Chapter 6 - Down in the DarkThe basement of Hope Orphanage smelled of damp concrete, bleach, and despair.
Robert kicked open the heavy iron door at the end of the corridor. Inside a cramped, freezing room sat a narrow cot. On it lay an elderly woman with silver hair, wrapped in a thin gray blanket, breathing shallowly.
Clara Miller opened her eyes as the light flooded in.
She squinted against the brightness, looking up at the imposing figure standing in the doorway. Slowly, recognition dawned in her tired, beautiful eyes.
“Robert...?” she rasped, her voice weak.
Robert dropped to his knees beside the cot, ignoring the cold floor. He carefully took her frail, trembling hand in his, tears unashamedly spilling down his cheeks for the first time in decades.
“I’m here, Clara,” he choked out, pressing her hand against his face. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry I let you disappear.”
Clara managed a weak, loving smile, lifting her other hand to touch his cheek. “I knew... I knew you still had a heart beneath all that steel, Robert. That’s why... that’s why I sent them to you.”
Robert froze. He looked back over his shoulder.
Ethan, Emma, and Evan stood quietly in the doorway, clutching their blankets.
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“You... you sent them?” Robert whispered, looking back at Clara.
“They aren't just orphans, Robert,” Clara whispered, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “They’re your children. Born just after I left... kept safe until the day I could bring them to the only man strong enough to protect them.”
