...our little girl is back." Mother came out from the bronze edged door that stood next to the twin stairs, which lead to the dinning room. She didn't seem to want to believe that there was an error. Denial could be so powerful in the face of years worth of my mother's depression.
He turned to her, gasping when she flung he
