Chapter 6: A New Beginning
The mansion felt different now.
Quieter.
Safer.
Marcus sat beside Lily on the couch, unsure of how to begin.
“I’m sorry,” he said softly.
Lily looked at him.
For a moment, there was hesitation.
Then—slowly—she leaned against him.
And Marcus felt something inside him break… and heal at the same time.
“I didn’t know,” he whispered.
Lily didn’t speak.
But she didn’t pull away either.
Days turned into weeks.
Therapy sessions.
Gentle routines.
Small victories.
And one morning—
Lily laughed.
It was soft. Brief.
But it was real.
Marcus closed his eyes, holding onto that sound like it was the most precious thing in the world.
Because it was.
He had almost lost her.
But now—
He would spend the rest of his life making sure she never felt afraid again.
May you like
And this time…
He was watching.
