Chapter 30
The agreement between Ella and Lyra was not warm, nor was it sealed with smiles. It came quietly, spoken in low tones, without fanfare. Their voices had carried the weight of exhaustion more than conviction, and when it was finished, both women walked away as though the fragile understanding might splinter with one wrong step.
They would not rebuild what had been broken. They would not call each other sister again. But neither would they stand as enemies anymore.
In the days that followed, a strange rhythm settled over their lives. They lived apart, each in her own space, but their paths crossed often enough that the truce was tested daily. At family gatherings or moments with the children, they carried themselves carefully, always aware of the eyes watching, always measuring
