They stared, unable to reconcile the image before them with the Esme they had known only through rumors. She had always been a figure shrouded in mystery and strength. But here, in this moment captured in time, she looked so different—full of life, so happy, so... human.
"I've never seen her like this," Kai whispered, almost to himself, still staring at the image. The others nodded silently, their shock mirrored in their expressions. They had never thought Esme could look so cheerful, so carefree, especially in her college days.
The room remained still, the weight of the revelation sinking in. What they thought they knew about Cain and Esme was suddenly turned on its head.
