The penthouse looked flawless—glass staircases, crystal chandeliers, and blue city lights glowing beyond the windows.
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Chapter 2 / 15
Chapter 2: The Awakening
In the sterile white room of the military hospital, Clara woke to the sound of steady monitors. Arthur sat by her bed, still in his dress uniform, looking older than his fifty-odd years. As Clara tried to move, the physical pain mirrored her emotional fracture. She confessed how the abuse started small—a raised voice, a gripped wrist—before escalating. Arthur realized with crushing guilt that his constant deployments had left her seeking validation in the wrong places. The enemy wasn't just Liam; it was the isolation Clara had endured.
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