Calvin let out a long sigh, the weight of the situation pressing down on him like a heavy blanket. The hotel room felt stifling, the walls seeming to inch closer with every passing moment. His gaze drifted to the ceiling, searching for answers in the patterns of the plaster, but none came. Deep down, a nagging unease refused to leave him, gnawing at his resolve. Accepting Alana back as his wife was never something he had envisioned for himself, and now, being trapped in this hotel room at night with her felt like a twist of fate he hadn’t prepared for.He knew what Alana might be thinking—alone together in a room, the intimacy of the situation could easily lead to expectations. But Calvin had already decided that he wouldn’t allow things to go in a direction he didn’t want. The last thing he needed was to complicate their already fragile relationship with physical intimacy.His thoughts wandered to Lizzie, his sister, whose loyalty and care had always been a source of comfort. Worry f

Calvin’s gaze was intense, his dark eyes locking onto Alana’s with a steely resolve. He stood tall, his posture rigid, as if bracing himself for the inevitable storm. His voice, low and measured, cut through the tension that hung thick in the air between them. “You need to stop with this jealousy, Alana,” he said, each word deliberately chosen, leaving no room for misunderstanding. “You have to accept the reality that the only reason I’m considering remarrying you is because of the agreement. If it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t even think about coming back to you.”Alana’s face flushed with anger, a deep crimson spreading across her cheeks. Her heart pounded in her chest, each beat echoing the fury rising within her. She could feel the sting of tears at the corners of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Not in front of him. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides, nails digging into her palms as she fought to maintain her composure. “How can you be so cruel, Calvin?” she spa

Calvin lay on the sofa, his body rigid, his eyes squeezed shut as if that alone could ward off the storm raging inside him. Sleep had teased him, pulling him into its embrace only to abandon him moments later. Now, he was left staring into the suffocating darkness of the hotel room, the weight of everything pressing down on him like a leaden blanket.He shifted, trying to find a more comfortable position, but the sofa’s lumpy cushions offered no solace. A sigh escaped his lips, the sound barely audible over the hum of the air conditioner. What am I doing here? he wondered, the thought slipping unbidden into his mind.His thoughts spiraled, each one sharper than the last. The clinic, the place where he’d poured all his dreams and hopes, still sat unopened. It felt like a betrayal to his own ambitions, like watching a plant wither before it ever had the chance to bloom. “I promised them,” he whispered to the darkness, guilt clawing at his insides. “I promised them stability, a job, and

Calvin’s heart pounded in his chest, its sound echoing in his ears as he stood rooted to the spot, his eyes fixed on Lizzie’s small, fragile form. The room had returned to its usual calm, but the air felt heavy with a strange energy, as if the unsettling events from moments ago still lingered, unseen but palpable. The memory of Lizzie’s glowing eyes and the eerie words she had spoken haunted him, replaying over and over in his mind. He tried to steady his breathing, but the adrenaline rushing through his veins refused to let him find peace.Suddenly, Lizzie jolted awake, her body shaking as she gasped for air, her small hands clutching at the sheets. The sight of her in such distress shattered Calvin’s paralysis, and he rushed to her side, dropping to his knees by the bed. He placed a hand gently on her shoulder, his voice filled with concern as he tried to bring her back to reality.“Lizzie, are you okay?” he asked, his tone soft but urgent. His eyes searched her face, desperate to f

Lizzie and Calvin sat across from each other in the dimly lit living room, surrounded by a chaotic mess of their parents' old belongings. Boxes, scattered papers, worn photographs, and mysterious objects from their past lay strewn about, creating an atmosphere thick with frustration and confusion. They had been at it for hours, combing through everything, yet they were no closer to understanding the cryptic pieces of their family’s history. The weight of their parents' secrets pressed down on them, making the air feel heavy with unresolved mysteries.Lizzie sighed, flipping through her mother’s old journal, her eyes scanning the faded ink on the yellowing pages. “I’ve been through this a hundred times,” she muttered, her voice tinged with exhaustion. “But none of it makes sense. It’s just… memories. Nothing about the pendant, nothing about the amulet. It’s like they were hiding everything from us.”Calvin glanced up from the small fragment of the amulet he held in his hands, his brow