Chapter 7 - Bonding Through the Storm
At the countryside estate, surrounded by tall pine trees and high security fences, Ethan spent every available moment catching up on nine lost years with his daughter.
He taught Laya how to ride a bicycle on the paved driveway. He read her stories by the fireplace at night. For the first time in her life, Laya slept in a warm bed with clean sheets, without the constant fear of footsteps in dark alleys or the bite of cold winter rain.
"Dad?" Laya asked one evening, looking up from a drawing she was making at the coffee table.
"Yes, sweetheart?" Ethan replied, looking over from his desk.
"Is the bad man who made Mom go away going to hurt us?"
May you like
Ethan walked over, sat beside her on the rug, and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Never again, Laya. Your mother gave everything to keep you safe, and I will tear down mountains before I let anyone touch a hair on your head. You are home now."
Laya smiled—a genuine, unburdened smile that reached her bright brown eyes—and leaned her head against his shoulder. For Ethan, the cold, hollow emptiness that had haunted his life since Clara's death was finally healed.
