Leah
I sobbed into her shoulder, all the guilt I had carried for years crashing down at once. "I'm sorry... if I hadn't gone missing... if I hadn't —"
"Hush." Her fingers brushed my hair slowly. "It's not your fault you were kidnapped. It's not your fault—" she choked, holding me tighter as she cried with me
"I was cruel to you and blamed you for everything," she said. "I needed someone to hate, Leah. I needed a place to pour all that pain, and you were the only one I could do that to."
My chest ached. "I deserved it."
"I never should have said those things to you."
Her words only fueled my guilt, knowing I was protecting the man who killed her son.
Around us, the room stayed quiet with mom, dad, and Roman just watching.
After a while, Aunty pulled back just enough to look at my f
