The summer evening glowed gold across the shopping district. Music drifted from rooftop cafés while crowds filled the sidewalks
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Chapter 3 / 15
Chapter 3: The Message in the Photo
""May I see the picture again?"" Sofia asked softly.
Leo handed over the vintage, worn photograph. Sofia turned it over. On the back, written in faint, trembling blue ink, was a message only Sofia would understand: “The roots remain where the leaf fell. Protect our future.”
Sofia’s eyes narrowed. The roots. It was an address—the old suburban greenhouse where she and Clara spent their youth studying botany before their lives were derailed.
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""Leo,"" Sofia said, looking into his hopeful eyes. ""Your mom isn't just hiding. She left a trail for us to find her. But we have to be smart, and we have to be brave.""
Leo nodded solemnly, wiping his nose with his sleeve. ""I’m brave. Mom said I have your courage.""
