A Vow of Deception, A Vow of Revenge novel Chapter 75

This was her only precious granddaughter. If there was anything different about Winona, Jane Warner could spot it at a glance.

Tears welled in Jane's eyes.

But since Winona hadn't brought anything up, Jane chose not to ask. She didn't want to prod at old wounds.

"You've lost so much weight—how did I not notice in our video calls?" Jane fussed over her, pinching Winona's cheek with tender concern. "Have you not been eating properly out there?"

"That's not true, Grandma. I'm healthy, really!"

"Nonsense. There's hardly any flesh on you!"

Victor stood off to the side, lips twitching with a smile that he quickly hid behind a stern expression. "Alright, enough standing around the doorway. Let's go inside."

The dining table was covered with Winona's favorite dishes, a labor of love by her grandmother and the family's chef.

She hadn't tasted home cooking in years, and now her appetite seemed endless—she couldn't stop eating.

Jane kept piling food onto her plate, while Victor quietly refilled her soup bowl whenever it was empty.

"It's just so good to have you home," Jane repeated over and over. But Winona never grew annoyed—if anything, her heart felt warmer each time she heard it.

After dinner, drowsiness crept in.

Lying in her long-missed bedroom, Winona gazed at the family photo on her nightstand.

In the picture, she wore pigtails and a radiant smile. Her father stood tall in a crisp suit—so young then, his handsome face still free of the sternness it carried now. Her grandmother cradled her, happiness etched into every wrinkle. And her mother…

Her mother stood beside her father, those beautiful eyes filled with gentle warmth.

"Mom," Winona whispered to the photo, "I'm home."

A soft knock sounded at her door.

She got up and opened it to find her father holding a mug of warm milk, looking a little awkward—something rare for him. "Drink this before you sleep."

"Thanks, Dad."

Winona was still fast asleep, buried under her covers, when Veronica leaned in and started chanting into her ear, "Nona, rise and shine! The sun's up and you're still in bed, Nona…"

Winona swatted at her, but Veronica nimbly dodged.

"Ha! Trying to hit me? You'll have to do better than that."

"I haven't slept enough…" Winona groaned, pulling the blanket over her head. "Go amuse yourself for a bit, okay?"

"Amuse myself how? Nona, we haven't seen each other in years—don't you miss me?" Veronica tugged the comforter away.

"Not even a little."

"Heartless!"

Despite her words, Winona was secretly thrilled to see her best friend again. Her sleepiness evaporated, and after a quick wash, the two of them settled on the balcony for breakfast and a long, overdue chat.

Winona told Veronica everything that had happened during her time away.