Esmeralda was stunned by Mrs. Vega's response. Her eyes went wide, and for a moment, she didn't know how to react.

"Forgive me, but... how is that possible?" she finally managed to articulate. "I understand your daughter Amelia is alive and..."

"I do not know where you got that information, Mrs. Valente," Mrs. Vega interrupted in a cold voice, "but I assure you that you are mistaken. The Amelia, who was my daughter, died years ago, and as you can understand, that is a painful subject of which I