Chapter 18
Rylee didn't just see the tears tracking down Natalie's face; she felt the sorrow, a heavy, suffocating wave of despair that washed over her like an icy tide. It was more than sadness—it was a deep, paralyzing terror, vibrating from Natalie's core and settling like a physical ache in Rylee's own chest. Rylee understood, with a painful clarity that cut through the silence, that the secret Natalie was clutching wasn't just some casual oversight. It was the linchpin holding her small, precious world together.
To an outsider, the consequences might seem minor and easily dismissed. But Rylee knew better. She sensed the depth of Natalie's conviction: the mere thought of losing Maddox, her anchor, or her beloved pup, the innocent creature who offered unconditional love, weighed heavi
