CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-THREE JACQUELINE“…so your father isn’t around anymore?”The question came suddenly, breaking through the quiet rhythm of clinking forks and low conversation.I looked up from my plate, startled. Mark’s gaze was on me, calm but unrelenting.“No,” I said after a pause. “He left when I was younger.”Across the table, Clara’s hand hovered in midair. Adam looked tense, his fork motionless.Mark didn’t seem to notice. He leaned slightly forward, his voice steady. “Left? Why?”My chest tightened. “I don’t really know,” I said, hoping that would be enough.He studied me with the same expression people wear when they’re trying to figure out how a puzzle fits together. “You don’t know, or you don’t want to say?”I swallowed, forcing a faint smile. “I just mean, he stopped being part of things. Sometimes people do that.”Clara’s voice came in, small and polite. “Mark…”“It’s alright,” I cut in quickly, even though it wasn’t. My fingers itched to fold under the t
Last Updated : 2025-11-01 Read more