A horrific thought suddenly occurred to Lisa. She asked, "Do you," she hesitated, "do you have anything to do with the plane crash?" Her heart was beating fast.

Silence on the other end of the line. Then, an indifferent reply, "What do you think?"

​​

And Matt hung up.

Lisa couldn't dare to believe it. How am I going to tell Nathalia? Should the family know? But I'm not even certain myself, and I have no proof.

She also had to think about Nathalia's feelings and the fact that she was now pregnant. I have to do something. She told herself, crouching on the sofa, covering her face with both hands while waiting anxiously for Sophie to come home.

It was dark in the house when Sophie came in. She turned on the light and gasped at the sight of her mother holding a knife in one hand and staring at her.

"Don't you go to see him again? Or you will never see me anymore." Lisa said.

"Mum! No! Put the knife down, please!" Sophie screamed, terrified. She thought about making up an excuse and not let her mother know that she had met Matt and agreed to start a relationship with him despite the fact that he told her he didn't love her yet.

It was unnecessary. Her mother had already found out.

"You are a stupid girl! You have no idea what that man is doing! He's evil!" Lisa said sternly.

"Mum, don't speak of Matt like that. I love him." Sophie pleaded.

"You are going to Milan in two days. There's no need to wait till school starts." Lisa ordered.

"Mum, I want to stay. I want to be with Matt." Sophie cried but stopped when she saw Lisa put the knife close to her wrist.

"You either listen to me now or never."

"Ok. Ok! I won't see him again!" Sophie panicked.

"Promise me!"

"I promise."

Lisa dropped the knife, opened her arms, and beckoned Sophie to come to her, but Sophie stormed into her room and slammed the door shut behind her.

Two days later, Sophie did keep her promise and set off to Italy to start a different chapter of her life. However, since the incident, she had built a wall between herself and her mother. And they rarely talked anymore.

After Sophie left, Lisa managed to send a letter to Curt, explaining the phone call between her and Matt and implying her doubts and suspicions. She never heard anything back. That's all I can do now. At least now, both Sophie and Nathalia are safe. She comforted herself.

Life in Miami seemed to return back to normal slowly.

Lisa busied herself at work, and The Trend was going uphill. Matt enjoyed his new identity and acquisition of power. Ben was managing the Carter Company on his own, finally having the exclusive chance to run it his way without worrying about Nathalia's interference.

Gradually, people seemed to start to forget about the mysterious plane crash, about Nathalia and the senior Davidson couple.

***

Four years later, at The Trend.

On hearing a knock at the door, Lisa looked up, and when she recognized who it was, she gasped with excitement and covered her mouth with both hands. Her eyes shone with surprise and delight.

The stunning, bright, and cheerful woman looked at her with a grin and opened her arms to welcome her. Lisa got up and ran to embrace Nathalia. Tears of joy welled up in her eyes. "Nathalia! You are back!"

They embraced for minutes silently as if time had stopped, and the whole world had paused for them. When Lisa finally free Nathalia from her loving hug, she looked at her up and down with love and gave her a kiss on her forehead. "Welcome back, my girl." She said affectionately.

Though it had been four years, Nathalia hadn't changed much except that there was a touch of elegant maturity about her.

"Thank you." Nathalia smiled gratefully.

"Would you like tea or coffee?" Lisa asked, "Come and tell me everything! Gosh, it's been so long, and I've missed you so much." She sat Nathalia down on the sofa.

"Coffee sounds nice. I miss you too. How have you been?" Nathalia said. "And how's Sophie?" she added.

Lisa heaved a sigh and said, "I've been very good, and the company's doing well. Sophie's good. Well, she's working for Look Up, a new but rather promising designing company as a designer. I think she likes it, though we don't talk much."

"You don't talk much? Why? What happened between you two?" Nathalia asked with concern. She remembered how close Sophie had always been to her mother and wondered why.

Lisa hesitated and decided to tell her the story without the part about her suspicions about Matt. So, she still loves Matt. Nathalia thought. Silly girl. She hasn't changed.

"Let's give her a call and have dinner together!" Nathalia suggested. Lisa seemed uncertain, but she called Sophie, anyway.

Sophie was working on a new project and had just finished a meeting with her client. She saw the name on her phone screen, heaved a sigh, and answered reluctantly. "Yes?"

"Sweetie, what are you doing tonight? I was wondering if you would join us for dinner." Lisa tried to sound cheerful.

"I'm busy, mum," Sophie replied instantly. Wait. Us? Who's us? "But what do you mean by 'us'?" she added.

Lisa put Nathalia on the phone.

"Us as you, Lisa, and me!" Nathalia exclaimed.

There was silence from the other line for a few seconds. Then, Sophie said uncertainty, yet with a certain excitement, "Nathalia?! Is that you?!"

"Yes. It's me." Nathalia replied. "So, let's meet at the Garden Café in an hour!"

"But..." Sophie felt so emotional that she had forgotten what she was going to say.

"In forty minutes?" Nathalia teased.

Sophie nodded without speaking, then realized that she was on the phone and said, "Alright. See you in an hour."

For the past four years, Nathalia had lived in a beautiful house on the coast in Greece with Sue and Curt. During the first year, Curt and Sue traveled around Europe till they received the news that Nathalia had given birth and it was twins with a boy and a girl.