Yara Lowell froze. "Th... that's it?"
"I'm done talking. I'll be leaving now." Lianne stood up and politely said her goodbyes.
Yara Lowell scrambled to her feet. "Lianne!"
Lianne paused.
Yara Lowell met her gaze, her tone inexplicably weakening. "My aunt... she really cares about you. She truly loves you."
Lianne remained perfectly polite. "I understand. Thank you for telling me."
"So... do you want to come back with me for a meal?" Yara Lowell asked tentatively.
"No, thank you," Lianne said. "I believe that she truly cares about me, and I believe she has her reasons. But it's also a fact that she knew about me and refused to acknowledge me."
"That's not it... It's not that she didn't want to acknowledge you. She just thought you'd resent her, that you wouldn't want to see her..."
Hearing this, Lianne didn't reply. She turned and left without a backward glance.
Yara Lowell meant well, coming to play the peacemaker.
