Chapter 4 - The Door Unlocked
In the quiet aftermath of the attack, Stone sat in his study while a physician bandaged his shoulder. Sofia entered quietly, carrying a cup of warm tea. Her eyes were wide with worry as she saw the blood-soaked bandages.
“You took a bullet for us,” she whispered, sitting beside him and placing her soft hand over his uninjured arm. “Why would you risk everything for a maid and her child?”
“Because you aren’t just a maid, Sofia,” Stone said softly, looking deep into her eyes. “You and Emma gave me back my soul when I thought it was dead.”
The next morning, Stone woke up to find the mansion strangely silent. Walking down the hallway, his heart skipped a beat when he saw the door to Claire’s bedroom standing wide open. He rushed forward, panic lacing his chest.
Inside the preserved room, Emma was standing beside Claire’s open storybook. In her tiny hands, she held a single, blooming golden sunflower that had defied the winter cold in the greenhouse. She carefully placed it on Claire’s pillow next to the pink sweater.
May you like
Emma turned around, smiling softly up at Stone. “I told Claire you were smiling today,” Emma said innocently. “She said it was okay if I gave her doll a hug.”
Stone fell to his knees, wrapping his arms around Emma as tears finally spilled down his face. The long, agonizing grief that had chained him to his past broke completely. Claire was gone, but her memory wasn't a prison anymore—it was a blessing guiding him to protect this precious second chance.
