I look at him and nod. "I want to apologize for how I acted toward you and Stella when I first met you both," I tell him.

He looks at me, his eyes softening. "There's no need to apologize. I would've acted exactly like you did if I was in your shoes," he says.

I stare at him, but he sighs. "Ava, my mother controlled everything, and the family put a spell on our father who we thought loved us. I don't hold anything against you - you were going through hell, and it ...