The Mark They Feared, The Legacy That Ruined Them

moment pressed down like gravity itself.

“You asked if it could be fixed,” Lucas said quietly.

Celeste’s lips parted, but no words came.

Lucas continued.

“I learned something over the years,” he said. “People don’t need perfection. They need acceptance of what already exists.”

Tears welled in Celeste’s eyes.

“I didn’t know—” she began.

Lucas cut in, not harshly—but continue reading …