Vanessa, ever composed, managed a smile and looked at Walden's daughter. "Hello, Miss Wells. I'm a friend of your father's."
Yara glanced at the glamorous, sexy woman with a flash of contempt. She wasn't a three-year-old who could be fooled by the ‘just friends' line.
Yara wasn't easy to fool. Raised in a single-parent home, she had endured a lot. Having no one to rely on from a young age had made her incredibly hardworking and ambitious.
She hadn't come to compete with anyone for a man's attention. She was here to get justice for her mother. If this so-called father was still surrounded by a flock of women who would embarrass her mother, she would rather not acknowledge him at all.
Besides, she was perfectly capable on her own. She had just graduated with a master's in Computer Engineering from Kingston University, one of the top schools in the country.
Yara ignored Vanessa's friendly gesture and turned directly to Walden. Her voice was calm but held an unwavering resolve. "My mother and I didn't come here for your money. I just wanted to see what my biological father was like. But it seems your life is quite colorful, and my existence was just an accident. You can go on pretending I don't exist. We won't disturb you any longer."
With that, Yara took her mother's hand and turned to leave.
"I messed up," Walden said, voice raw. "Tell me what you need. I'll spend the rest of my life making it right."
Beside them, Olivia pressed a hand to her lips, tears slipping free as all those lonely years crashed back over her.
Yara stopped and looked at him, saying nothing.
Walden understood immediately. He turned to Vanessa, his tone icy. "Miss Shannon, please leave. And don't ever appear before me again."
A hint of pride finally appeared on Olivia's face as she answered for her daughter. "Yara has done very well for herself. She just finished her master's at Kingston University."
"Kingston University? A master's?" Walden's eyes widened, and his voice trembled with excitement. He never imagined his daughter would be so accomplished. The news was the perfect antidote to the grief of losing his son.
After all, his son had been a good-for-nothing, while his daughter was so brilliant.
His face lit up with immense surprise and pride.
Kingston University was the nation's top institution. Just getting in was an achievement, but his daughter had earned a master's degree. She was incredibly successful.

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