BACK AT THE BISTRO

Irene's chest heaved slightly, suppressing her anger. "You are such a daredevil. You know how your claim riles me up, and you keep repeating it over and over again...." she said through gritted teeth, her face scrunched up in annoyance.

They were staring at each other, just a few inches apart. The air was filled with heavy tension and unspoken emotions. Ivy still had her hand on her cheek; her fingers began sliding down her face as her gaze remained fierce.

She walked closer to her, each step reverberating with defiance. "I will keep saying it until you finally see the truth... our father was never...