As the words left Ilyana's lips, "You are my daughter, Isabel... And I am your mother," Isabel's reaction was swift and visceral. She stood up abruptly with her eyes wide in shock and disbelief. "N-no... Your Excellency... You are mistaken... I... My mother... is Teressa... She was the one who gave birth to me," Isabel insisted, her voice trembling with the weight of the unexpected revelation.
"Isabella..." Ilyana began, but her words were cut off by Isabel's sharp retort.
"No! Do not call me by that name! I am not your daughter!" Isabel's voice rose, filled with confusion, fear, and denial. The raw emotion in her voice was like a dagger to Ilyana's heart as the words reverberated in the room like a harsh echo of a long-forgotten wound.
Ilyana gasped with her hand flying to her mouth a
