“Ends?” She tilted her head. “You’ve been gone for three months. You don’t know how things work.
This is my home too. And if you think you can walk back in and erase my rules… you’re in for an unpleasant surprise.”
Adrian didn’t argue. He didn’t shout.
He walked away. But as he carried Hannah toward the house, he felt it. Vanessa wasn’t worried.
She was smiling. And that smile promised she’d been planning more than chores. Hannah’s Bedroom Looked Like A Punishment
Upstairs, Adrian pushed open Hannah’s bedroom door.
He froze again. The room used to be colorful, messy in the best way—dolls on the floor, storybooks stacked by the bed, drawings taped to the wall like Hannah was proudly decorating her own little world. Now it looked stripped clean.
No toys. No stuffed animals. No drawings.
Just a perfectly made bed and an empty desk, like a room designed to remind a child to stay quiet. Hannah’s voice was small against his neck. “Dad… I’m scared.”
Adrian swallowed hard.
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