Chapter 7: The Road of Shadows**
The journey south required abandoning all modern technology. Marcus provided an old 1988 diesel utility truck with no electronic control modules, completely invisible to modern digital signal interceptions.
Lily sat between Victoria and Martha in the cab, the hum of the engine a steady vibration through the vinyl bench. Outside, rain turned into a heavy downpour, obscuring the Pennsylvania state line.
"Mommy, why did Mr. Sterling have so many pictures of buildings in his office, but no pictures of people?" Lily asked suddenly, looking up from her lap.
Victoria glanced down at her daughter, brushing a stray lock of blonde hair behind her ear. "Because people like Mr. Sterling believe that things you build with stone and money last forever. They don't understand that the only things that truly matter are the things you build inside people's hearts."
"He told me that if I cried, it meant I was weak," Lily whispered. "He said strong people never show their feelings."
Victoria pulled Lily closer, wrapping an arm around her small shoulders. "Crying doesn't mean you're weak, Lily. It means you care. It means you're human. The people who never cry are the ones who have forgotten how to feel anything at all. Never let them take your softness away."
May you like
Martha glanced over the steering wheel, a quiet look of profound respect passing between the two women. In the rearview mirror, two sets of headlights suddenly appeared through the driving rain, maintaining a steady, aggressive distance behind them.
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