I held the teacup in my hand and sneaked a peep at him quietly. The eyes of the matured man sitting in front of me were full of gentleness. The moment they met with my gaze, I could feel his desire to pull me into his arms. However, the moment he wanted to reach out to me, he stopped.
Sorrow filled my heart at that sight, but I could not get myself to call him Dad. Although it was merely one word, I could not manage to muster my courage to say it out loud. I tried to open my mouth, but nothing came out.
“I’m so sorry,” I muttered under my breath.
“You don’t have to apologize. Come on, let’s eat.” Mark did not seem to mind my awkwardness and ordered the dishes.
During the meal, he specially ordered a wine. Isabelle tugged his sleeve gently and persuaded, “Mark, don’t drink. It’s not good for your health.”
“It’s fine!” Mark interrupted and smiled. “Today is a special day! Three of us can finally reunite as a family. How can we celebrate without drinking wine?”
“But…” Isabelle got agitated, worrying that he might get more irritable than usual after drinking wine.
“All right, Isabelle.” Mark put down his wine glass and held her within his arm. He brushed her nose with the tip of his finger lightly and looked at her dotingly. “I know what you’re thinking about. But, don’t worry. Eve is a thoughtful girl. She will not deny me as her father because of some misunderstanding.”
“Hmmm… Okay,” replied Isabelle hesitantly. Letting go of Mark’s hand, she forced out a smile. However, once she placed her trembling hands down on her lap, she felt immense pain. Her legs were full of traces of abuse. With wounds and bruises all over her legs, it looked terrifying.
After Mark finished his remarks, I could see Mom’s expression turned ashen. Although she tried to maintain her smile, it looked unnatural.
Why is Mom unhappy? Is she unwilling to let me know that I’m Mark’s daughter? Or is she having other concerns?
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