The Offer
Charles broke the silence, his voice carrying both authority and an emotion he hadn’t felt in years: vulnerability.
“You’ll stay here,” he declared. “Not as a beggar. Not as a maid. But as… family.”
Elena’s eyes widened. “Family? I don’t understand.”
Charles leaned forward, his voice catching. “That scar on your neck… I’ve seen it before. On a baby. My sister’s baby. The night she ran from this house, she carried you.”
Elena’s heart pounded. Could it be true? Was this man before her not just a stranger, but blood?
