Levi ran his fingers through her hair, brushing it off her face with care.“If you're not comfortable answering,” he said softly, “you don’t have to say anything, at least not right away.”Kaliyah nodded slowly.Then Levi asked quietly, “Who was the woman you bumped into when you left the forest?”She hesitated for a moment before replying, “My foster mom. Kate.”Levi nodded, his jaw tightening slightly. “And the boy that came to your room earlier?”She looked down, her voice a bit lower. “Kate’s son, Don, my foster brother.”His next question came out slower. “Was Kate the one who… gave you that bruise on your wrist?”Kaliyah didn’t speak right away, but eventually, she nodded.Levi's face darkened. His eyes lost their warmth for a second, replaced by a storm of fury he tried to control.“And…” he asked,gentler, “Was that the first time? Has she… been hurting you before?”At the question, he felt her body stiffen beside him.“I’m sorry,” he said quickly, leaning forward to place a so
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