Chapter 18

“Emma!” David rushed over the moment she staggered through the door, coughing up blood like her lungs were on fire. His heart clenched so tight he thought his teeth might snap. “This is all my fault—I should’ve gone in there with you!” “I’m fine, David…” Emma wiped her blood-streaked hands on a towel, but she couldn’t stop the tears that spilled down uncontrollably as she reached out to touch the photo on the altar. “I just… I feel so sorry for Dad. It hasn’t even been forty-nine days, and I’ve already left him without a proper resting place, letting him suffer even in death…” “Emma...” David wrapped his arms around her and gently helped her back to the bedroom. The place had been empty for a while. The traditional decor still preserved her father’s favorite style—quiet, subdued, and timeless. To Emma, lying here, it somehow felt like the right place to let go if her body finally gave up too. “No, I have to tell the truth! Emma, I can’t just sit back and let Ethan keep hurting you like