chapter 97

Lyra's POV

“You’ll stay here. My home is your home now,” Kurtis’s aunt, Amanda, said firmly, her eyes blazing with fierce determination. The warmth in her voice caught me off guard as I sat on the edge of the sofa, clutching a tissue to my tear-streaked face. After the confrontation with Kurtis’s father, Amanda had taken me in without hesitation, insisting I was family now, despite everything.

I glanced up at her, my voice trembling. “I can’t impose. You’ve already done so much.”

Amanda waved off my words, pulling me into a soft embrace. “Nonsense. You’re not imposing. You belong here, Lyra, and we won’t let anyone push you away.”

For a moment, I let myself relax in her embrace, the motherly affection seeping into my bones. It was strange, comforting, even. I hadn’t felt like I truly belonged anywhere in a long time.

But the peace didn’t last long. Just as Amanda released me, her daughter Sophie came bounding down the stairs, dressed for school in her uniform. Her face was a mixture o