âElena, thereâs no need to be sad.
Your father had some matters to attend to.
Heâll return as soon as heâs done.
â
Elenaâs gaze dropped, cloaked in silence.
Contemplating recent events, I crouched down and addressed her earnestly, âElena, you mustnât be alone around strangers lately, especially Dylan, alright?â
âWhy?â My daughter blinked, posing an innocent question.
Uncertain of how to convey the truth, I resorted to finding a plausible excuse, âThese days, there seem to be some weird characters about, and itâs not safe anywhere.
Iâm just concerned about your well-being
Though Elena remained puzzled, she nodded with grave sincerity.
âOkay, Mommy, Iâll listen to you.
I wonât go anywhere
A heavy weight settled in my chest as I looked at her adorable face.
Her pink cheeks and bright eyes tugged at my heart.
Denise posed a real threat, and I was determined to shield my daughter from harm.
However, I couldnât be with her every moment of the day; I had to attend to matters involving the fire investigation.
The dilemma gnawed at me.
How could I keep her safe?
Deniseâs POV:
Dylanâs state was awful.
He was drenched in sweat and he looked utterly drained.
The doctor had examined him multiple times, each time exhaling heavy sighs.
Caleb remained tense, his presence a constant at Dylanâs bedside.
I was worried over the possibility of him breaking down, so I coaxed him gently, âCaleb, grab a bite to eat.
Let me watch over him for a bit.
Youâve gone a whole day without food.
Itâs not sustainable to keep this up.
â
âNo, thanks.
â
Calebâs response was swift, his eyes not meeting mine.
His rejection carried a cold edge, and my raised hand seemed to freeze in the air.
A pang of sadness settled in my chest.
I could see that Caleb loved Dylan very much.
If he could let me glimpse a fraction of that affection, maybe things wouldnât have reached this point.
Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updatesâ¦
As time drifted away, the clock played its quiet tune.
Dusk was settling in rapidly, with the moon casting a gentle glow across the night sky, casting a soft, hazy blanket over the earth-a sight so tranquil it could lull anyone to sleep.
After taking care of Dylan for a whole day, Calebâs endurance finally gave way, and he succumbed to exhaustion right by the bedside.
I found myself fixated on his handsome, peaceful visage-this sight made my mind whirl.
The situation felt almost comical.
If it werenât for Dylanâs illness, I doubted I would ever have witnessed Calebâs defenses crumble, allowing him to doze off right before my eyes.
After all, he had never truly placed his trust in me, always maintaining a guarded stance, as if expecting some hidden threat from me.
Out of the blue, a message popped up, which brought me back to reality.
I grabbed my phone and instinctively tucked it away when I saw it was a text from Luis.