ie's

dimly lit parking lot. Emily stood beside me, her brows

around herself to block out the night chill. "Wha

had trembled as I pried open the locket. The way my heart had stopped when I saw her face ins

pered, my voice barely aud

at do you mean? Sophie, you're scaring

t me in the act." I turned to face her, my vision blurring with unshed tears. "All this time, Emily. All this time, I thought maybe

er thoughts. "Sophie, I... I don't know what to say.

shing back to that inten

– Daniel's

d his footsteps. My fingers had just pried open the loc

think you're

cket still open in my palm. Daniel stood in the doorway,

ou kept this? All these years, you still..." I gestured at t

he didn't look away.

rs. "That's all you have to

" His voice was

married not out of love, but necessity. The one who had ne

wife. I was j

urned and bolted from the room, ignoring his voice calling after me. I grabbed my car keys, my hands

d to ge

– The Pa

just... drove. I didn't know where I was g

ply. "Sophie, what are you going t

temples. "Home? Emily, I don't thin

approaching car engine cut through the silence. My h

a stop a few feet away. Th

steppe

caught in

is tall frame was stiff, his hands clenched at his sides. Even from a distance, I coul

poke. The tension in t

ence. "Daniel, what are you doing he

his eyes off me. "L

ugh. "Oh? Now you rem

took a step closer. "G

er stance protective. "She's not going

ly," Daniel said, his

at you always do, right? Control everything, make

lared. "It's n

m where I'm standing, I was just a stand-in for the w

reath. I had said it-thro

emained unreadable, but his hands clenched into f

. "I never meant for yo

's true," I whispered, my voice shak

air, looking almost... frustrat

's actually very simple. You married me to

el's

red for this moment, knowing that one day, she might unc

her hand, but

said, her voice bar

d through m

"Not now, Daniel. Ju

in. "I'll ta

to talk this through. But one look at her tear-st

car, I stood frozen, w

long time, I felt some

e

f losing h