At Dinner table, the three Ashfords sat in silence across each other.
Margaret had made Ethan's favorite, roasted chicken with roasted baby potatoes, hoping it would lift his mood even a little. But the food mostly remained in the dishes, growing cold.
Margaret, who had barely spoken since the scandal broke hours ago, finally spoke. She whispered, voice trembling, as she dabbed her eyes with the corner of her napkin.
"This is our fault..Clara hates us, and she should. I mean, for eight years she was looking for her son and going crazy over it, and I understand her. It's the kind of pain only a mother would understand." Then she continued. "And Robert, I did warn you. Those conditions were too harsh. Why won't you let her meet her son? I understand you protecting our family name, and also protecting Axiel, but what about Clara? You completely sidelined her."
Robert glanced at her but didn't say a word.
