Bella didn't respond. She simply gathered the shattered pendant and placed it gently into her bag.After a long silence, she turned to Seth and gave him a smile—thin, distant, and tinged with sorrow. "No need, Uncle."She said it lightly, almost casually, and then walked off in a hurry, leaving Seth standing there, frozen.Uncle…She hadn't called him that since confessing her feelings. No matter how many times he insisted on the title, she had refused to say it. But now, she'd said it herself. Voluntarily.Seth stood rooted to the floor, unmoving. Dazed.It wasn't until Faye tugged on his arm that he blinked back into focus."Seth? What's wrong?"He quickly composed himself, his voice smoothing into one of calm reassurance. "Nothing. Don't think too much about what just happened. Bella's not a bad person, just a little spoiled after all these years. That's on me."Faye froze for a moment, surprised he was defending Bella. She managed a sweet nod, but her eyes flickered with s
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