Chapter 55

Chapter 55

"It's okay," Calliope interrupted gently, though her smile faltered.

Lila shifted uncomfortably, her voice dropping to a near whisper as she continued. "I only said that because… well, after you left, things got worse here. A few months later, one of the girls was adopted. But then she came back with her foster parents, and they brought the police. They were looking for Father Sanchez." Lila hesitated, glancing at Calliope with hesitation and sorrow. "Molestation and rape charges were filed against him. But he ended up running away before they could catch him. And... the case, well, it’s still unresolved."

Clarke’s body stiffened unintentionally hearing the women's conversation. His world seemed to slow down with each word hitting him like a physical blow. The mention of a priest made his blood run cold, his body instantly tensing as a creeping dread washed over him. It was as if the ground beneath him had shifted, and suddenly, everything about Calliope’s past—the things s