Isabella slowly touched the tiny engraving inside the pocket watch.
Tears filled her eyes.
She whispered,
"My childhood nickname was Bella."
The room stood frozen.
Twenty years earlier, a devastating fire had destroyed the children's home where Isabella had lived before being adopted by the Morgan family.
During the chaos, two sisters had become separated.
Everyone believed the younger child had died.
Lily had survived.
She had spent years moving between foster homes before eventually working as a maid to support herself.
The pocket watch was the only thing connecting her to the family she had lost.
Inside her bridal bouquet, Isabella carried an old photograph she had kept since childhood.
She carefully unfolded it.
Half of the image matched the faded photograph inside Lily's pocket watch perfectly.
There was no longer any doubt.
The crying maid standing before her was the little sister she had searched for her entire life.
Without caring about the hundreds of shocked guests watching, Isabella threw her arms around Lily.
Both sisters cried uncontrollably.
"I'm so sorry I couldn't find you," Isabella whispered.
"You never lost me," Lily replied.
"I just never knew where to look."
Andrew stared at his mother in disbelief.
"Mother..."
"What is going on?"
Margaret slowly lowered her head in shame.
She realised she had humiliated her future daughter-in-law's long-lost sister without ever knowing the truth.
In front of every guest, she apologised to Lily.
Then she invited her to stand beside Isabella for the rest of the wedding ceremony.
Later that evening, the sisters shared their first dance together before Isabella danced with her husband.
There was hardly a dry eye in the ballroom.
Months later, Lily moved into the Morgan family home while she completed university with Isabella's support.
The silver pocket watch was carefully restored and displayed inside a glass case.
Beneath it was a small silver plaque engraved with words neither sister would ever forget:
"Time separated us... but love never stopped counting the days until we found each other again."