Mindy remembered the old gazebo in the garden, a secluded spot where her father sometimes went to think. Mindy dashed outside, her footsteps quick and urgent on the gravel path leading to the gazebo.
As she approached the gazebo, her heart raced with a mixture of hope and trepidation. Jacob, looked up slowly, his eyes hollowed and weary. He remained seated, his posture slouched as if the weight of his own sorrows had become too much to bear.
"Dad!" Mindy called out, her voice trembling with urgency. "I've been looking everywhere for you."
Jacob's eyes, clouded with exhaustion and a deep-seated melancholy, met hers. He blinked slowly, his expression deadpan. "Mindy? What's wrong?"
Mindy took a deep breath, her determination renewed despite the heaviness she felt. "I need to talk to you. I've found out something terrible—about what Grandma and Olivia have been doing. It's a lot, but you need to know the truth."
