“I was wrong before. I owe your mother an apology. But there are things you don’t know.”
“What I don’t know? Why can’t you just tell me what really happened?”
Hannah shook her head, clearly puzzled. “I’m lost. Why won’t you share the details with me?”
Wallace took a deep breath, his voice softening. “Look, the issue with your mother is old news. Let’s leave it in the past.”
“I just can’t follow your logic,” Hannah said with a scoff.
She looked down, trying to control her feelings. “It makes me wonder if you ever loved my mother as much as you say. You haven’t even figured out how she died. You can’t claim you loved her without knowing the truth.”
Wallace got up, his gaze on Hannah more intense than ever. “Who do you think I’ve been doing all this for? I had no other option back then. I had to send your mother back to her country. If she had stayed, you wouldn’t be here now.”
Hannah was noticeably startled. “What really happened?” she pressed.
With his fist against his forehead, Wallace appeared drained. “I don’t want to dwell on the past or drag the younger ones into this mess. Just know this. I will avenge your mother. That’s a promise.”
After a bit, Hannah’s demeanor changed, and she looked at Wallace, her voice gentler. “I understand you might have had your reasons. I just hope you weren’t dishonest with me. I’m sorry for how I acted earlier. Father, please, don’t be upset about it.” With those words, Hannah turned and left the study.
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Wallace, realizing Hannah had genuinely called him “father,” felt his spirits lift. He looked at a photo frame on his desk.
He touched it gently, his eyes showing a warmth and affection rarely seen by others. “Priscilla…” he whispered.
As Hannah stepped out of the study, the Compton brothers quickly gathered around her. “How did it go? Are you alright?”
“Did father get mad at you?”
Hannah shook her head. “He didn’t say much. I’m fine. Let’s head to the base. I’ve got something important to announce.”
“Alright.” Trent gave Keith a playful wink, signaling him to drop the questioning. “Let’s get moving.”
At the base, Faustina had just handed in some paperwork. “Starting now, I’m your new branch leader. You’ll need to report everything to me.”
Not everyone was fond of Faustina. Hearing her declaration, murmurs spread among the members.
“Come on! How did she end up replacing Charlie?”
“Is she even telling the truth? Nobody told us there’d been a change in leadership. How can she just claim she’s in charge now?”
“Exactly! And Charlie hasn’t even come back yet. If there’s a change in leadership, he should be here to confirm it. That’s when we’ll accept it.”
They weren’t trying to keep their voices down, so Faustina heard them loud and clear. Looking irritated, she remarked, “Here’s the letter of appointment. I don’t see why you need to debate this.”
A daring member questioned her, “Where’s Charlie? Why hasn’t he shown up at the base today?”
“Exactly. Even if you’ve been given the role, Charlie ought to show up and hand it over personally. We’ve only got your word for it.