'No—no, Adelyn,' a voice inside her head called out, warning her against whatever she was about to decide. 'You cannot agree to move in with them. It'll only blur the lines between truth and lies even further. And when that happens … walking away will only become more difficult.'
Although that voice felt distant, almost like an echo in the back of her mind, she still heard it clearly. Not just heard it —she believed it too.
So, she decided to refuse.
"I—"
However, her words caught in her throat the moment her gaze fell on the little girl.
Eira was looking at her with such innocence. Such hope. As if she was simply waiting —trusting —that Adelyn would say yes.
Faced with those eyes, how could she bring herself to disappoint her?
How could she refuse?
Wouldn't that be too cruel?
But then—
If she avoided being cruel now, wouldn't she end up entangling herself deeper in something that would hurt the child even more later?
