Chapter 728

Chapter 728:

Then, just like that, he stood up, ready to leave—ready to run.

Before he could take a step, Linda’s fingers clamped around his tiny arm. Not rough, but firm.

Her voice dipped, low and sharp, a far cry from the gentle act she’d been putting on. “Listen to me, Locke, I’m going to marry your father. That means—whether you like it or not—I will be your mother.”

“No! Let me go!” the boy cried, yanking at his arm, his small body twisting in panic.

Terror surged through him, and without thinking, he ran.

He sprinted blindly, breath coming in quick gasps—until he crashed into Nyla’s legs.

“Locke? What happened?”

The way his small hands clutched at Nyla—the way his body trembled against her—said everything. He was scared.

“Locke!”

Linda stormed after the boy, her expression dark with frustration. Her anger flickered, replaced momentarily by surprise when she saw Nyla.

“Great-grandma.” At the sight of Nyla, Locke didn’t hesitate—he burrowed deeper into her embrace, his small body trembling as he turned his back to Linda. He clung to Nyla as if she were his shield, refusing to even look at Linda.

The message was painfully clear. Everyone in the Flynn family knew—Linda had never liked Locke.

“Locke, don’t be afraid. It’s okay, honey.” Nyla’s voice was a soothing whisper, laced with quiet sorrow.

𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: ⲅⱯ𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀⧸ⅽ𝗼𝗺

As her eldest great-grandchild, the boy should have had everything—a childhood filled with warmth, security, and love. Instead, he had spent three years in hardship, growing up in a world that never made room for him. Alone. Forgotten. Unwanted. The weight of it made Nyla’s chest tighten.

She held him closer. “I’m here, Locke. There’s no reason to be afraid.”

Linda’s face flushed with anger as she glared at Nyla. “What are you trying to say? Are you implying that I hurt him, and that’s why he’s afraid of me?”

“Linda…” Nyla exhaled slowly, shaking her head with quiet disappointment. “That’s not what I meant,” she said, her voice gentle but firm. “Locke is just a child. He’s only three.”

Her gaze softened as she looked down at the boy nestled against her, his small frame rigid with fear. “He’s still learning. Don’t take his words or actions so personally.”

The words struck Linda like a slap. Color flushed and drained from her face in quick succession, embarrassment colliding with rising anger.

She knew exactly how much Nyla adored Locke.

The only reason Linda had been welcomed into the Flynn family was because of her past—because once upon a time, she had saved the Flynn brothers. That debt had secured her a place among them.

But now that Locke was here… Nyla’s world had shifted.

It was painfully clear. Linda wasn’t family. Not really. She was an outsider. She would never truly belong.

“What’s going on here?” Ernest had arrived.

Before anyone could answer, Locke moved first. “Dad!”

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