"How did you meet her?" Shawn's deep voice resonated with curiosity.

"Huh?" Mia looked up, puzzled by the unexpected question.

What was he talking about?

"You said she's not your birth mother, so how did you two cross paths?" He calmly inquired once more.

Mia's eyes blinked repeatedly, and she took a deep breath as her mind strolled down memory lane.

She began, "My dad brought in a woman and a daughter a few months older than me right after my mom was buried. It was devastating. From the moment they stepped into our house, I knew no peace. Three years ago, one night, I left home with the determination...