The bright Texas sunlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the grand Dallas mansion ballroom. Glittering chandeliers hung high above the polished hardwood floors, casting warm reflections across the hundred guests who had gathered for the annual corporate celebration. Ryan adjusted the cuffs of his black tuxedo, trying his best to put on a polite smile for his family's wealthy business partners. Beside him stood Victoria, his older sister, wearing an elegant burgundy dress that matched her cold and calculating personality. She gripped his arm with a tight, possessive hold, constantly introducing him to high-society board members who could help their family business expand across the state.
Ryan was thirty-two years old, with bright red hair, light freckles across his cheeks, and distinct emerald-green eyes that had been passed down through generations of his family. He smiled politely at the guests, but his heart had not truly been in any celebration for five long years. Five years ago, his pregnant wife Claire had suddenly disappeared without leaving behind a single note or trace. Victoria had told him that Claire abandoned him for money and lost the twin babies due to stress before fleeing the state. Ryan had spent months searching, falling into deep despair, until he finally gave up and accepted the cruel narrative his sister fed him daily.
As the waiter carried around trays of expensive champagne, a sudden hushed quiet swept over the far corner of the ballroom. A young woman stepped through the arched glass doorway, leading two small four-year-old children by the hand. She wore a simple, humble blue dress that stood in stark contrast to the diamond necklaces and designer gowns of the wealthy Dallas crowd. Ryan turned his head toward the entrance, expecting to see a late guest, but his whole body froze the moment his gaze landed on her face.
It was Claire. Her golden hair was pulled back softly, and her soft cheeks were pale as she looked around the grand room with trembling fear. But what made Ryan's heart stop completely was not just the woman he had mourned for half a decade. It was the little boy and little girl standing right beside her legs. Both children looked up at the large chandeliers with wide, curious faces. They had bright red hair, tiny freckles over their noses, and striking emerald-green eyes that were exact copies of Ryan's own eyes.
Ryan stepped forward slowly, completely ignoring the champagne glass that slipped from a guest's hand and shattered against the floor. His breathing turned shallow and heavy as he stared down at the little boy sitting near a low dining table lined with gold-backed chairs. The boy looked up at Ryan's tear-streaked face and scrunched up his nose in a very specific, funny expression. The child giggled softly and pointed a small finger right at Ryan's face.
Child: You make my desert face!
Ryan: They have my eyes... Claire, are they mine?
Victoria: She disappeared five years ago, Ryan! Do not let this crazy woman ruin our family event!
strong>Ryan: Victoria, look at them! Look at their faces!
Victoria: She is a scammer looking for our money! Security, get her out of here right now!
Victoria's voice was tight and panicked as her fingers dug deeper into Ryan's sleeve, pulling him backward toward the center stage. But Ryan pulled his arm away from his sister's grip with absolute disgust. He took three long strides across the hardwood floor, dropping to his knees right in front of Claire and the two trembling kids. Tears welled up in his green eyes, blurring the image of the woman he thought he had lost forever.
Claire pulled the kids closer to her skirt, her body shaking as tears streamed down her soft cheeks. She looked at Ryan with a mix of painful love and deep bitterness that cut right through his soul. The crowd gathered around them in a wide circle, whispering loudly under the bright daylight. Victoria hurried over, her expensive heels clicking loudly against the wood, her face pale with pure fury as she tried to step between Ryan and his long-lost wife.