Chapter 2: The Quiet Fortress
Returning to the sprawling family estate was jarring. For months, it had been Chloe’s domain, filled with harsh words and cold demands. Now, the grand foyer echoed only with the sound of Sarah’s tires on the hardwood and Lily’s tentative footsteps.
The house felt too large, too quiet. Lily refused to let go of the gray bunny—a gift from her biological mother before she passed away. It was her anchor in a world that had repeatedly thrown her into storms.
""Is the bad lady hiding?"" Lily asked, her voice a tiny, fearful squeak as she peered into the darkened living room.
May you like
""No, my love,"" Sarah said, rolling forward and flicking on the warm, golden lamps. She reached out, pulling Lily onto her lap. ""This is our fortress now. Only people who love each other are allowed inside.""
That night, they slept in the same bed. Sarah lay awake, feeling the steady, rhythmic breathing of the little girl curled against her side. The physical pain in her spine was a dull roar, but the fierce, maternal instinct burning in her chest eclipsed it entirely. She was broken physically, but as a mother, she was made of iron.
