Chapter 18 - The Unbroken CircleInside the house, the warmth of the evening wrapped around us like a comforting blanket.
I sat at the kitchen island—the very surface where Charles had dropped his forged folder three years ago—helping little Lucas stack colorful wooden blocks into a towering castle.
"Higher, Mommy! Make it higher!" Lucas squealed, clapping his hands together.
"Careful now," I laughed, steadying the topmost block as Maya toddled over and gleefully knocked the whole tower down, sending wooden pieces clattering across the floor.
Both children burst into fits of delighted laughter.
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I pulled them both into my arms, hugging them tightly against my chest.
They would never know the coldness of that gray Tuesday morning. They would never feel the sting of betrayal or the terror of a father’s cruel hand. They would grow up knowing only love, stability, and an unshakeable sense of security.
