Ember Frost's POV After a few minutes, a tall man in his late fifties walked into the room. His presence suddenly made the big space feel small, like he filled it all up just by being there. "It's okay, Renee, enough of the crying. Don't disgrace yourself in front of the child," he said, pulling her into his arms. He hugged her gently while she kept crying hard, and he comforted her with patience, rubbing her back softly. Slowly the lady’s tears quieted to soft sniffles, her shoulders easing under the warm light of the chamber’s lanterns. The man turned to me, his eyes steady but bright with unspoken hope. From his coat pocket, he pulled out a folded document. With a trembling hand, he held it out with a gentle nod. "My dear, I know all this is hard for you to believe, but everything yo

