Chapter 146
Keira’s life had been even harder than her own.
Amanda quickly chimed in, “Please don’t worry too much, Mrs. Gonzales. My mother’s doing much better than before p>
Hannah nodded. “Let’s pick up the pace. I haven’t seen your mother in over a decade—who knows if we’ll even recognize each other? I always thought the next time we met would be when Freya finally came home. But all these years have passed, and there’s still no word from her p>
Her voice trailed off, tinged with sorrow.
“Mrs. Gonzales, please don’t think like that,” Amanda hurried to comfort her. “Freya’s always had luck on her side. I’m sure we’ll find her p>
“You’re right, Amanda,” Hannah agreed, nodding. “My Freya will come home someday p>
They soon reached the parking lot.
The driver was waiting with a stretch Lincoln.
Amanda and Ann ushered Hannah and Stephanie into the car first, then climbed in after them.
The car sped along the main road as Amanda kept up a lively conversation with Hannah. Stephanie remained mostly quiet, while Ann, hoping to get on Stephanie’s good side, could find no excuse to break the silence.
Before long, they arrived at Gonzales Manor.
Keira, pale and frail, stood at the front door, waiting to welcome Hannah and Stephanie.
Through the car window, Hannah caught sight of Keira’s wan face. Her heart twisted with guilt, and she hurried out of the car.
Stephanie followed close behind.
“Dear old friend, Stephanie-you’re here!” Keira quickly walked over, taking Hannah’s hands in her own. She smiled, her voice warm. “Welcome to the city. It’s been so long p>
Nineteen years, to be exact.
Everyone had changed.
Keira couldn’t help noticing that Hannah no longer possessed the youthful glow and confidence she remembered.
Then again, who could blame her?
Life hadn’t been kind to any of them.
Even Stephanie, who had once been just a child, seemed changed.
Hannah nodded, clasping Keira’s hand, her voice trembling. “Keira, it’s incredible how time flies. Nineteen years-it’s been that long since I last came to the city, and everything’s so different now. Honestly, if Amanda and Ann hadn’t pointed out the old landmarks, I wouldn’t have recognized a thing p>
The city had changed.
But Keira had changed even more.
She was only in her early sixties, yet she looked at least a decade older.
Hannah looked up at her and continued gently, “Keira, the past is behind us now. Things will get better, I know it. I have this feeling: one day, Carey will bring Freya back. You have to take care of yourself. Don’t make the family worry-Freya and Carey are both waiting for you to bring them home p>
Keira’s full name was Keira Fairchild Gonzales.
“I know,” Keira managed a smile, but it faded almost instantly. “But some things are easier said than done. Letting go just isn’t possible. That night, nineteen years ago—it still feels like a nightmare. The morning before, Stuart and Carey brought Freya over to see me. By the next night, I got a call from the police p>
Her voice broke, and tears spilled down her cheeks.
She didn’t want to cry.
But the moment she saw Hannah, she couldn’t help herself.
She thought of her daughter-in-law, of her sweet granddaughter… Everything had been perfectly normal that morning when they parted ways. But by the next day, her whole world had changed.
For Keira, it was like the sky had come crashing down. All these years, she’d forced herself to keep going-not only searching for her daughter-in-law and granddaughter, but also running the family business. No one knew how she’d survived it all.
“Listen, Hannah, I’ll be honest with you. There hasn’t been a single day that I haven’t regretted letting Stuart and Carey take Freya to visit the family graves. If only they hadn’t gone, none of this would have happened. I regret it so much p>
Keira broke down, sobbing uncontrollably.
Ann watched her in silence, her face unreadable, but her heart churned with resentment.
She wondered: if it had been Amanda and her who’d gone missing, would Keira be this devastated?
Of course not.
Aside from the family’s forty-five-million-dollar private jet, the Richards had given Freya all sorts of gifts, but Keira had deposited everything in the bank, refusing to even let Ann see them.
Freya was gone-dead, for all anyone knew-yet here Ann was, the dutiful, attentive granddaughter, always running errands for Keira. And still, it seemed she’d never measure up to someone who was no longer here.
Keira guarded against her like a thief.
Hearing Keira’s words, Hannah could hardly bear it. She wrapped her arms around her old friend, and the two of them wept together.
Stephanie’s eyes filled with tears as well.
The atmosphere grew heavy and suffocating.
Amanda, choking back her own sobs, approached the two older women. “Mom, Mrs. Gonzales, let’s go inside. We shouldn’t stay out here in the cold p>