LOGINAs if asking her to return to him—to the version of her that smiled easily, without the lingering tension from this morning.No matter what, Cale still cared about how she felt.“Of course.” Lydia gave a faint smile, slipping her hand into his.Their fingers intertwined.Andrew quickly stepped forwa
“Where is she?” Lydia asked, her voice edged with confusion.Her eyes kept searching for the girl she had just been talking to. As she stepped out of the restroom area, her pace slowed, her breath still slightly uneven—as if she had left something behind in there. Not an object. Not a sound.A feeli
Naomi nodded again without hesitation. “Ah, I should get back to work.” She picked up a few cleaning tools, moving quickly—until—“Ouch!” Naomi winced, instinctively grabbing her wrist.A dark bruise was visible there.“I should go,” she added quickly.“Are you okay?” Lydia asked, startled by what s
The Berlin sky was bright that afternoon, but Lydia’s mood was anything but light. She wandered through a city park without direction, letting her steps carry her wherever they pleased. The rustling trees, the soft breeze, the people passing by—it all faded into the background.There was only one th
The building rose high in the heart of Berlin’s business district, its wide glass panels reflecting the bright midday sky while the traffic below moved in steady order. The car carrying Cale came to a smooth stop at the main entrance, and without delay, a staff member stepped forward to greet him wi
Morning came quietly.Breakfast passed in a strange silence, not awkward, but not comfortable either. The soft clink of cutlery filled the space, occasionally broken by a quiet breath, but no real conversation followed.Lydia looked at her plate more often than at Cale. It wasn’t that she lacked app
“And you can draw your own conclusions from what we’ve explained, can’t you?” Chris asked. The easy humor was gone from his eyes; there was nothing casual about him now. When it came to work—especially anything involving Harold—Chris could become an entirely different man.“This project is worth a g
“So… you know what to do, right?” Chris asked, eyeing Josh.The boy beside him grinned from ear to ear. “Of course. I’m not about to tell anyone we spent all that time at the arcade. Or that we had hamburgers, then ice cream, pizza, and… soda.”Chris chuckled. “You’re a good little reminder.”“But U
The midday air in Mighatan felt oddly cold despite the blazing sun overhead. A brisk wind swept through the cemetery, tugging at Althea’s hair until she had to smooth it down more than once. But the moment she reached her mother’s grave, she ignored the chill, the sunlight, and the wind.She stood s
“You should get some sleep. It’s really late,” Kate said gently to Daven, who looked utterly drained. But it wasn’t just him—her two daughters were clearly exhausted as well. Their conversation had gone on far too long, yet none of them had the heart to end it abruptly.At the very least, Kate now u







