"So why would Zilvia, a girl who doesn't like crowds or play with other kids, and prefers to be on her own, suddenly feel like her life at home was dull? Why would she think a family like Nellie's is what she truly wants?"
Her gaze was sharp, cutting straight into Catherine. "Because you taught her to think that way."
"That's ridiculous!" Catherine's voice cracked with desperation as she shouted. "You didn't even return to the Carter family until four years ago! You know nothing about me or Zilvia! Everything you're saying is pure speculation!"
"Speculation?" Avery's expression hardened, her eyes narrowing with an icy glare. "Then explain this-why do you treat your daughter, Maria, with such indifference and disdain, while giving so much care and attention to Zilvia, the daughter my mother gave birth to? Why do you insist on handling everything for her yourself, never trusting anyone else to step in?"
