Chapter 20

Renee turned her head slowly, her eyes void of emotion as she took in Eugene and Calvin. Her voice was gentle, yet there was a clear sense of distance, an unmistakable chill that lingered. "I'm sorry, but I don't know any Scarlett you're referring to," she replied. Eugene and Calvin's faces lost all color, their expressions a mix of disbelief and sorrow. They moved closer, their voices shaking. "Scarlett, we know it's you! You're alive. Why didn't you reach out? Do you have any idea what we've been through all these years, and how much pain we've carried? "Now we see Sharon for what she really is. Please, come back to us. Let's return to how things used to be. We'll make it right this time, we swear!" Renee looked at them with a calm detachment, a faint smile crossing a face. Her voice, quiet yet steely, cut right to the heart. "Sorry to interrupt, but I'm guessing the Scarlett you're referring to is Scarlett Swain, the former adopted daughter of the Swain family. I've heard that