Caught completely off guard, Vivienne turned to look at Talia.
Talia met her gaze, her eyes calm and utterly accepting. "I told you, my daughters have the right to make mistakes. So, I won't bind you with rules or demand that you live up to someone else's expectations. You're still young, and it's perfectly normal to be curious about the unknown. Rather than blocking and suppressing your curiosity, it's better to give you the correct guidance. Learn well, and make sure you protect yourselves."
Vivienne suddenly felt a lump in her throat.
Seeing her overwhelmed reaction, Talia reached out and gently wiped the corner of her eye. "Honestly, I should have taught you these things much sooner. But as a mother, I always hoped you could stay in your ivory tower just a little longer."
Vivienne nodded. "I understand."
Talia smiled and turned to pull Bianca into an embrace, her words deeply sincere. "I was young once, too. I had my rebellious phase. You only truly understand a parent's love when you raise a child yourself. Looking back, my father probably wanted to strangle me for some of the things I did, but in the end, because we're family, he simply let it go."
Truthfully, when Talia first learned about Vivienne's actions, her initial reaction had been fury. Like anyone else, she felt it was a severe moral failing.
But during her interrogation of Bianca, she realized how aggressive and overbearing she was being. In that moment, she felt like she was watching her younger self arguing with Caspian. She had turned into the kind of parent she used to despise the most.
It was also in that moment that she suddenly pulled herself out of it, empathizing with both her own younger self and Caspian. The realization that one only understands their parents after raising a child was what struck her the hardest.
Seeing Talia's teary eyes, Bianca hugged her arm tightly.
Not wanting to get too emotional, Talia playfully shook them off. "Alright, alright, let go, both of you. You're squeezing my arms too hard."
Vivienne and Bianca laughed and let go.
Talia turned around, pulled a black card from her diamond purse, and handed it to Vivienne. "If you want anything from now on, just tell me. I'm the one who grants your wishes, not some shooting star."

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