Chapter 32
hose loomed before us like a shadow of my pa. Its faded paint and broken rindows whispered of shandonment, but to me, it seemed memories (nurewarned to revisit]
Lamonparked the
his movements deliberate and hesed the weight perming on me.
You say?” he asked his voice soft brat firm:[]
Inodded, though wasnt sure if it was the truth. Stepping out of the car, the crunch of gravel bewith my boots fer heavier than usual||
The moment se croined the threshold. I was hit with a wave of great brought makes. These of aged wood and dirt hung in the air, mingling with fant
My fingers trailed along the edge of an old rable as memories Bonded back, Laughter the dinner table. My mom burning the cooked. My dad’s rare but im smides. It all felt like a
“Where’s the sintage room?“Larion’s voice broke through my reverie, grounding mal
I allowed hard and gestoward the back of the house. This way
had the courage maste
The room had always been forbiddon, a mystery ever dared to ul. My parents hat kept it locked and even after they past, I never had the
Now, standing before the door, my hesitation wered
wavered, Larson gave mind. hand warm on my shambler.[]
With trembing fingers 1 named the knob and pushed the door open
The room chain log that coed relies of a longargan. The thick and heavy, stirring an unmay feeling in my chest.]]
making “Larson said, already moving toward a stack of cranes. Everything in here candid be a chur
I nodded steeling myself as I began rifting through the past. Old clothes, faded photographs, and rande trinket pad through my hands, each one bringing a pang of hillerswee mastalgia
Hours felt like maraties is the thug denger into the mom’s coments,
Finally just as ( was about to give up, Lanom i voks rang ou Thurd wonbing:”||
1 rumed to see ham bobleng & deve ather–bound book. My bean skipped abst
“Adary Lasked.stepping caser
“Looks like it.” Lanan replied harding k tome,
sew to the only thing keeping my ruuation in check
doff the cover, the faint set of lavender fling the air. The hardwg the first page was warnta
“it was my mother’s ||
1ked
“A letter to my dearest daughter,” I cand aloud, my voice shaking|||
Larson learned close, his eyewing Keep
I turned the page, my bands trembling
My darling Jension, by the time you read this, your father and may no longer be with you. There are things we couldn’t tell you, things you wan our biological daughter“]
The words but me like a thunderbel staggered, and Larochefood ||
“Keep reading,” he urged gently
Tears blurred in vision all rondmeed
your story.
o know. The truth in you’re nat
“You were left at the gates of an orphanage a baby. We adopted you, raised you, and loved you our own. But there to our resimiting rester than we
uld ever imagine. Go to the orphanage where we found you. There, you will uncover the rest of your story.
The book slipped from my hands hitting the door with a set that
“Teica“Laren said, his vein paling me back to reality. This is what we came for We have to go to the orphanage.”
I nodded, wiping away my ears. The grief of Soping my identity was enchelming, breach it was a gimmer of hope–a chases to fully know the truth.]
The orphanage was quis, almost eerily so. The receptionest, an older woman with kind eyes, greeted us warmly ||
twhen we explained why we were there, her face softened with understanding. The been expecting you” she said.
My brow furrowed. “Lapentingnet]
the nodded, disappearing into a back room. A few moments later, she resumed with a thin, worn evelops
This was left by the woman who worked here before me,” she explained. “She said you’d come looking for one day
Took the envelope, my fingers trembling as I opened it traite was a single piece of paper, yellowed with age,
The words were single, hot they made my blood rum old:
Dearest Princess Jessica of the greatest con if you’re reading this, you’ve found your path. Meet at the border of the light Park
Tooked up at Larsen, my heart pounding in my chr
Trincess! CovenTM”“”“ | whospered.
Larson’s eyes darked tighing “That’s the with cave“]
froze the weight of his dashing down on me
“Wach? Lasked, my voice barely a schimper
Larson modded grimly. “Jessien are you a for?||
10
