Maria stared at her, completely lost. "Isabel, slow down. You mean Damian Volkov? The Damian Elena is staying with?
"Yes!" Isabel hissed, her eyes burning.
"That man loved me once. He would have done anything for me. Until she came along—your sweet, innocent Elena—and turned him against me. Now he looks at her the way he used to look at me."
Her voice broke, and she turned away, tears spilling down her cheeks.
"Do you know how it feels, Mother? To watch him hold another woman — and now you say she's my cousin?"
Maria's chest tightened. She stood, walking to her daughter, reaching out a trembling hand. "Isabel, please… I didn't know. I swear to you, I didn't know."
But Isabel jerked away, glaring at her.
"You didn't know?" she spat. "You're her wretched aunt! You're family! You brought her into Damian's life, and now you want me to just smile and pretend everything's fine?"
Maria's voice softened. "Isabel, please, listen to me—"
