Axel took the stairs two at a time, until he froze mid step.
His boots halted, his breath catching in his throat as a soft, broken sound filtered through the hallway.
Sobs.
A sound…muffled at first. Then a hiccup. A gasp!
His chest tightened before his brain could process why. The hallway stretched too long, as he followed the ragged breaths to the kitchen.
There, Ivy knelt on the floor, fingers trembling as she tried to gather the shattered remains of what had once been a porcelain pot!
Her hands trembled over the mess as she tried to gather the pieces, her fingers fumbling over sharp edges. One shard pricked her skin, drawing a bead of blood that bloomed like a ruby on her pale fingertip.
Axel’s heart twisted…an old, unfamiliar pang that struck deeper than any wound he had ta
