#Chapter 116: Staged Compassion

Amelia Elsa arrived at the Haven like she had been waiting for this moment her entire life. She didn’t come quietly. She swept in with an entourage of journalists and camera crews trailing after her, their equipment already rolling before she even stepped out of the sleek black car. Her coat was tailored, her makeup flawless, her smile luminous as if the war outside was only a backdrop for her performance. She moved slowly, deliberately, pausing every few steps to let the lenses capture her from the best angle. The crowd outside murmured as though royalty had returned to them, even though she had abandoned these same people when things were quieter. She moved from family to family with blankets draped across her arms, kneeling gracefully to comfort a crying child, pressing warm kisses to foreheads. She stopped to clasp the hands of elders, to linger with soldiers as though thanking them personally for their service. And when she found Jenny, she pulled her close, stroking her hai