“How am I supposed to explain you to my mom?” she’d asked early that morning before they boarded the plane. “The woman’s a guilt-tripping genius. Do you have any idea how bad it will be for me when she sees you?”

“I don’t care,” he’d answered.

That had been a lie. He did care, but not for the reasons Dawn thought.

In order for him to feel okay about his concession, he’d had to make it part of his ultimate revenge.

Dawn had managed to keep him secret for years. That ended today. Her mother would turn around to see him, the Chinese boy she had never wanted Dawn to tutor. Then she’d recoil in horror at how far her daughter had sunk. She might even yell and scream at Dawn for daring to bring a Chinese hoodlum to her door.

This forced meeting would be even more satisfying than when he’d outed Dawn to her family nine years ago. And her mother’s upset would make up for any confusion he felt about not only allowing Dawn to leave Rhode Island but also escorting her all the way to Texas.

He braced himself, more than ready for this confrontation.

However, her mother didn’t turn around as they came up the sidewalk. Not even when they stopped right behind her and Dawn called out, “Mom. Mom!”

Eventually, Dawn resorted to touching her mother’s shoulder, which made her mother jump and nearly drop her pruning shears before whipping around to see who had scared her.

Gyeong Kingston was both smaller and more delicate than Victor expected. She was a couple of inches shorter than Dawn, with long black hair that she wore tied back in a loose braid. He now understood Dawn’s story about how her father insisted on calling her mom Doll. If you put an Instagram filter over the fine lines around her eyes and mouth and perhaps added an eyelid surgery, she would look exactly like a doll you’d find in a package.

She gasped when she saw the daughter she hadn’t spoken to in nine years standing there.

“Dawn?” she said, her mouth falling open with utter shock…right before her expression softened, and she threw her arms around her daughter. To both Victor’s and Dawn’s shock.

“Dawn! Why didn’t you tell me you are coming down here to see me?” she demanded, drawing back to sign and speak at the same time.

Her warm brown eyes so similar to Dawn’s landed on Victor. “And who is this man in a suit that you’ve brought with you?”

“I tried to call you, but you never answered,” Dawn told her, ignoring the second question.