Meanwhile, Michaela tilted her head, her mouth still full, and asked, "Are you okay?", momentarily distracting Joana from her thoughts.
Forcing a weak smile, Joana nodded, not wanting to reveal the ongoing situation in her mind just yet. "Yes, I'm fine," she replied, reaching out to delicately wipe a smudge of whipped cream from Michaela's mouth with a napkin. "But don't talk with your mouth full."
.......
After that moment, Joana could no longer connect with Lira, but she knew the encounter had been real. The realization struck her that she had never truly known her biological parents. Lira's mention of a close connection with someone near her made her consider Michaela, the housekeeper, and the maids. Could it be possible that she was related to any of them?
As Joana pondered her new
