It was not that Delphine was selfish and wanted to tie her daughter to the O'Connor family to bear its heavy burdens. It was just that the risks of Isabella moving away were too great.

When she had seen the two young ones embracing earlier, Delphine had paled, as if the sky were about to collapse.

At that moment, she nearly screamed. She had to clamp a hand tightly over her mouth to stop herself.

Once the two separated, she quickly turned away, not daring to linger at the staircase. She had w