The Name That Shouldn't Exist
The room became deathly silent.
Steve stared at Sophia.
Sophia stared back.
Neither moved.
Neither breathed.
The name hung between them like a ticking bomb.
Stanley.
For twenty-five years, Steve had protected that secret.
For twenty-five years, the world believed Stanley Clark was dead.
And now...
The woman he loved most had spoken his name.
Sophia immediately noticed the change.
The color draining from his face.
The tension.
The fear.
The guilt.
It was all there.
For the first time, Steve couldn't hide it.
And that terrified her.
Because suddenly she understood something.
Stanley wasn't just some forgotten relative.
Stanley mattered.
A lot.
"Who is he?"
Steve closed his eyes.
The
