CHAPTER 197

LEON’S POV

As I stood by the door, watching Margarette sink into the couch beside Aunt Lou, a knot tightened in my chest. She was here, safe, but her silence worried me more than anything. 

There was something deeper going on. I could see it in her eyes—the way they darted away from mine, like she was trying to hide something.

But after everything that had happened, pushing her for answers didn’t feel right. Not yet.

“Leon,” Aunt Lou called softly, motioning for me to join Marga. “She needs you.”

I hesitated for a moment, then crossed the room, taking a seat beside Margarette. Her hands were clasped tightly in her lap, knuckles white, and I gently covered them with