Chapter 29

After lunch, Kathleen sat quietly in the garden. The weather was beautiful and warm, making it more like early spring than winter. She relaxed, breathing in the delicate fragrance of blooming flowers nearby. Petals would occasionally land on her hair. Moments like these brought her peace. Inside, Shawn stood by the window, silently observing her. She seemed enveloped in a faint melancholy. In his memory, Kathleen rarely appeared this quiet and thoughtful. "I wonder if she'll visit her family tomorrow," Judy pondered aloud, joining her son by the window and handing him a cup of drink. Shawn took it and thanked her. After a moment, he asked, "How much money did we give her family back then?" She sipped from her cup. "We offered her father some business contracts." "Did he sell his daughter?" he asked bluntly. "No, not exactly. I heard she volunteered," Judy explained. "I'm not sure whether she did it just for money, but when we handed it over, she took it without hesitation." "W