IT STARTED WITH A LIE AND ENDED WITH US.
Her grip was small but firm, and she shook it exactly once, up and down, with the solemnity of a business executive closing a deal.
"I'm Kiara," she said, and her voice was steadier now, stronger. "My momma calls me pumpkin, and my great-grandpa calls me princess Kiara Lilly-Rose."
She boosted so proudly, her chin lifting, her shoulders straightening. Even with tear tracks still wet on her cheeks, even with her eyes red and swollen, she managed to look like a queen introducing herself to a subject.
Kiara.
The name hit Justin like a physical blow. His breath caught, and for a moment, the world seemed to tilt around him.
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