Chapter 14. Lost Love

She releases herself from Michael’s grip to follow after the man, but Rose blocks her path, her perpetual smile plastered on her face. The intense narrowing of the lids that follows the smile is a stern warning.

“Now child, this is not the time to be running off. You need to introduce yourself to prospective investors, right?” Rose suggests, pulling her and Micheal toward an old couple.

Time trickles by, Lara, shifting her weight from one foot to the other, waiting for the ordeal to end. All the while, her eyes are fixed on the open door leading to the veranda. He was there — only a few steps away from her, the father of her unborn child. She feels a tingle in her navel. Is the child acknowledging her intuition?

“You are the spitting image of your mother, rest her soul. So beautiful…” The older woman smiles warmly. The fact that everybody loved Maureen tends to give Lara easy access to people’s warmth. She smiles back politely.

“Thank you.” Her eyes shift to