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Chapter 194

Author: Lauren
last update Last Updated: 2025-04-26 14:32:00

Knoxx’s Point of View

It’s too quiet in the house.

I’m sitting on the edge of the bed in my daughter’s room—our daughter’s room—watching her sleep. Eight years old, but still small in ways that remind me how fragile everything is. She clutches the worn-out stuffed bear Dolly gave her on her third birthday. The same one she wouldn't let go of even when she had the flu and cried through the night.

I’ve been checking on her more often. Staying longer than I need to. Not because she asks—she rarely does—but because I don’t know what else to do with myself anymore.

“Hey, sweetheart,” I whisper, brushing a loose curl from her forehead. “It’s just you and me now.”

She doesn’t stir. Just turns her face toward the wall.

I lean back against the bedpost, hands tangled together, eyes fixed on the soft glow of the nightlight in the corner. I should feel

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