Avey's world felt like it was unraveling before her eyes. Panic gripped her heart, and her mind raced, searching for any way to make things right. "Where is Lucian, Aunt Olivia? Please, I need to know!" Avey's voice trembled, her eyes already wet with unshed tears, fear and desperation thick in her tone.
Olivia looked away, guilt flickering across her tired face. "I don't know, Avey... He was at home when I left. But... he might have gone somewhere else. Lucian... he never stays put for long, especially not at home." Olivia's voice was soft, burdened with her own guilt and shame. She had failed as a mother, and now her son was slipping away from her too.
