Chapter 74. Truths Revealed

Joan POV

I just stood there, frozen, staring at the woman who was supposed to be my mother. She blinked at me, her smile faltering slightly, like she wasn’t sure how to hold it in place.

I shook my head quickly, forcing a small, polite smile.

"I'm Joan. Alessia's colleague," I said, my voice steady despite the storm inside me. She nodded and walked toward her daughter, leaving me standing there, feeling like a shadow.

I watched blankly as the two of them spoke in Spanish, their voices a soft hum I couldn’t follow. Brielle chimed in occasionally.

Luna De Luca. The name echoed in my head, over and over.

Goddamn it… fuck.

My fingers trembled slightly as I grabbed my phone, typing furiously, the screen blurring for a moment before I blinked the haze away. That’s when Shayne’s text popped up.

Shayne: I have good news. We're releasing your book tonight, and the clients want you to work on book two. They totall