ANMELDENGrace As soon as the car stops in the driveway, the driver steps out, leaving me and Tristin in the backseat. The heavy silence between us feels suffocating. Alexander is not Tristin’s son. We fought so many times over this, and it turns out, Ethan was playing us on this front, too.To make sure
TristinMy stomach twists. I clench my hands into fists and place them in my lap, hidden from everyone’s view.That boy’s face flashes before my eyes, and I release a slow breath, trying to control the rage simmering beneath the surface.It’s true that I just can’t feel the connection with him—a con
TristinI thought she would fall for that fucker’s trap again. I knew he wanted her to come to him and ask about that child. I wanted to stop her, tell her that she would be making another mistake, one that was eerily similar to all mistakes she had made before.But I kept quiet and followed her as
GraceThe door to the stuffy room opens, and he steps through the doorway. My hands lift from the cold table and land in my lap cautiously.An officer walks him towards the table in the center of the dimly lit room. His green eyes remain fixed on me—intense and cold.Instinctively, I break eye conta
Grace“ Why were you hurting yourself? ” I ask the boy, my eyes fixed on his drenched form.He remains silent and shivers with cold. My gaze flickers towards the air conditioner. I sigh, then reach for the remote and turn it off. “ That woman, Selene, your mother won’t come back. ” I sigh.Suddenly
GraceThe doctor Alma mentioned came with a black eye and a swollen cheek. I was shocked to see him cowering in front of Tristin, but the shock didn’t persist for a long time.After all, this was what was expected of Tristin. I knew he must have beaten this doctor up to get rid of the anger he felt
GraceThe corridor outside the operation theatre is filled with tension. Mom sits stiffly on one of the chairs, her fingers twisting together, while Tristin paces back and forth, his jaw tight. Every few minutes, he runs a hand through his hair and squeezes his eyes shut whenever Ania’s screams ech
GraceA deafening silence falls in the room after Tristin tells me the truth.Or maybe it’s another well-crafted lie to soften my heart and make me stay put. I don’t know anymore. But as I stare at his lowered head and tense shoulder…I know that he is suffering. And I never like it when he is hav
GraceTristin nods, his grip tightening. “ Is it really that painful? ”I smile softly. “ Do you not remember when I gave birth? I was screaming and— ”“ Stop. ” Tristin’s voice turns bitter. He turns his head, his eyes darkening. “ I don’t want to recall that, and I do not want you to go through th
GraceIt was nearly impossible to convince Tristin to adopt Sebas—That…child.But then again, Tristin was right in his own way.I couldn’t even bring myself to call that child by his name because…somehow, he shared the same name as my son, so how was I going to raise him? How was I going to deal wi







