A House Without Laughter
The mansion was quieter without Clara, but it didn’t feel peaceful.
Sophie followed Ethan everywhere, clutching his sleeve like she was afraid he might disappear. At night, she’d wake crying, whispering, “Don’t let her come back.”
Ethan would lift her into his arms, whispering, “She’s gone, sweetheart. She’ll never hurt you again.”
But the scars she carried ran deeper than he realized.
She flinched when doors shut too hard. She spoke in whispers at the dinner table. She looked over her shoulder before laughing—as if joy itself needed permission.
And Ethan began to understand something he’d ignored for years:
While he’d been chasing million-dollar deals, his daughter had been living in fear inside his own home.
