How was that possible?
Without a thought, she took a step in his direction. It was only Kiara’s grip on her hand that kept her moving toward the waiting vehicle.
Jude swung himself into the UTV, where another man waited behind the wheel. As the UTV moved away from the helipad, Angela tore her gaze from Jude, trying to ignore the sense of loss she felt as he disappeared from sight.
She hadn’t realized how much she’d come to rely on him over the past several days. And now he was walking away from her. Leaving her to face this new life on her own.
Even though Kiara was still at her side, Angela felt adrift. As if her anchor in this new reality had been taken away. Jude had been the one who’d helped her feel like she wasn’t going into her new life completely blind. He was an important connection, a steadying presence in the upheaval of her life.
But no one else seemed to realize that. Or maybe they just didn’t care.
It was a short trip from the helicopter to the house. The mansion. It was so much more than a house. It was huge. Bigger than any home she’d ever seen before.
“Wow…” Kiara murmured as they climbed from the SUV. “This is…”
“Yeah.” She figured that Kiara didn’t have any more words than she did to describe what they were seeing.
The exterior was made of glass, timber, and stone. It fit in well with the surroundings, but lacked the modern look that Angela had assumed it would have.
“Welcome home,” Duncan said as they walked through the large doors leading into the foyer of the mansion.
Angela unwound her scarf, then unbuttoned the peacoat that Jude had given her. She hadn’t wanted to accept it at first, but he’d insisted, telling her that the weather in Idaho was much colder than in Kentucky. Knowing she didn’t have anything warm enough for that, she’d finally accepted.
Once their coats were hung in the closet, Angela clasped her hands, taking in the foyer with its towering ceiling. Everywhere she looked was an understated elegance.
A lanky teen appeared in an arched doorway not far from where they stood, his eyes widening as his gaze went from Annie to Angela and back again.
"Wow," he said. "That's… incredible."
"This is Benjamin," Duncan said, placing a hand on the teen’s shoulder. "My youngest."
Angela smiled tentatively at him. "It's nice to meet you."
"You can call me Benji," he offered. "Everyone but my dad does."
“Why don’t we go into the living room,” Duncan said, gesturing to the doorway where Benji had appeared.
As she followed the other family members, Angela took in the lavish surroundings—the high ceilings, the artwork, the expensive furnishings. She tried her best to keep her awe from showing on her face, but it was hard. She was overwhelmed as she observed everything.
"Please make yourselves comfortable." Elizabeth, Duncan’s wife, gestured toward an arranged seating area where some refreshments had been laid out on the coffee table.
Angela sat down on one of the sofas with Kiara, drawing strength from the press of her arm. A reminder that she wasn’t alone. She noticed that Duncan was occupied with his phone, but soon he slid it into his pocket and looked at her.
"I imagine you have questions," Duncan said once everyone was seated.
"A lifetime of them," Angela replied softly, trying not to shift under Duncan’s intense gaze. "But I hardly know where to start."
"Perhaps with how we found each other?" Duncan suggested.
Angela nodded, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. "I saw Annie's photo from the charity gala." She glanced at Annie. "It was like… looking in a mirror. I knew immediately we had to be related."
"You’re identical twins," Duncan said. "Born three minutes apart."
"I don’t remember anything from my life… before," Angela said, feeling the need to apologize for that lapse in memory. “I’m sorry.”
"There’s no need to apologize,” Duncan said. “You were young.”
“I don’t remember anything from that time either,” Annie said.
