Chapter 197.

Jenna’s POV

After cleaning up Chloe’s room, I tiredly made my way downstairs. Nothing could have ever prepared me for how energetic a child could be and how exhausting it is trying to keep up with them.

The house was quiet now, an unsettling silence that contrasted the earlier whirlwind of bedtime stories and sugar highs.

Following a sliver of light emanating from beneath the closed study door, I found Eddie slumped over his desk, a half-empty bottle of whiskey keeping him company. A flicker of concern warred with a surge of anger. Here he was, drowning his sorrows with alcohol, while I, the responsible one, had been the one putting Chloe to bed.

Pushing the door open a crack, I called out hesitantly, "Eddie?"

My voice echoed in the stillness of the room, but he didn't stir. He looked awful, his usually neatly styled hair mussed, his tie loosened, and his face etched with a combination of fatigue and despair. There was something in his hand. It was an old picture, an extremely old one