Nadine sat on the cold pavement, her arms wrapped around Liam as they watched their home burn. Tears streamed down her face, though she barely noticed. The flames crackled, smoke rising into the dark sky. Firefighters worked to put out the fire, but it was already too late—the house was gone. Everything she had built, every memory she had made with Liam, was now ash.
Liam clung to her, his small body shaking. “Mommy… my toys… my drawings…” his voice broke, and Nadine’s heart shattered into pieces.
She kissed the top of his head, trying to stay strong. “It’s okay, baby. Mommy’s here.” But deep down, she didn’t know what to do next.
Just then, the sound of a car screeching to a stop made her look up. A black SUV pulled over, and before she could react, Adrian was running toward them. His
