Chapter 9: The Return of the Monster

“Mom! Can I play with my ball outside?” Daniel’s voice rang through the apartment, breaking my focus. I smiled at the sound of his innocence, his carefree spirit the one thing that had kept me going through the darkest of times. The world outside had been cruel, but Daniel had been my light, my reason to rise each morning.

“Sure, sweetheart,” I called back, making my way to the window to watch him run out onto the playground across the street.

A part of me was always worried when he went outside, knowing how much of the world I had to shield him from, but for now, he was safe. He was happy. And in that moment, nothing else mattered.

But then, as I turned away from the window, the bell rang—loud, urgent, almost deafening. My heart skipped a beat, and I rushed to the door, never thinking twice. Who would be at the door at this hour?

I opened it, and my breath caught in my throat.

There he was. Ethan Vaughn. Standing on the other side, as if the years had never passed. His gaze, cold a