Chapter 68

Author Back in the quiet mountain village, Esther and her mother sat in silence, the weight of unspoken worries pressing down on them. "Our Cecilia was bullied so badly, and we could do nothing," Esther murmured, her fingers tightening around the fish she was gutting. Her eyes flickered with sudden desperation. "Mom, what if… what if we go to Colorado Springs and tell the Locke Family about Cecilia's existence? If we can't protect her, they certainly could." The older woman's grip hardened around the dried fish in her hands. Her eyes, clouded with both age and caution, flashed with alarm. "Absolutely not," she said firmly. "When the old madam entrusted Cecilia to me, she begged for only one thing—that the child live safely. Not rich, not powerful. Safe." "But she's not safe now!" Esther's eyes reddened, her voice cracking. "I hate the thought as much as you do. She's my life. But look at her marriage, look at how they've bullied her! We have no background, no influence. If they knew sh