Veronica's POV
The moment I stepped inside the house, I could tell the old mansion had been deserted for ages. Everything looked weathered and neglected, with white sheets draped over most of the furniture like ghosts from the past.
I stood there, reality crashing down on me. I'd built up this fantasy in my head—walking through that door and finding Carl waiting for me. Instead, I found emptiness.
My heart sank like a stone.
Crushed and aching, I spun toward Leonardo. "Leonardo, nobody's here! Where's Carl?"
Leonardo moved closer, his voice gentle. "Veronica, this place belonged to Dewitt Abbott. Carl stayed here for three years. Dewitt was a chemist—never had kids of his own, so he took Carl in.
Carl became Carl Abbott. Those three years here... they were good ones for him."
"But..."
"But what? Tell me everything!" My fingers dug into Leonardo's arm, shaking as I fought to stay composed. I couldn't handle another dead end, another crushing disappointment.
