Chapter 39: A Proposition of Power
LILY The café was secluded, an oasis of privacy tucked away from the bustling city. Its soft, ambient lighting cast golden hues on the walls, and the low hum of quiet conversations filled the air. Lily sat at a corner table; her hands wrapped around a cup of chamomile tea. Her phone buzzes. She looks down to see an invitation she never would have expected, the message cryptic: *"We need to talk. For the sake of the child. Please come see me in my hospital room"* When she entered Stanley's mother room, Lily's heart leaped. The woman looked elegant even in an hospital gown, her posture regal despite the shadows of illness that dimmed her once-vibrant eyes. She wore her dignity like armour, but there was a softness to her expression—a quiet kindness tempered by the weight of experience
- Writer
