Sarah's hand shook as she reached for the journal Alex had shown her, its old leather cover worn and faded with time. "Alex…if I read this, will I finally understand?"
Alex's gaze softened, his hand reaching out to steady her own. "You deserve to know, Sarah. This secret—what my father left behind—is bigger than any of us." His voice was a quiet murmur, laced with an undertone of regret. "I just wish things could have been different."
The dim candlelight flickered, casting shadows that seemed to dance along the cold stone walls of the hidden room. Max shifted uncomfortably, his expression guarded as he glanced between Sarah and Alex. Despite his own reservations, even he couldn't deny the weight of what was in that journal, the pages holding truths that had altered lives and perhaps…destinies.
