“I hear you, Daniel. But I’m not opening it today.”
He nodded, tears gathering in his eyes.
“I understand.”
Evelyn continued.
“I don’t know how long it will take me to forgive you,” Evelyn continued. “But I do know one thing: never confuse my love with permission again.”
Daniel lowered his head.
“I won’t.”
He turned and slowly followed the gravel driveway away from the estate.
He never looked backward.
Evelyn remained by the entrance for a moment, the recovered key enclosed in her palm.
She loved her son.
She also understood that rebuilding their relationship would require more than his desire to come home.
The trust he’d broken couldn’t be restored simply because he’d finally acknowledged the truth.
That afternoon, Evelyn entered the guest wing.
The rooms remained clean and undisturbed.
Light passed through the open windows, and the hallways still carried the familiar scent of polished wood.
