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The silence in the grand office after the exit of the associates felt heavy, vibrating with an unspoken tension that could shatter glass. / Chapter 18 / 20

Chapter 18 - The Little Artist

Footsteps pattered rapidly across the gravel path. Little Mia dashed up to the bench, her cheeks flushed with excitement, holding a piece of paper covered in clumsy colored-pencil strokes.

"Daddy! Mommy! Look!" Mia cried out proudly.

Lorenzo scooped her up onto his lap, looking down at the drawing. It showed three stick figures—a tall man in a black suit, a woman in a green dress, and a tiny girl holding a yellow flower, all standing beneath a massive castle.

"Is this us?" Lorenzo asked, his voice thick with unaccustomed emotion.

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"Yes!" Mia beamed. "We live in the castle forever and ever."

Alina reached out, tracing the edge of the paper, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "It's the best castle in the world, sweetheart."

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